Facebook’s parent-child integration can be very confusing. Several different types of pages exist with varying functionality, and Facebook is constantly making updates to the format and functionality of these pages.
In January of this year, Facebook released Graph Search, which prioritized Place pages and increased the importance of Likes, checkins and personal connections as ranking factors. That same month, Facebook also modified the look and feel of Newsfeed posts about ratings and reviews, making them more visual and eye-catching. Inclusion of a cover photo and profile image were the major design changes.
In May of 2013, Facebook began letting any user rate a business, even if they had not checked in to it. Users were also allowed to rate or review any Place pages that were not administered, and add photos to Place pages that were not administered. Other users were then able to vote on the best image, with the winner becoming the main image.
In 2014, I anticipate that Place pages will become an even larger focus for Facebook, as they continue to compete with Yelp and Google map listings in the local search space. The increased prominence of Place pages in Graph Search ranking and continued focus on testing Nearby features on mobile devices provides as glimpse into Facebook’s future growth plans. And as local and mobile usage grows overall, it is no surprise that Facebook is moving in this direction. Expect an increase focus on Nearby and new features and functionality for Place pages in 2014.
To help you cut through the confusion of Facebook Place pages and the parent-child integration at this current time, we have put together a document that shows the various pages types with pointers on how to identify one from another. We have also provided answers for a number of common questions regarding the Facebook parent-child process, such as “Can I receive notifications of new reviews or messages on child pages?” and “Can I add international locations as child pages?”
If you have others questions that haven’t been answered in this document, please let us know so that we can provide you with an answer and update the document for future use.