Google to index Facebook comments

Search giant, Google will now index public comments that are made on Web sites using Facebook, The Economic Times writes.

The move means that all comments on any publicly visible Web site could show up in Google search results.

According to The Telegraph, previously, search engines were unable to read comments because Facebook, Disqus and Intense Debate used programming that was not easy to read automatically.

This meant comments could play any part in a Web site's search ranking. Now, however, the Web tools that Google uses to trawl the Web and index content are able to read comments that have been made using Facebook's Connect add-in for other Web sites, as well as other equivalent services.

Some Web site owners have declined to use add-ons for comments that do not help their search rankings, but as Facebook has become a more popular tool for interaction outside Facebook.com itself, Google has effectively been ignoring a growing part of the Web.

The Huffington Post reports the move ties into Google's efforts for more authenticity and transparency in online identity. Just as Google+ forces users to identify themselves with their proper names, this new search method may encourage users to be more accountable for their comments.