Google is now indexing Facebook comments and displaying them in search results. The search giant has recently upgraded Googlebots, the technology it uses to scan web pages, to recognise comments within JavaScript platforms such as Facebook.

Reading between the lines

While Google still can’t access comments posted on private Facebook pages, any comment left on a public page within Facebook or a Facebook comment form on another website is now searchable.

Many sites, including Daily Beast and The Huffington Post use the Facebook Social Plugin as a convenient way for users to post comments without having to sign up and create a profile.

While Google’s new ability to scan comments will boost the searchability of such sites, it also means user comments are now more easily accessible by the public.

Mind your virtual P’s and Q’s

A recent study has shown that over a quarter of Australian employers now screen the social media profiles of potential candidates, with almost half these rejecting applicants based on negative impressions of social media behaviour.

With Google’s all-seeing bots now looking deeper than ever before, it’s a reminder that online profiles are increasingly becoming part of the public domain.