Question: Does Google index Facebook posts?

Google's ability to index content from Facebook depends largely on the privacy settings of the posts and the platform's policies. Here are some key considerations:

Public vs. Private Content

• Public Posts: Google can index public Facebook posts. These are posts that have been set to 'public' visibility by the user, meaning anyone on or off Facebook can view them.
• Private Posts: Posts that are shared with a limited audience (e.g., friends, specific groups) are not indexed by Google. This is because Google's crawlers cannot access content behind login walls or that requires specific permissions.

How it Works

Google uses web crawlers to index content available on the internet. When a Facebook post is public, it means it’s visible on the open web. Thus, these posts can appear in Google Search results. Conversely, any content restricted through privacy settings will not be accessible to Google’s crawlers, thus remaining unindexed.

SEO Implications

For marketers or public figures who wish their Facebook content to be discovered via Google search, ensuring the visibility settings of their posts are set to public is crucial. However, for personal profiles where privacy is a concern, keeping posts private will prevent them from being indexed by search engines like Google.

Changing Visibility

It's important to note that changing the visibility of a post from 'private' to 'public' can make it indexable by Google. The reverse is also true; making a previously public post private will eventually lead to its removal from Google's index after some time.

In summary, while Google can index public Facebook posts, private or restricted content remains unsearchable on Google. The control, therefore, largely rests with Facebook users and their individual privacy settings.