Social media websites are hugely popular in the SEO world right now. And for good reason, social websites are helpful, useful and fun. When you are working with social websites it feels more like a leisurely at home session of internet browsing rather than a laborious chore. There are tons of cool and interesting things on these websites. Search engine optimization professionals use social websites for various purposes most of which include: back links, image maintenance, increasing brand awareness and driving up traffic. The truth of the matter is that without social media, social bookmarking and social networking websites; the SEO game would be entirely different.

But as with anything that’s popular websites come and go. What’s hot today could be tomorrow’s lemon. Perfect example: AltaVista. Back in the 90’s this search engine became very popular very quickly. This is a case of the lesser of two evils. It doesn’t have to be a great service to be the best service. If there’s nothing better than what you have, you’re going to use what you have. Not long after Altavista climbed to the top, a few students launched a search engine that would become the most recognized brand in the world; Google. This shows the fickle nature of the internet and its users.

Much like AltaVista, Myspace has been the mainstay of social networking website. It’s not that Myspace is perfect (anything but) it’s that there was no such service before Myspace. Yes, Myspace is one oft the most visited websites on the internet with an Alexa ranking of 6. However Myspace is losing its stranglehold on the social networking market with the advent of Facebook, a new and exciting rival. A bum rush has begun where SEO specialists are switching from Myspace to Facebook with some of the biggest names in the industry hyping the cross over. But while everyone is fighting to take advantage of this unspoiled territory, many question if Facebook or Myspace are effective or should be used at all.

Some SEO’s are holding out on this fad. While there is some value in social networking sites like these, their impact as a whole is relatively small and insignificant. There is also the concern that is everyone rushes over to Facebook the Myspace dilemma will begin all over again. The more popular it gets the riper it is for abuse. Only time will tell if Facebook is “the next big thing”, but one thing is clear, some people decide to look before they leap and others just follow the crowd. Which one are you?