Whether it will be called GoogleBook or FaceGoogle is the question many are pondering this week as the search engine giant made a move on the social media king’s turf.

The new service Google proposes to offer only a select group of web surfers at first, will let them share and discuss status updates, photos and links as the Google+ project. However, once the select few begin to invite others to join in the experience, it will be interesting to watch the battle unfold for territorial rights in the land of networking.

So, does Facebook feel threatened by this invasion of Google? Well, many seem to feel that Google+ may actually be just another flop in social networking for the company. While 180 million people visited Google sites in May, according to a recent article by Claire Cain Miller of The New York Times, Facebook users looked at 103 billion pages spending an average of 375 minutes on the site, compared to Google users who viewed only 46.3 billion pages and remained for only 231 minutes. Advertisers pay close attention to these numbers.

Advertisers also take note of other trends, such as the increase in questions posed to both Facebook and Twitter in the form of requests for personal recommendations. As Ms. Cain Miller also points out in her article, Google is no longer relied upon for such answers, as more and more users desire the personalized responses social media provides.

Still, the Google+ project sports some noticeable differences from Facebook, which may make all the difference to users. The Google+ project is designed for sharing with small groups, and offers group text messaging and video chat. If wise, Facebook will be sure to up their game in the face of such a challenge. You can look for them to become even more visual in the weeks to come.

Whatever the outcome for the Google+ project, one thing is sure; the users of the Internet will largely determine its success or failure. The same is true for your online business. The users (or the lack of users) will ultimately determine your success. That is why, as in the report above, numbers are so important. And, that is why SEO is the most important tool you can employ when attempting to increase the number of visitors to your website. You cannot sell what the public cannot see – and web surfers will never see you unless you decide that you will NOT be overlooked!

The public may not decide whether the name is FaceGoogle or GoogleBook – but the public will decide who survives online and for how long. When it comes to online marketing, YOU must decide to leave the public no choice but to sit up and take notice of your company’s products and services through great optimization.