Facebook is experimenting with a search engine that will enable users to find and post links to external websites without venturing outside its own ecosystem and, more importantly, without using Google.

The test is part of wider plans to ensure that Facebook users spend as much time as possible within its ecosystem, especially on mobile, where transitioning from the companys app to find, copy and paste links from Google can easily disrupt the flow of activity and hurt Facebooks engagement stats.

According to Business Insider, a new add a link button has been added for some users of Facebooks iOS app in the US, enabling them to search for the link they want to share from within the app. The search prioritises newer or highly shared links, and lets users add comments or status updates as usual once they have selected the link they wish to share.

Facebook has reportedly indexed over 1 trillion posts to analyse what sort of content tends to be shared, and match it to user demographic and behavioural patterns, enabling it to predict which links any given user wants to share.

Facebook has already established deals with publishers like Buzzfeed, the New York Times and National Geographic to host content within its own ecosystem, rather than linking to external sites, and the development of a search engine would further expand these efforts.