Meebo is a content-sharing platform, but it might help to think of it as a geoocial platform that treats the web as a neighborhood, and sites as specific locations. Marketers may like the fact that Meebo announced it will offer a new check-in system for websites that could help drive traffic and brand loyalty.

Today, the company launched a browser extension to some users, enabling them to check in with Meebo from anywhere on the web. In a YouTube video, Meebo CEO Seth Sternberg explains that this development could be key to brand discovery on the web, as it lets users share links to great content. 

When a user checks in on a website, this becomes apparent to other Meebo users on that site. Additionally, a check-in results in a notification on users' Meebo homepages, letting friends know where they are on the web.

There are a lot of similarities between Meebo and location-based platforms, such as foursquare. Meebo users are named VIPs of sites where they frequently check in (which sounds a lot like being named a location's foursquare Mayor). Sternberg explains that Meebo will eventually offer website owners information about their VIPs in case they choose to reward these regular visitors.

He says the company looked at geosocial apps and aspired to make it easy to apply similar check-ins to the virtual world. Sternberg is "really excited" about "what this means for discovery of really cool content." 

Marketers should be excited as well. Though the Meebo browser extension is currently available to limited audiences on Firefox, Chrome and Internet Explorer, it will ultimately reach all of Meebo's 180 million unique monthly users. 

Brands that offer quality content on the web can set themselves apart to catch check-ins from Meebo, and they may also find their content gets shared across other emerging discovery platforms. The recent launch of Facebook Messages makes it easy for users to pass along relevant web links, as does the new socially enhanced web browser RockMelt. The moral of the story is that compelling content will likely catch clicks this year.