Google is All A-Twitter Over New Search Results
Well, you knew it would come eventually: Google will now start showing tweets from Twitter in its search results. So what? Well, just think about that impact on you as a small business. Whatever people out there in cyberspace say about you on Twitter can now end up on a search result in Google. The deal between the two Internet/social media giants was sealed back in February which essentially allows Google to index tweets in real time. Beginning next month, the plan is for tweets to become visible in Google’s search results as soon as the time of posting.
Why Twitter and Why Now?
Twitter, which went public just two years ago in 2013, has been facing pressure to develop its user base. Compared with Facebook, which has 1.44 billion users, Twitter has a mere 300 million, according to Web Pro News. This is the latest effort by Twitter to grow its audience — including an audience that doesn’t even have to log in to get the latest news. What’s happening now is a complete redesign of Twitter’s logged-out homepage, emerging into a bonafide news site. This new deal with Google will solidify those efforts to become more visible to anyone at any time — an attempt to pull in users who may not necessary have a Twitter account just yet but may do so in the near future. The advantage to Google is that these real-time tweets help to reach its goal of organizing and presenting news and postings to the global community. With so much real-time info flooding the Internet at any given time, Google couldn’t afford NOT to make this deal happen. So it’s a win-win for both involved, although it’s still unclear how exactly Google will handle the tweets, such as to drive personalization.
What it Means for You
Be prepared to stay on your toes as a business leader going forward, as businesses that use Twitter for customer service run the risk of negative experiences showing up front and center by customers right alongside all the good stuff. If you have what’s referred to as a “social first” approach, you can stay on top of these responses (i.e., complaints about sub-par service) and counteract them quickly with positive engagements that will pop up on the feed instead. Again, this will depend on Google’s approach to how it will manage the tweets, but this is a likely scenario. This is great news if you’re a business owner who’s very active on social media, stays on top of customer interaction and relies on real-time responses to drive your company. Having tweets show up in Google search results is like a free form of advertising for your business — if you play your cards right.
Author:
Ramsey Sweis
President and Founder of Aqaba Technologies
LinkedIn: View Profile
Twitter: @AqabaTech
