Real-Time search makes social media very relevant

Just last week I was mentioning that social networking had a long way to go to catch email marketing. I guess a long way to go could mean a week these days. The truth is I hadn’t considered real-time search. Real-time search, recently announced by Google incorporates social media postings into organic search results. How many times have you used a search engine to find an answer to a question, or get an update on a current event, only to be disappointed to find your answers (search results) contained outdated information. for example try to find the status of a new drug the FDA is evaluating, or the next time there is a fire, or flood try to filter the old flood and fire postings from the new. Real-time search allows you to separate new from old. Try it. Go to Google and search on Bernanke and then in the left margin click on latest and you will see the latest postings from the Jackson Hole meeting the other day. Granted there is more information posted about Mr.Bernanke via news sites and publications but Google also is posting updates from social networks like Twitter. For example, while I am writing this there is a conversation going on about Paris Hilton being arrested in Vegas on cocaine charges. Who cares? Well, try this, search on “Paris Hilton arrested” and then click on latest. Most of the latest posts are from Twitter. Granted these are huge attention getting news stories but the point is Google and Bing are now mixing social media content into search results so tweeting and or blogging and posting to Twitter should really become part of your on-going marketing strategy. People generally go to social media to discuss and seek advice versus using a search engine to research, or look up specific information. Real-time search is where the spider based algorithm of traditional search intersects with the human based social media. Google and Bing realize they need to part of the human based conversation happening on social network sites which creates more SEO opportunities for those of us who trying to compete with all the noise out there to get our marketing message is front of the right people. How are you using social media to market your business?

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