Google and Twitter Partner Up, Again

Many of you may remember when you could view tweets in real-time through Google’s search engine. For those of you who don’t, myself included, a little back story is needed.

In 2009, Google and Twitter struck a deal to allow tweets in the search feed. Google search become a right-this-minute engine, ultimately taking the extra steps out of finding information for the user. Users could not only find the information they were seeking, but also read real-time tweets from other users on the topic. For example, I could search Google for my favorite band’s tour dates. Not only would I be able to see the search results but also tweets from other fans who were also buying tickets or just went to the concert. It opened up a whole new way of getting information. This happy marriage lasted a few years and then abruptly stopped in 2011.

Now, we hear that Google and Twitter are once again reviving their partnership! This is exciting news for digital marketers and SEO professionals. For starters, this announcement came almost immediately following Twitter’s newest release. Twitter announced, just the day before, that their promoted tweets will now be syndicated to other sites already allowing a seamless flow of tweets. The thought behind this is really rather ingenious. Twitter stated in their blog, if a site already allows tweets to flow why not include promoted campaigns. Better yet, the promoted tweets will have the same look and feel as a regular tweet. Coincidence…I doubt it.

Its going to be interesting to see how the two mesh. Digital marketers and SEO professionals are going to become one in the same, if they are not already. The big question is how Google is going to pull relevant tweets. The most obvious answer would be hashtags. However, keywords and location could possibly play a role. Regardless, strategizing a social media campaign will require more research on the part of the marketer.

Twitter is truly capitalizing on this agreement which leaves us wondering, what’s going to happen to Google+? The stepchild of the social media realm is once again on the chopping block. Google’s social site was able to ward off the final curtain because its updates stood out on the search engine but with the revival of Twitter, the end may be closer than we think.

Do you foresee this as a positive change?  Keep the discussion going at @WTWH_Stacy

UPDATE: The spotlight is once again on Google. March 1, Google VP and one of Google+’s key creators Bradley Horowitz confirmed that Google is splitting its social network into two main products; Photos and Streams. Read more on this curious announcement Google+ Splitting Photos and Streams