Is Google planning to join the micro-blogging revolution?
Could the might of Google combine with the relevancy of Twitter in some way, soon? Rumors abound that Internet giant Google is working on some form of micro-blogging search engine. These rumors have leaked from the savvy folks who run an unaffiliated blog that focuses on Google’s operating system.
Google has long been rumored to be interested in the micro-blogging revolution and who would bet against them coming up with a viable platform, given that everything they touch seems to turn to gold. Apparently, their new micro-blogging search service would sort it’s results by relevancy and integrate them into Google’s web search engine. It will be possible to identify trends within these micro-messages and present the results through one of their recognizable and successful formats.
Twitter is, of course, the major player in the micro-blogging world. Whilst twitter is considered to be on the cutting edge in terms of social acceptance and “hipness”, the organization has not really come up with a compelling business model. If Google’s search-based business model is integrated in some way with the Twitter model, it could suggest considerable potential for advertising dollars.
Twitter has it’s own search engine, which is accessed through “search.twitter.com”, but this just trawls it’s users pages, rather than being also linked through and to sites that are referred to by its “tweeters”. Third-party, Twitter-plugin search engines also exist, including Tweetmeme, One Riot and Twitpipe.
Google’s new initiative is expected to work by ranking each micro-blog by relevancy. Results will appear in search based on frequently used keywords and will be integrated within Google’s main search engine. “Real-time information is important, and we’re looking at different ways to use this information to make Google more useful to its users”, according to a Google spokesperson.
A more direct quote, giving us insight into the company’s plans, emerged from search products guru Melissa Mayer. “We are interested in being able to offer, for example, micro-blogging and micro-messaging in our search, particularly in blog search and possibly in web search”. It is likely that Google sees micro-blogging search as a further opportunity to ensure that third-party content steers users into its arms.
Do we need another micro blogging site?
Adam Toren
Oh thats good to hear that Google is working on micro blogging search engine.
i think that would be easy for conveying messages and present the results through one of their recognizable and successful formats.
its similar like social bookmarking..
There is surely a need for micro-blogging search engine, but it is a question how big is that need. Anyway, Google can’t lost anything with this experiment, but can gain a lot.
Google realized the popularity of micbro-blogging. I mean let’s face it there are millions of people now using Twitter. Not only is it easy ti use its also way convenient. Imagine you can update people using your phone!?
So nowadays money would be investing in micro-blogs. Not bad if Google is going to come up with it.
Joyce
We don’t need another micro blogging site in my opinion. It would be nice if the Twitter search worked faster. I have used Twitter searches in the past, for example to find out if everyone’s GMail was down or if it was just my own.
Do you think they’d go as far as try to purchase twitter? A search engine would be helpful, but the site itself is very powerful…
Google tends to want to get it’s fingers in every pie, can’t see why the Twittersphere would be any different.
I still don’t get Twitter, to me it’s just what RSS should be for.