Google Now Serving Up Tweets in Search Results

Cody McPherson | @MrCodyMac

Google announced that it would be adding tweets to its mobile search results on Android, iOS and mobile browsers. This means that Twitter’s unique real-time content will now be served up to Google users who might not actually use Twitter. This development will also make it easier for users to explore both Twitter and Google content.

There are two ways to trigger the new search results. Users can include the keyword “Twitter” to search for specific users or hashtags, or simply enter their search query like they normally would to view tweets based on particular trending words.

While it may seem like a redundant change on the surface, it could have an impact if it draws more traffic to Twitter and its users, even more so if this new content is eventually included in desktop search results. As a source of information, Google Search users have the opportunity to view real-time information via tweets while also having access to typical search results, which is essentially two sources of information in one easy search query.

To make things even easier, tweets served up by Google are deep-linked to the Twitter app. Clicking on a tweet that shows up in the search results takes users directly to the app, if installed.

The change to Google’s search results opens up another opportunity for Twitter users to gain more exposure and attract those who don’t use Twitter. In an ideal scenario, for example, a company on Twitter can strategically use trending words or hashtags to deliver their content to people who exclusively use Google Search, rather than Twitter, to find the information they are looking for. This means the company can potentially generate traffic through yet another channel and grab the attention of a new audience due to the increase in users seeing their content via Google.

While tweets showing up in Google’s search results is definitely useful for users and businesses alike, it is certainly not a huge development. The modification allows for a more complete search experience and has potential as a marketing tool, but it definitely needs to be expanded to warrant further adoption. Ultimately, you’re bound to start seeing Twitter results regardless of how you search the web on your mobile device.