So you first may ask – what is it?
“Google Real Time search is Google’s relevance technology meeting the real-time web,” says Google staffer Amit Singhal. Basically, your search results will now contain real-time news links fueled by blogs, and social media sites, combined with the ranked link results that we have grown to love, and compete for, so well.
“There is so much information being generated that relevance is the key to any product, and that’s where Google comes in,” Singhal said. Google’s results page will now include a scrolling box of links that update constantly even as you scan through the other results. Clicking through takes one to a page of real-time scrolling updates.
Google said its real-time search offers not just a stream of data, but an organized stream filtered of spam and other irrelevant information. The key to keeping the updates relevant is that Google judges “author quality,” “probability of relevance” and “query hotness,” according to Singhal. “That’s what real-time search is all about,” he said.
Why has Google gone real-time?
Evidently, major perceived shortcoming in Google’s technology have drawn them quite a bit of criticism as searchers feel they are not keeping up with the flood of short status updates on social networks. “Old-time search” has been viewed as stale, and at times returning tired, or irrelevant results. This instantaneous news, recorded digitally in real-time, can at times answer a search query better, than say, existing links about a topic that have been around for years. Real Time search will make breaking news as find-ably relevant as ever.
And why should you care?
Google commands 70 percent of the U.S. search market and has made it clear that they understand that there are many ways to return information to searchers, including answers that are personalized — even for those who don’t have Google accounts.
“Our search results have to mirror the [Internet's] richness,” Mayer of Google said. “It’s not just about 10 blue links. It’s about the best answers.”
Therefore, consider yet another reason to get involved (or stay involved) with social media. Your social media comments and conversation about your company and brand have yet another opportunity for greatness. Because the worlds of social media and search engine optimization are now, through Google, more molded together than ever – it would behoove you to be proactive on both fronts.
Has Real Time search enhanced, or impeded upon your search experience? Do tell!
