Real Time Search: Implications for Business
Posted on | December 16, 2009 | No Comments
Real Time Search has been a popular topic this year and after Google rolled it out last week interest in Real Time Search has piqued. Since it’s a hot topic, I thought that I’d briefly touch on What is Google Real Time Search? and What are the Implications for Businesses On the Web?
What is Google Real Time Search?
We live in a society that has a constant thirst for information. Whether you love it or hate it, the “always connected,” 24/7 nature of modern life continues to manifest itself in many ways. In my opinion, Real Time Search is an extension of this. A perfect example is last year’s Miracle on the Hudson; I first heard about the dramatic events via Twitter after it took the traditional media some time to report on the crash.
Essentially, Real time search is the inclusion of fresh, up-to-the-minute information from sources like Twitter, FriendFeed, Blogs and other forms of social media.
As with anything new, there is a great deal of noise about the implications of Real Time Search. Frankly, it’s all speculation but here are some of the high points:
What Does Real Time Search Look Like?
For the purpose of brevity, we’ll look at the results provided by Google. Real Time Search results can be found embedded in the Search Engine Results Pages for topics that generate significant real time interest. Recently, Tiger Woods (sigh) has been of great interest:
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In addition, users can navigate to see real time results using Google’s search options:
Step # 1: Select “Show Options”
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Step # 2: Select “Latest” from the publication options
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Step # 3: Review the results as they update in real time
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Benefits of Real Time Search
Rapid Delivery of News – User will have access to real time news and opinion.
Improved Search Engine Relevancy – While some focus on the benefits that Real Time Search offers the end user, others believe that the biggest benefits will be to the search engines themselves. Kevin Newcomb offered his opinion on Real Time Search last October.
Elimination of a Filter – Whether it’s traditional media or new media, there is always a filter between those reporting events and users. Real time search removes this intermediary to provide raw data.
Problems with Real Time Search
Irrelevant & Inaccurate Information – For all the benefits of speed, the downside is quality. There has always been a fire hose of online data and the inclusion of real time data dramatically increases the flow through the hose. The trick will be how to harness that flow to create usable information.
SPAM Magnet – With the tremendous interest in Real Time Search, many will be considering new ways in which to exploit it. At least initially, it may not be overly useful as Google, Yahoo! and others tweak their results to get a better idea of its use.
Elimination of a Filter – Yes, the elimination of a filter can be a negative too. Data is not useful until it is used to create information and filters help us do that. For example, CNN, Google, or an industry-expert blogger all act to help us separate the wheat from the chaff to find the information that is meaningful to us.
Implications for Business
The roll out of Real Time Search will impact companies that maintain an internet presence in a variety of ways. Among them are:
Real Time Search Will Shape Search Results – Search engines have used social media sources to assess the relevancy and value of information on the web; the integration of Real Time Search into search engine results will continue this trend.
Social Media Should Not Be Ignored – The inclusion of Real Time Search is only the most recent shift by Google to increase the importance of social media in its assessment of value and relevancy. Those businesses interested in successfully marketing themselves online must at least consider whether social media would be a productive tactic in its online marketing plan.
Online Reputation Management Is Now More Important – With the removal of filters, anyone can say anything about a company. Users can heap praise and criticism, whether warranted or not, on any firm at a moment’s notice. To some degree, businesses can insulate themselves from these negative effects by developing a level of social proof and trust, however it’s all businesses should take steps to monitor their online reputation.
Conclusion
Real Time Search is an interesting and exciting development, which will have a dramatic impact on businesses with an online presence. While the dust has yet to settle, it’s clear that businesses interested in being successful online must critically evaluate the impact of Real Time Search. What do you see as the potential impacts of Real Time Search. How will it impact your company?
Bill Rowland
Tags: google > online reputation management > real time search > social media
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