People with keen eyes might’ve noticed that Google mobile search results have been showing related content from Twitter. The integration started in May, with Tweets containing the searched keywords appearing in the SERPs.
However, this was limited to the United States and only to mobile results. Recently, there are indications that not only will Google include Twitter outside the country, but the company would also expand to desktop search.
Where and When?
Some observant users in the U.K spotted Twitter results appearing in their SERPs for the past few days. The results appear naturally at the bottom of the page in desktop searches. This was initially spotted by Conductor and they notified Search Engine Land.
According to them, the Twitter integration is only visible in relation to big-name companies and celebrities who were recently active on the social network. The integration doesn’t seem to appear in lesser known keywords or people without much Twitter following.
Twitter integration in desktop results hasn’t happened in the U.S yet. People have tried searching various keywords to get the social network on their SERPs here, but there’s no trace of it. A spokesperson from Google did confirm that they have been experimenting with the integration into desktop since mid-July. However, they had nothing more to say on the matter.
Possible Benefits of the Integration
The deal between Twitter and Google would most likely prove to be beneficial to both companies. The integration would be a cool new feature for Google that might benefit the users. The increased visibility in search engines might bring more traffic towards Twitter, possibly increasing its user population and activity.
To the marketers, this might just prove to be a boon. They can use Twitter to make their content more visible in SERPs. This might just add a new dimension to SEO and SMM through Twitter.
Naturally, not all your Tweets will appear on SERPs. Google search is still content based. The text in your Tweets should contain the high volume keywords. The tweets must be optimized to gain visibility. For example, if you tweet “Product Z delivers optimal performance” it won’t appear in search results with keywords “engines” or “cars”.
High Organic Reach
You might also need to start treating your tweets like small ads and mind the content. With integration into Google searches, Twitter will have a high rate of organic reach. Having a call to action in your tweets would become very important. Only time will tell just how massive an impact Twitter marketing would have on the marketing world, but it always pays to be prepared.