Real-Time Web and the Kaleidoscope of Search

Ken's Blog

Google has been on record for quite a while now (no doubt prompted by Twitter) about the "real-time web."

Like I said years ago about Google, they won't get Image Search and Video Search and News search and Blog search working until they can figure out how to pull it all together and figure out which type of results any particular search (and search history patterns) is likely to want. Along came Universal Search.

The same will go for this general trend to a "real-time Web"...

Some folks search for information (ex., the best Anguilla restaurant), not the latest real-time tweet or burp on a topic. Some search for the latest news (ex., the latest hurricane center forming out over the Atlantic).

My daughter Nori's site (anguilla-beaches.com) will turn up for the first, not for the second -- she's not after that audience. So never think in terms of black and white, not even in shades of gray. Instead....

Google's results are a kaleidoscope and they will return search results for people who are most targeted for your site's content (and vice-versa -- it will give your site's content to those who are looking for it, and not the latest real-time tweet).

Be sure of two things with Google over the coming months and years... increasing recognition of quality and increasing recognition of what a searcher wants.  And that would include any type of content, including tweets if you take it to the extreme.

All the best,