In 2009 real time search blossomed and now in 2010 real time search results are becoming an increasing area of interest for search specialists.
We’ve commented that
real time search results are largely momentary as they are quickly replaced in search engine results. If your search query or topic features in a real time search, which concentrates largely on Twitter, it is likely to disappear quickly off the results as it is replaced by other people trending the topic or retweeting.
An unsolved issue to date is how Google and other search engines rate the latest Twitter results. Who’s Tweets or other messages are going to appear in real time search over others. Google’s algorithm is complex secretive and the rating system to give one Twitter account over higher rating over another is equally unknown.
However, search opinion believes that Google places higher authority to a Twitter account with a high number of followers. This belief is in my opinion a bit too simplistic as Google must take in other factors such as relevance of account and followers, Twitter’s own procedures in barring any account that grows or shrinks the number of followers/following unnaturally and so forth. The number of followers must play a factor but I believe that relevancy must play a stronger part in ranking the value of a given Twitter account and their Tweets.
Very similar to PageRank, real time search must calculate the relative value of the followers and the relevancy of those being followed in a very similar process to links, link value and link relevancy. Metrics such as reading and understanding the Twitter bio must come in somewhere.
Using a simple analogy, a Twitter account with a bio and URL relating to vegetarianism, with a high number of followers and following related to vegetarianism should not and will not rank in any real time search for a meat product?
Bottom line: as with all online marketing look to build relevancy and quality over quantity.