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Google Taps Real-Time Social Media Updates
Your blog posts, tweets, Facebook, and MySpace updates matter to Google.
Recently, Google began integrating real-time search results from the most popular social networking sites. When you do a Google search, instead of getting results that are 20 minutes old (ho-hum), you'll receive results that are seconds old.
What does this mean for you?
- If you're publishing (or searching for) breaking news headlines and other time-sensitive information, it'll be instantly indexed.
- If you use keywords strategically in your tweets, Facebook updates, and blog posts, you give yourself more opportunities to achieve a higher ranking on Google for those keywords.
Google also ranks an individual Web page's value by its links from reputable sites or users. Let's say you're on Twitter, for example. Google looks for your Twitter followers. As you link to and from established tweeters, Google takes into account the value of that link. This could result in your Twitter page moving up in Google's search results pages. (The algorithm works the same for Facebook and other social networking sites.)
Amit Singhal, who led the development of Google's real-time search, told Technology Review that one user following another on Twitter is analogous to one blogger (and Web site) linking to another. As links from high-ranking bloggers and sites give "link love" to unknowns, well-established, popular Twitter users lend reputation to the users they follow.
If you're not already doing social networking - blogging, Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter - it's time to start creating and sharing content with others. Because if you don't show up on Google, you don't exist.
Your online presence is your virtual storefront, open 24/7. It's your business card, your resume, and your job interview, all wrapped into one cohesive package.
For many Blogging Bistro followers, social media is a mind-boggling challenge. People often ask me:
- How do I come up with keywords that encompass what I do or who I am?
- How do I decide which social medium to try first?
- Can you help me get started?
Yes!
Your Assignment
- Google your business name.
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When the results pop up, click "Show options..." (the "show options" link is directly below the search term you typed in).
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In the lefthand sidebar, click "latest." You will see the most recent references to your search term.
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To fine-tune your search, click "images" (to see the latest images
associated with your business name). In the same manner, you can click
"videos," "news," "blogs," "updates," and "books."
Who knows... you may discover something interesting about yourself that you didn't know existed online - I did!
Submit a Guest Column to Blogging Bistro
Would you like to share what you're learning about blogging, Twitter, or Facebook? Submit a guest column to Blogging Bistro. Here are our guest post submission guidelines.
Share Bright Ideas
I invite you to reprint any of the articles from this blogzine in your own e-zine or on your Web site/blog, as long as you include the following blurb and a link to BloggingBistro.com:
 Laura Christianson founded BloggingBistro.com, a company that serves made-to-order social media solutions for individuals and businesses.
Please forward Bright Ideas Blogzine to others who want to maximize their social media marketing.
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