How to Reap the Rewards of Google & Twitter’s Romance

Have you heard? After a four-year hiatus, the King of Search and the Queen of Social are getting back together.

Google and Twitter recently announced an agreement to integrate tweets into Google searches. Google can technically find and index tweets now, but at 6,000 tweets per minute this “firehose” of data is impossible to crawl and capture without direct access. With the deal in place, Google can easily index a collection of content as it happens real-time, and Twitter can benefit from an uptick in traffic, ad revenue, and new users.

Google and Twitter had a similar partnership from 2009 – 2011, but failed to renew their contract after Twitter reportedly didn’t feel that Google was driving enough new revenue and users. This time around, though, Twitter seems more committed to the relationship — with flagging user retention and activity, it needs the boost that Google can provide. And arguably, Google more than ever needs access to the real-time news and conversation that social media provides — and nobody does timely better than Twitter. So as far as arranged marriages go, they’re great for each other.

But if you’re ready to throw rice at the happy couple, hold up. It will actually be a few months before you start seeing tweets in search results. This is great because it gives you plenty of time to get your social skills sharpened before go time. Whether you’re a business or an individual with a Twitter account, it helps to know how to take advantage of Google putting more eyes on your content — and what you need to be wary of.

Here’s what you should know:

Brush up on your keyword usage.

Practice writing tweets that include key phrases but don’t also sound like mindless marketing jabber.

No, this isn’t a pass to pepper your tweets with every buzzword possible. But Google isn’t going to show a user any of your tweets unless it thinks they’re relevant. That means that what you’re putting out there needs to be optimized for value with regard to search volume. Let’s say you created a line of gluten-free energy bars and you send a tweet inviting followers to “Try our new flavor!” Someone searching for energy bars or gluten-free is never going to see that tweet. Practice writing tweets that include key phrases but don’t also sound like mindless marketing jabber.

Be extra vigilant.

What you say on social has always mattered, but now the record will linger for considerably longer. Triple-check your tweets to make sure they align with your core persona and if you’re a business, deal with tweeted complaints in a proactive, positive manner. That way, if the complaint shows up in a Google search, users can see that you took steps to solve the problem.

Tweet for a wider reach.

Soon, people won’t necessarily have to be following you to be able to see what you say on Twitter. The power to reach people through an organic search — for free, mind you! — is not to be taken lightly.

Fine-tune as you go.

Measurement is key to growing your web presence.

If you’ve been dragging your feet on setting up analytics, now is the time. Using tracking tools will help you see what’s successful — and what’s not. Monitor them to see which search terms are bringing you traffic and adjust accordingly. Measurement is key to growing your web presence.

Live-tweeting will be livelier — and more important — than ever.

There’s a time-honored tradition of “live-tweeting” popular events such as the Superbowl and the Oscars, and brands have joined the fray with varying success. One very successful example that immediately springs to mind is the clever ad Oreo tweeted during the blackout at the 2013 Super Bowl game. But now that is Google and Twitter are getting together, the real-time marketing potential increases exponentially.

There you have it. Used wisely, the Twitter-Google partnership can be a vital free marketing tool. Start practicing now!