Although it is in its initial stage, Twitter’s latest beta project assists users with searches by ranking its most popular “tweets” and posting them at the top of the page. Developer Advocate Taylor Singletary spoke on behalf of the social media giant Thursday in an attempt to prepare developers for changes in the search API.
Current search fields list “tweets” in real time without factoring in a member’s position on the site, the number of followers he or she has, or the amount of times a specific message has been “retweeted”. The new software development will consider these factors and make the search process for Twitter users faster, more reliable, and ultimately more satisfactory.
Google’s search engine uses a similar system to rank web pages. Specific keywords or phrases located within the text of a blog post, product description, or FAQ page can affect the order in which Google lists the results of a query. Business owners looking to direct traffic to their websites can use Search Engine Optimization (SEO) in an attempt to be the first one listed. Forum postings, back links, and social media networking sites help improve website visibility and Google rankings.
Twitter users can maximize the number of hits that they direct to a blog or a website and increase their ranking by employing keywords in their “tweets”, following competitor’s posts, and keeping track of popular topics as they are being talked about. Touching base on an upcoming trend or social event can increase an individual’s odds of ranking high on search engines.
Micro-blogging is the wave of the future. With Twitter reaching areas of the globe where others have yet to venture, is it any wonder that the social media website is worth an estimated billion dollars?
About Brandon Leibowitz
