In November, Google somewhat quietly began indexing “Promoted Tweets” (also often called sponsored tweets), Twitter’s ad platform introduced in the spring of 2010, according to eWeek.com.
Google hasn’t even been indexing standard Tweets for all that long, and this news that it’s getting even more interested in Twitter has some media observers speculating that an acquisition is in the air.
Regardless, the news could have a real-time effect on SEO, especially for those brands that have a strong, proactive Twitter presence.
And it’s not likely to be great news for casino affiliates, as the Sponsored Tweets will likely favor the performance of the online gaming brands themselves in their search results.
In the bigger picture, though, the daily effect will likely be small. The story is significant because it represents the continued shift of search marketing from almost exclusively Google into a newer model where social media sites represent real competition to the brand. Facebook has already shown that it could be a power to rival Google, and this new voice for Twitter is in that same vein.
At any rate, some feel that the Twitter ad model is failing, and this is a big shove towards success — if a sponsor’s promoted tweet are seen not only on Twitter, with its estimated 95 million daily tweets, but also on Google, with its estimated hundreds of millions of daily searches, it’s likely they’ll be happier with their investment. Which would help Twitter stay relevant as a profitable brand, instead of simply fading away as public tastes inevitably shift to the next latest thing.