Following Twitter’s announcement that Google will again have access to its “firehose” of tweets, marketers are left wondering how this will work and how to optimize their Twitter content for the search engine. We’re here to let you know what exactly this deal means and how it can benefit you.What is the Twitter firehose?
Twitter’s “firehose” is the constant stream of content generated by Twitter’s more than 284 million users. This means that Google will now have access to Twitter’s full feed of real-time tweets rather than having to crawl pages. Google currently crawls Twitter pages for search content, but if Google tried to crawl Twitter as fast as tweets are happening, it would likely collapse the site with all of its requests. As a result of current practices, only the most popular tweets are making it into search results.
Why does Google now have access to it?
Back in the dark ages of 2009, Google and Twitter had this same deal that lasted until 2011, when things fell apart without much explanation. Well, now the Google/Twitter love is back and better than ever. This deal is mutually beneficial to both powerhouse sites. Google’s objective is to provide users with all of the information they might search for, and having access to the firehouse allows them produce the most timely and relevant content to searchers. Twitter gains a ton of free traffic, which converts to users and ad-viewers.
It is likely that Google found this to be an advantage because of Twitter's timely content. When someone goes looking for information about something happening right now, they're going to Twitter, not Google. Google realizes this, which is why having Tweets in search results is a good idea. On the other hand, Twitter needs to continue to stay relevant in the social media world. With big competitors like Facebook and Instagram, Twitter needs te exposure Google can provide for them, giving them a leg up on their competiton.
So, how do I optimize my tweets for Google search?
You should already have your Twitter profile optimized for search, and you now have the opportunity to get your optimized tweets to the front page of a Google search by following a few simple tips:
Tweet about relevant events
To be honest, we’re a little uncomfortable with how much sharks are drawn to REDD. #SharkWeek pic.twitter.com/L8JjkcxQTF
— REDD’S® Apple Ale (@ReddsAppleAle) August 10, 2014
Redd's Shark Week tweet is a great example of tweeting about relevant events. They jumped onto an event that was happening real-time and took advantage of it. During Shark Week, many people were searching for information about it. With Google and Twitter's new deal, this tweet would have been at the top of the search results.
Include hashtags, images and links
It’s really really real! Enter for a chance to win #RedVelvetOreo flavor cookies at http://t.co/TjM4EcHQVs pic.twitter.com/SeuSZrCQ4H
— Oreo Cookie (@Oreo) January 20, 2015
You don't necessarily need all three at once; any combination should do the trick. Users are up to nine times more likely to retweet content that includes an image, which in turn increases your credibility and engagement. Hashtags leave a visible footprint of how effective your tweet was and allow you to view how many people joined in on the conversation. Links to pages on your site drive traffic your way and give Google another chance to index that page.
This doesn't mean that every tweet should contain these things, but your most important tweets should definitely include a carefully thought-out image to draw more attention.
Up your Twitter authority to gain higher rankings
Happy Birthday to the funniest chick we know, @ChrissyTeigen.
— Taco Bell (@tacobell) November 30, 2014
Your Twitter authority includes your frequency of tweets, how often you get retweeted and how many followers you have. The most successful accounts tweet anywhere from one to five times a day. Ensuring your content is unique and includes links, images or relevant hashtags is a good way to get retweets and gain authority. By doing this, there is a solid chance you will gain followers at the same time. Building relationships with and interacting with high-authority Twitter members will also improve your rankings and boost the likelihood of your tweets being indexed.
Can you think of any other way to optimize your tweets for search? Tell us in the comments!