Real-Time Search: Brands Must Take Responsibility for Their Digital Presences

If you’ve conducted an Internet search recently, you might have noticed some changes in the results page.  Search for “Obama” and you’ll see a new section in the middle of the page called “Latest Results” that list messages web users have shared on sites such as Twitter, MySpace, and Facebook. 

Last week, Google began including updates posted to social networking sites in its search results.  Yahoo and Bing have similar services, pulling posts from Twitter for their results.  With numerous messages posted to the Internet via social networks each second, real-time search with data from social networks will change the PR and marketing game for brands.  Now, more than ever before, organizations need to be aware of their digital presence to effectively manage reputations.

Below are a few ways that real-time search will affect brands:

Search Results

The most noticeable impact will be on the results that searching for a company name will yield.  Because Google’s new search capabilities feature live updates made on a variety of social networks, websites, and blogs, people have the ability to make opinions about brands using instant, up-to-date information.

This will be easier for smaller companies that have large and vocal fan bases to rank higher in search results than before, and these small businesses will benefit from encouraging their loyal customers to share positive experiences online.  

Additionally, negative online conversations can significantly alter how a brand is perceived among consumers searching for it.  For example, imagine if potential customers used Google to research “Motrin” the day #motrinmoms occurred now that data is pulled from Facebook and Twitter – even users who don’t use these social networks will still be aware of companies’ digital missteps and the conversations taking place about these mistakes.

Conversation Monitoring

With real-time search, organizations need to constantly monitor the conversations happening online about their products, services, and personnel to ensure they can respond quickly if a crisis like #motrinmoms does occur.  By evaluating online discussion, brands can adjust or maintain their current strategies to better reflect consumer demands.

Digital Participation and Social Network Presence

Whether people are sharing positive or negative information about a company, brands should try to actively participate in these conversations , especially now that updates will be an integral part of online research.  Social media is an effective way for brands to engage in conversations, and while it may not be the best tactic for all companies, those hoping to launch social media marketing campaigns have more incentive to do so.

Having presences on Facebook and Twitter provides organizations with opportunities to start conversations about their brands, interact with consumers, and serve as a primary source for company facts and news.  Doing this will help enhance the brand’s presence in real-time search results.

These are only a few ways that real-time search will affect brands.  What changes do you see brands making in terms of their digital presence as more search engines begin including social network data in their results?