Switchfast Blog: The Future of IT
4 Ways Small Business Can Utilize Google Realtime Search
Friday, August 27, 2010 by Bryan Anderson
Google has updated its search engine with a new
capability-real-time search. Officially named "Google Realtime Search," the company opted to
nix the hyphen in 'real-time' for a cleaner look and smoother read.
And thus, the birth of a new search era is upon us-or
not.
Real-time search makes sense-the movement to social media
coupled with the desire (or borderline need) for updates, news, and
statuses immediately call for a means to discovering content
happening in present-time. Social media sites like Facebook and
Twitter have adopted the feature of "auto-updating" or "real-time
news feeds" and users have enjoyed the access to immediate
content.
As Google does, adding features and usability to its search page
works to benefit the end user. In this case, some critics have
posed the question: Will non-techies use it? As ZDNet.com points out, "Google has a twist on
social media that plays to its strength-search."
Real-time search may take some time for mass adoption, but as a
small business owner there are a few benefits to utilizing this
nifty feature. Here are 4 ways to use Google Realtime Search to
market and build your online presence:
Provide top notch customer service. People turn
to the internet to discuss their experiences-good or bad-with
products, services, and brands. Using real-time services will allow
you to find a highly-discussed problem with your product or
requests for service improvement. Every customer's opinion is
highly valuable. Address each negative issue with
professionalism-catching a problem early through real-time search
could save you a good amount of time and resources.
Evaluate your social media presence. It's a
relatively new playing field, but small businesses have certainly
launched some innovating and engaging social media experiences.
Real-time search will allow small businesses to see exactly how
fast and where their social media activity is spreading. Keep in
mind that the power of communities drive referral rates through the
roof - social media is a good platform to connect with like-minded
people and market your small business simultaneously.
Monitor your brand reputation. Keeping up with
the conversations can be a stressful duty, but knowing where your
small business brand is living, breathing, and moving can help you
adjust your marketing to the right niche community. One negative
experience can spawn a lot of banter among the general online
community. Aim to have every consumer-brand interaction worthy of
positive reiteration.
Utilize the "Nearby" function to localize your
query. By default, Google assumes your query location
aligns with your IP address. This will not hold true for small
businesses that target other national locations. Narrowing your
search using Custom Location can greatly affect the tone of the
conversation and give your small business more insight on how
geographic location affects your brand's image (or vice versa).
Utilize urban, region, or other specific areas using Custom
Location and focus on the difference in brand experience.
Until next time -
Matthew Hymel
Switchfast Technologies
Chicago IT Support &
Consulting
Rochester
IT Support & Consulting
Leave comment: