Want to be Found in Real-Time Searches?

Real-time search is still an emerging concept. At this point, using a real-time search engine will bring you results by time/date. This doesn't always cater to relevancy, which is why there is still a lot of work to be done in this field.

So, if real-time results are based upon time/date, and the user's query, it stands to reason that time and those queries are the most important components in getting your content found in these types of searches.

1. Use Keywords

This seems obvious, but use keywords in not only your content, but in your titles, and your updates. If you're writing an article, you have to consider what people are going to include in their updates if they share it on a social network, whether this be Facebook, Twitter, or anything else.

More often than not, they are going to include the title. If the right keywords are in the title, then those keywords are also more likely to appear in any ensuing tweets, Facebook updates, etc. If someone searches for those keywords, they will be more likely to find your content in a real-time search.

The same goes for your own Tweets/status updates. Even if you are not sharing an article, if you want your update to be found, use relevant keywords. Again, obvious, but true.

2. Talk About Timely Events

Simply mentioning events that are current will put you directly into the results for any searches having to do with that topic, provided the right keywords are in play. This is a method that could and (surely is) being exploited by spammers, but that doesn't mean you can't provide legitimate conversation and simply put yourself on more people's radars, without throwing links at them every time.

3. Have a Lot of Followers

If you have a lot of followers or friends on social networks, or even just readers of your blog, you are going to get more people sharing your content. The more people sharing your content, the more impressions of your content will be making their way into real time searches.

There is no easy way to instantly get a bunch of legitimate readers/followers. It will take some promotion. Provide useful content that people will link to and it will spread virally. Provide clear ways for them to follow you (like links to Facebook pages and Twitter accounts on your blog).

4. Promote Conversation

Whether on your blog or on a social network, spark conversations. Talk about topics that people are interested in. This is tied to number 2. The more conversations you are involved with, the more retweets (and equivalents on other networks) you are likely to get. And again, this means more impressions in real times searches.

5. Include Calls to Engagement

Use buttons like Tweetmeme's and Digg's. These are buttons you can put on articles that show the amount of retweets/diggs that article has. They kind of act as a meter for engagement.

These buttons are certainly not all-encompassing. They only represent the conversation on 2 channels, and not the web in general. I'm sure there are other buttons that can be used in addition.

More importantly though, they provide a "call to action" to share the content. People can digg or retweet a story with a simple click, and you're one step closer to being found in somebody's real-time search.

Wrapping Up

Real-time search is much more basic (at least so far) than say, Google Search. You're not ranking for relevancy. Really, you could hardly call it ranking it all. It's about visibility. That means, you have to get people talking about your content/updates.

Social media by nature is viral. Real-time search is nothing more than putting things in chronological order. You have to keep people talking to stay relevant to "right now."

Another tool for Twitter...

Twellow has made it easier to find Twitter users you are interested in following. That is what Twellow has been about from the beginning, and this simply highlights the fact that the Twellow team is always looking for ways to improve the service.

There is a new feature on search results pages that shows any categories that might match your search terms. This is designed to make it easier to find profiles you are interested in, as well as let you see if there is a category that matches your interests without needing to scan the entire list of categories on the "All Categories" page. This will make Twellow easier to use and understand for a lot of people.

Twellow now has over a thousand different categories available for browsing and searching. What this means for Twitterers is that they have a great resource for finding Twitterers related to topics they are interested in. This makes Twitter more useful in my opinion, when you look at it from the "microblogging" perspective - meaning you're reading tweets for information as you would blogs.

The Twellow team is always adding new categories. A good way to keep up with what has been added is to follow Twellow on Twitter, where the new categories are regularly mentioned. If there is a category you would like to see in Twellow, but it not there, you can simply contact the team, and there is a good chance they will add it. Twellow makes Twitter more useful, I made sure to register and so should you :)

This info was originally posted by Chris Crum (WebProNews)

Tweet Tweet

So what is Twitter anyway? In a nut shell, it is place where you can update your status and let everyone know what you are up to, share links & funny antidotes and anything you can think of in 140 characters or less :)

It's actually rather limiting and not as interactive as Facebook. You can send someone a message or add a mobile image (with a 3rd party application) but that's pretty much it. So why use it?

.......Because it's another great way to get your name out there.

So.... how can I utilize Twitter for my business? Well it's funny you should ask because I was just about to tell you :) This is how I set up my Twitter and how I've been using it.

Do you have a Twitter Account?
If not, just go to http://www.twitter.com and create one. Follow the steps and add your business information. Make sure to add some personality to it :)

Setting up your Profile
You can change the background by going to "Settings/Design" on the top right hand corner of your screen. Here, you can select one of their default backgrounds or upload an image. Of course, that wasn't good enough for me, so I solicited the help of PimpMyTwitter.net. For $73, they will create a background masterpiece. Ask for Barbara, she is the lead developer and owner - and she ROCKS!

Checkout her work:

• GiftBasketGuru
• OhMyDogSupplies
• SEMGroup
• HornDog
• IslandChick

How to get Followers
In order for people to see what you are posting, you need to build a following. These are the steps I took to get my posse :)

a) Click the "Find People" link on the top right hand corner. Search for keywords that pertain to your business - like gift baskets, for example. Click the profile that has the most followers. If you click their "followers" button, you have instant access to all their tweeters and you can start following them. 9 times our of 10, if you follow someone, they will follow you back.

This can be a long process when doing it manually. There are desktop applications that you can get to help you manager your followers:

• Hummingbird
• TweetDeck
• Twhirl
• PeopleBrowser

b) Create an account on TopFollowed.com. It grows your Twitter network slowly through reciprocal following. Everyone who signs up for TopFollowed automatically follows (and is followed by) other TopFollowed members.

c) Add your top keywords to the WeFollow.com directory.

Have FUN!
Now what? You have a profile, you have followers - what do you do now? Just have fun with it! I personally ignore tweeters that just post ads and/or sales pitches. Its boring and doesn't really make me want to follow them. You need to develop relationships with your followers, keep them interested and wanting more. Yes, I post sales pitches like everyone else but I also post great articles I find, videos, or I repost (RT) other tweets that I find interesting. I also make a point to start a conversation with 10 random people every day.

The important thing to remember is to be a LIVE person and not just a commercial :)