Google announced in a recent blog post they’ve updated their search algorithm to include more recent and relevant results. The move is thought to be in response to growing competition from news-feed style social sites like Twitter and Facebook, where it’s easier to keep a finger on the pulse of news trends through constantly updated content. As PRNews mused Friday, the refreshed Google algorithm means PR pros must optimize consumer-facing content against trending topics while still considering the longevity of its’ life online.
Luckily, the shift in thinking regarding SEO won’t be much of a shift for us self-proclaimed ‘newshounds’ as we’re already plugged into trending topics through our media relations and social media efforts. With news stories constantly breaking on Twitter before the media gets wind, it’s no surprise Google is tailoring its search to live more in real time. Last summer’s East Coast earthquake was the most memorable instance of this for me, as Twitter lit up with eyewitness reports long before the news hit airwaves.
What do you think of Google’s new search algorithm? Do you use Google more to gather real time news or online research?