Getting closer to real time search

I've been having a lively "discussion" recently with some of my digerati mates over real time search. By nature, of course it's not really real time, but already history, but the search results you get using any of the so-called real time search engines are definitely more dynamic than we used to have.

Most people say real time search & mean/expect tweets (as results), but most of the real time search engines are also scouring blogs, videos, images and news items too as priority over those big monolithic corporate websites brands have got so good at building.  Google recently announced they will be adding tweet results / real time search, BingTweets has been around for ages now (in web time) and I like it a lot for giving you that at a glance snapshot of the static and the here and now/ adding a dimension of real opinion to the mix. Throw in a Google Sidewiki and search now has much more personality and opinion than ever before.

All the more reason that brands should be getting smarter about SEO (search engine optimisation), and recognising the importance of blended / universal search results and the power of social media to influence people's perceptions at the point of jump off (search engine results being the primary trampoline point of most people's web travels).

Of the many players in the real time search wars, including One Riot, Topsy, Twingly, Dogpile, and Stinky Teddy , (the sillier the name .... seems to be the attention seeking tactic),  I'll call out LeapFish because they've pulled together this rather slick video, and better still, it doesn't include the anthem of the year for web videos "Right here, right now" by Fat Boy Slim!  (John V Willshire and I were recently very flippantly debating whether we could solve a load of advertiser interruption problems by just buying pre-rolls on the front of any video using that now so overused tune!).  Trouble is, YouTube have just announced they are going to have another go at flogging skippable pre-rolls. Dammit! Best laid plans of mice and men...

Enjoy.