Want to see your Tweets on Google Results?

Have you ever wondered how Google measures your tweets and whether they can be found in the search engine listings?
Some surprising new facts may get your marketing wheels turning.
A recent study done by Stone Temple Consulting took a look at how tweets get indexed in the search engines. While the results show us that it is very difficult to use Twitter alone for indexing, it is a good reminder that brands and business cannot put all of their eggs in one basket. Building a presence online takes time with a balance of activity on your website and through your active social networks.
The study measured tweets going out from January 2012 through June 2014, and determined that there are approximately 1,868,600 tweets being indexed by Google each month, which the consulting firm considers to be a low number. The test also included retweets, which make up for around 1.4 percent of the total tweets measured.
While the results are not considered one hundred percent accurate, it does give us an average of how Twitter performs on search engines. Stone Temple also evaluated 963 different Twitter accounts, with a variety in the number of followers. They looked at 20 tweets from each account and also studied the number of followers. Take a look at this chart courtesy of Stone Temple Consulting:

According to the firm’s results a Twitter user needs to have at least one million or more users in order to be indexed by Google. Think about that – who has 1 Million or more followers?!?  Even American Airlines currently is at 933K.
Factored over time, the performance was similar if not worse, which suggests that tweets are mainly used for news purposes. Other things came into play such as links and categories used, which ultimately did not aid in the indexing process. The study took this one step further, and discovered that there is a “nofollow” tag attached to the source code, which is also found on Facebook posts as seen in their image here courtesy of Stone Temple Consulting:

The reason Google attaches this code to social media posts is that it considers them to be “user generated content.” In the conclusion of the study it was determined that unless you have a highly influential Twitter account of more than one million users, you will not see any index benefits for your business or brand. But the importance of posting content on social media is still a great way to create awareness and build influence. Not only does the study show us that we need to have a well-rounded online presence, but it also suggests that content that feeds from RSS is still the top dog for Google.
The bottom line is to not think of Twitter as tool for indexing in the SERPS, but rather focus on its social influence as a brand builder.
Share this article with these Tweetables:
• Why your tweets aren’t being indexed on Google – Click to Tweet
• How Google views your tweets – Click to Tweet
• Looking for better indexing on Google? – Click to Tweet
• @SusanGilbert explains why your tweets aren’t getting indexed on Google – Click to Tweet