Google has added Twitter content to its desktop search engine listings for the first time. Tweets will now be shown in the corporation's search results, meaning typing in a hashtag plus the area you are searching for will generate results that include trending tweets. With Google pulling back on its commitment to Google Plus - the social network that was intended to compete with Facebook - Google's move has added to speculation that the search giant might be poised to try to acquire Twitter.
Twitter integration was initiated through Google’s mobile search and apps in May of this year. With social sharing now such a prominent feature for online advertising - even to the extent that it competes with search - Twitter would make an ideal venue for Google's adverts. Twitter has been suffering as a result of low stock prices since the departure of Dick Costolo, its former CEO. In addition, it has seen limited growth as far as new users are concerned.
While the two organizations have traditionally been at loggerheads, with both excluding each other's content from its results, Google has started highlighting Tweets in its “One Box” display. This in itself has fueled considerable speculation regarding Google's intentions. With Twitter valued at around $20 billion, it would provide a cost-effective route into social networks for Google.
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