Twitter is rolling out new features on its homepage, which I covered in previous posts (here & here) but the missing link, I suggested, was the fact that most Twitter activity is on API based platforms, desktop, iPhone or otherwise. Until the search functionality can be included in the API platforms then the full opportunity cannot be realised.

So, Twitter should make one of the key API stipulations is that a search facility is built into all new clients. New clients like Seesmic Desktop has a search functionality built in so it is coming.

Once the search function is fully live it is not a huge leap to then add commercial links within the stream, whether they are from Google or direct sales doesn’t really matter at this point – the fact is that if Twitter becomes our central universe, search fits as a perfection extension to this.

There are three reasons why I think search will become the Twitter jackpot:

1. People search, period. Offering search on Twitter as an extension of the current offering is almost a ‘no brainer’ and a rapid way of diverting potentially lucrative traffic.

2. Advertisers understand, and pay handsomely for search campaigns. They have a proven track record of delivering business for advertisers and profits to the publishers. Buying search ads on Twitter would not be a hard sell at all, more a diversion of funds.

3. Twitter search has the potential to be the ‘Semantic search engine’ we have been waiting for. Ask Jeeves tried and failed (yet again) but Twitter will be able to search millions of opinions offered one at a time, all day, every day.

I struggle to add a fourth and fifth reason because it seems so simple! I am sure it is not and I will have simplified the process, but watch out Yahoo and MSN. If advertisers could buy paid search campaigns on Twitter I would suggest only Yahoo & MSN would be at risk from budget diversion.

What do you think? Have I over simplified it or is this just something about to blow sky high?

www.twitter.com/jamieriddell

search.twitter.com

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