There may not be a Google for real time search

Comscore released an interesting report about search ad coverage. One key point was that people were using more and more search terms in their queries:

An analysis of comScore data shows that search queries are actually getting longer and that as searchers become more experienced they are using more words per search query.

Based on ths report, John Battelle hypothsised that search query is becoming more and more like natural language, implying that searches are becoming conversations:

In short, our queries are getting closer to real conversation, real natural language, and Google's algorithms are having a harder time keeping up - matching advertiser demand to our increasingly complex queries.

Mark Cuban was pointing to the same path as he writes that search queries can now be framed as Twitter questions, with answers recommended by your social network.

If we assume that social Q&A or real time search will be a revolution in information retrival, will we see a Google equvialent? That seems to be the common perception and Twitter seems to be the most promising candidate.

However, I don't think there will be a monopoly in search as what we have seen in Google. The decentralised nature of conversations may lead to a loose network of recommenders and gurus. Anybody who has a query will be answered by a recommender who in turn will reference a recognised guru. It will a complex web of answers and questions, with the best recommenders and gurus rising to the top.

If that happens, we will not see a Google in real time search. That might be a good thing.

Posted in: search application