Google and Twitter have announced a partnership that will see tweets being shown on mobile search results, both on Android and iOS Google apps and within mobile browsers.
The service is currently only available to U.S. users and in English, but the feature will expand to more countries and languages in the coming months.
"Whether you're interested in the latest from Taylor Swift, news about the #MadMenFinale, or updates on the NBA playoffs, you'll have access to it directly from Google," said Google in a blog post. "Let's use NASA as an example—just ask the Google app about 'NASA Twitter,' and in the search results, you'll see Tweets from @NASA."
Clicking on a tweet from Google will bring the user directly to the Twitter app, if they have it installed, or the Twitter website if not. This will enable users to view the tweet, as well as anything related to it and its context.
Of course, Twitter and Google have worked together in a similar way in the past. In 2009, Google announced Real-Time Search, featuring tweets, and other time-based information. The deal, however, expired in 2011, and Real-Time Search was no longer offered.
"We're excited to team up with Google to bring Twitter's unique, real-time content to Google's search results," said Twitter in a blog post of its own. "Starting today, U.S. users searching in English will see relevant Tweets in their search results within the Google app (iOS and Android) and mobile web. The desktop web version is coming shortly, and we have plans to bring this feature to more countries in the coming months."
The deal will be beneficial for both companies, with Google being able to boost its real-time offerings and Twitter likely getting far more traffic due to tweets being presented in search results.
While the deal will likely bring a lot of traffic to Twitter, the company still has to convince that traffic to join the social media network and engage with those tweets. The company has been struggling in recent times with slowing user acquisition, and many are concerned about the company's financial situation as it tries to find better ways to advertise to users and make money.
It remains to be seen whether those not yet signed up to Twitter will actually click on tweets. The search results will provide both the tweet and a picture if there is one, but clicking on the tweet will show things like retweets and favorites. This is great for Twitter users, but it does not mean much for those who do not use the service.
