Google+ Updates: Hashtags and Real Time Search

by | Marketing on Social Media

Google+ Updates
Google+ Updates

Google+ Updates

 

Since I’m an internet nerd I follow a lot of Google+ engineers and developers like Vic Gundotra, and that’s how I found out about these great Google+ updates to improve real time search through hashtags.  Twitter has been using hashtags for sometime and that’s why a lot of people swear by the service.  This is how we are able to keep up to date with #OccupyWallStreet and follow the #Libya protests.  With the new Google+ Updates, we’ll be able to get the same kind of real-time news on Google+ as well.

Google+ Updates | What Are Hashtags?

If you don’t know what a hashtag is, then you may be clueless of the significance of these Google+ updates, lets take a look at a few definitions of hashtags so that you can better understand how you can implement these Google+ updates in your search and posts:

(hashtag) A tag embedded in a message posted on the Twitter microblogging service, consisting of a word within the message prefixed with a hash sign

en.wiktionary.org/wiki/hashtag

A hashtag is a tag used on the social network Twitter as a way to annotate a message. A hashtag is a word or phrase preceded by a “#”. Example: #yourhashtag. Hashtags are commonly used to show that a tweet, a Twitter message, is related to an event or conference.
So basically if you wanted to talk about a hot topic like the upcoming election, then you would say something like, I wonder who the Republican candidate will be in the #upcomingelection, and if you were searching for that topic you would just type #upcomingelection in the search bar.  Now you can see why these Google+ updates are so important for discussing and searching for trending topics.

Google+ Updates | What Vic Says About It

Here’s what Vic Gundotra, Vice President of Engineering at Google+ says about the Google+ updates:

Today we’re rolling out two new features: 1) real-time search results; and 2) improved hashtag support. Together, we’re trying to make it easier to follow and contribute to live events on Google+, including breaking news, sporting events, and many others.

Real-time search
Now when you search in Google+, you’ll see a message about new posts the instant they’re available. If you click on this message, or select “Most recent”, then relevant posts will start appearing in real-time.

Improved hashtag support
People have long used hashtags to mark their posts with certain topics — just ask our very own+Chris Messina, hashtag inventor. You don’t have to use hashtags on Google+ (search works fine without them), but when you do, we’ll automatically link to search results.

Check out the video to see both features in action, and let us know what you think in the comments! #googleplusupdate

Basically, the video shares the Google+ updates in action such as the real time search results.  If you search for a term on Google+, it will find the best result, but after some time you’ll see a notification link at the top of your screen that lets you know when something else is posted on the topic.  That way you can get the latest news about your subject right when it comes in!  The Google+ Updates are similar to Twitter in that when you post something with a hashtag, Google+ automatically links your post to search results.  Enjoy the new Google+ updates!

Image attribution: http://blogs.houstonpress.com/rocks/2011/07/a_brief_history_of_hashtag_rap.php