Can Google search tactics be applied to Twitter? Tweefind seems to think so. The new service launched recently as a ranked way to sift through the tweets coming through the popular microblogging site.
The interface is clean and simple, much like Google. Type in a keyword and the results are given to you in a manner according to the ranking method set up by Tweefind:
# followers
# following
# of tweets
# of RT he/she receives
# of replies
# of distinct users who reply
# of distinct users who retweet
# of RT he/she makes
# of links the user shares
What this boils down to is a user’s activity. As each tweet is assigned its own URL, the ranking for Tweefind search results are based on the activity of the user associated with that particular tweet. But is this really like Google’s Page Rank system?
Google took the premise of its search algorithm from the references found in academia, such as bibliographies. The more a reference is cited (linked to), the more relevant it becomes for search purposes. But Tweefind seems to depart from this tactic in one key area, by basing its results on activity of the user more so than the activity surrounding the keyword. While calculating the activity of a user may indicate that they’re likely to be more trustworthy, this may not have much bearing on their ability to provide the most relevant information as it pertains to a particular keyword search.
Another drawback to Tweefind’s use of Google-like search methods is that even Google has learned and evolved since its inception, layering in a plethora of search verticals and feedback options for personalized filtering of search results. Tweefind has no filtering options and is actually rather limited in the very number of search results it offers back for a given keyword.
For bloggers, this minimizes the usefulness of Tweefind and leaves a lot to be desired. If you’d like to see the most influential bloggers, you can check out a service like Twitterholic. If you want a broader Twitter search tool that also can be updated with incoming update tweets, Twitter’s own search service works pretty well. Others such as OneRiot are taking a better approach to Twitter keyword search by ranking according to activity around a given URL.
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One Comment
Main problem with these tools is the lack of relevancy of their ranking system : influence is seen as a generic thing, not tied to a domain, topic or area of expertise. I don’t think Shaq or Ashton Kutcher are very influential in programming circles…
http://bit.ly/7zgjBl
Just wrote a post about their lack of relevancy