Recently, I was followed on Twitter by a new social media application, OneRiot (@oneriot). And while Google is still working out its social search function, OneRiot has it in place. In fact, that's all they do. These guys are not only providing a cool service, they also have built a platform that doubles as an online marketing tool.
OneRiot is a search engine whose results are completely based on the preferences of its users. By installing their toolbar and agreeing to share your browsing habits, you are automatically influencing search results. And it is the aggregated browsing behavior of the 2 million+ users that prioritizes and generates results. These rankings are subject to change on a regular basis, dependant upon what's hot and what's not.
Not long ago, Google added user controls to search results. We could now add, remove and vote on the relevancy of the rankings. And though we knew we could affect our own results, it wasn't really clear how much our choices would impact the overall results. Frankly, the who's who in the SEO community ignored the new features, seemingly nonplussed by the potential for reducing the effectiveness of SEO keyword and linking strategies.
And, I can't say that I thought it was much of a threat either. Google is a behemoth and instituting that kind of change would take a huge effort and quite a lot of time. But OneRiot's whole framework is built on the concept of social search. There rankings are not at all based on linking structures and keywords. Which means there is no place for SEO in their world.
This is what makes their search system great for market research. In addition to checking the search
page results for trending topics and user interest, you can also install their tool bar which shows at the bottom of your screen.
Here it is in action on the home page of Edgy Entrepreneur. You will see there is a pulse rating and an average visit duration graph. These two bits of information tell you how often OneRiot users are visiting the site and how long they are staying. Clicking on the pink square takes you to their search page. You can also install OneRiot as a search option in your browser bar.
There are a couple of ways to use this social search platform to boost your marketing efforts. The most obvious way is for market research. You can:
- use the search function to find trends in your topic area
- use the tool bar for a quick and dirty assessment of the popularity of a site
Another way to use this information to promote your business is to take advantage of the real time search rankings to find trending topics. This can be done by going to the home page or by subscribing via RSS. And here's where SEO folks like me might actually be able to evolve to meet the needs of this new era of search.
One of the great tactics of building web traffic is to identify keyword or topic trends and use that information to drive readers to your site. Though Google offers some trending topics options, OneRiot is better able to provide specific trends in real time. By searching with your keywords, you can find out:
- the focus of the conversation
- the hottest sites with the most hits
- sub topics/current events within your field that are generating interest
Collecting this information, then using it to compile and promote a post is a great way to keep your content relevant. It also gives you the benefit of snagging surging topical traffic. And while some of that traffic won't be sticky, some of it will. Not to mention, you will be a cutting edge content provider.
OneRiot is a great ancillary search tool with online marketing benefits. And while I definitely won't be giving up Google any time soon, OneRiot will now become a regular part of my website marketing and brand development efforts.
