There’s been a lot written lately about Twitter killing Google search. The argument for this is generally based on the real-time nature of Twitter search. It is true that you’ll get results on breaking events much faster in Twitter than Google Alerts, but it shouldn’t be an either/or comparison. I monitor Google Alerts with AlertRank, and I watch real-time Twitter searches with TweetDeck, and they both serve me well. You just have to be aware of what you want to get from each service.
Twitter search, whether you use it on the website or through a client, is a great way to find people to follow on Twitter with common interests. It also gives you an immediate zeitgeist reading on the subject you are tracking. Google Alerts helps you find pages, websites and blogs that Google thinks are authoritative on a particular subject. This can be used for PR purposes to build online relationships, or for search engine optimization to build links back to your site.
Both are useful tools, and together they keep you informed about a wide range of topics, just like reading political blogs on the Web and watching cable news on TV. One doesn’t kill the other, even though this is a sexy way to write a headline.
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