Google has launched its real-time search website which incorporates social media and features constantly updated news.

Having first being trialled in August last year, the application is now live with its own official page.

As well as breaking news, postings on sites such as Facebook and Twitter, users can customise their search to get real-time opinion on different subjects around the world.

The internet giant developed the website after monitoring user behaviour and establishing that some consumers were specifically interested in up-to-the-minute results.

Google spokesman Dylan Casey said the site has a range of tools to refine search results, even allowing users to browse an entire conversation chronologically as it takes place.

"We organise the tweets from oldest to newest and indent so you quickly see how the conversation developed," Mr Casey said.

Google Alerts has also been fine-tuned, and can now be used to send users emails as soon as their specified topics appear on sites such as Twitter or Facebook.

It follows recent news that Google has been testing a streaming search engine which reconfigures results pages while the user is still typing.

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Online marketing campaigns must fully understand the digital mindset of potential customers, an expert has claimed.

With the majority of companies increasing their online presence through channels such as email marketing and social media, it is crucial that online behaviour is carefully monitored and reflected in successful advertising campaigns.

Faye Weeks, director of digital media research agency Connect Insight, said businesses looking to stay ahead of their rivals should obtain as much information about their customer base as possible.

“In order for companies to maximise the impact of their marketing communications, we advise them to take the time to understand their consumers’ digital behaviour, the way they use digital media and their mindset,” she said.

The growing popularity of social media has seen many companies create a presence on sites such as Facebook and Twitter, but Ms Weeks pointed out that – while it is a highly-effective platform – it may not be suited to all products and advertising campaigns should be tweaked accordingly.

“Social media will work better for some products, brands and campaigns than others. It depends on the objective of the campaign, target audience, creative or communicative vehicle, et cetera,” she explained.

The rise of social media has also played a part in the changing nature of the email marketing newsletter, which can now have far greater reach if incorporated correctly.

While traditionally a one-way channel of information sent out to a roster of clients, the email marketing newsletter can be used to generate customer interaction across multiple channels.

According to US marketing consultant Mike Hotz, the newsletter must be adapted to incorporate social media, which is fast becoming a primary business tool.

“Traditionally, a B2B e-mail newsletter has been a passive exercise. You develop your content and mail it out every other week or so to your entire list,” he commented.

“As social media rises in popularity, your newsletter’s role must also change to better drive conversation across multiple digital channels.”

He advised all businesses to post an online version of their newsletter to the most popular social media sites, in order to allow users to share the content within their own personal networks.

Marketing professionals have seen their potential customer base expand substantially thanks to the rise of social media, with industry expert Stephanie Miller recently saying that such sites “may just be the best thing to happen to email marketers yet.”

Google may be set to modify its search engine to display and update results while the user is still typing.

The internet giant has yet to make any official announcement on the issue, but a video captured by a UK-based search engine optimisation professional appears to confirm that it is currently being tested.

If fully implemented, it will feature a results page which is updated in real time based on what Google thinks is being searched for as words are typed into the search box.

Rob Ousbey, the SEO professional who submitted the video, claimed that the new application provides instantaneous results.

"You don't even need to hit the 'Search' button anymore. Google updates the results for you while you're typing," he said.

However, Google CEO Eric Schmidt recently told The Wall Street Journal that he did think users would want a search engine which would anticipate their requests to such a degree.

"I actually think most people don't want Google to answer their questions," he remarked.

"They want Google to tell them what they should be doing next."

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