Google Doesn’t Need Twitter Anymore (GOOG)

Google suspended its Real Time Search feature, which gave users results from Twitter and a bunch of other real-time news sources.

Today, Google told Search Engine Land the reason: its 2009 deal to suck information from the Twitter “firehose” has expired, and the companies haven’t reached a deal for Google to continue using it.

Google signed the deal in October 2009 – right around the time Microsoft announced its own real-time search deal with Twitter. There seemed to be a “me-too” element to the deal at the time, like Google was almost forced to sign with Twitter so Bing wouldn’t have an exclusive. So with Google+, the company doesn’t need Twitter as badly as it did two years ago.

Google says that it will relaunch Real Time Search with information from Google+ as well as third-party sources. But as long as it’s got Google+, it can drive a harder bargain with Twitter.  Read more …

Join Google Plus (Google +)