Search and social media - a match made in heaven?

Here's an interesting and effective idea about how search and social media can complement one another, from Pauline Ores of IBM Corp in B to B magazine's recent social media article.

'Ores said search and social media go hand in hand, and that by interacting with its community of customers, social media informs IBM’s search strategy. By “listening to social media” to learn what people are talking about, IBM is able to buy relevant keywords against those conversations.'

More and more at the moment we're seeing social media as an essential component of search. By getting out there online and talking to customers, marketeers are not just building relationships but getting an insight into key areas of their customers lives and attitudes towards products and services that feeds into improving search rankings. It's a strategy that can translate across any industry, and yields surprising results.