Twitter is increasingly playing a more important role in search engine optimization (SEO), with both Google and Bing incorporating it into their search results. For those wondering which search engine provides better real-time search results, a new study conducted by SEO Consult indicates that Bing may have a leg up on Google.

The two search engines address real-time search in a different way. While Google incorporates real-time search results into its standard search results, Bing places them in a separate page devoted exclusively to Twitter results.

According to SEO Consult, even though real-time search results are displayed on the main search page, they went unnoticed by a majority of people. With Bing, on the other hand, people who were interested in looking for real-time search results were more easily able to find that information. SEO Consult also found that Bing offered more robust real-time search options.

The popularity of social search is growing rapidly. In addition to Google and Bing offering social search options, OneRiot, which is based solely on social search, launched last week.

Katherine Griwert is Brafton's Marketing Director. She's practiced content marketing, SEO and social marketing for over five years, and her enthusiasm for new media has even deeper roots. Katherine holds a degree in American Studies from Boston College, and her writing is featured in a number of web publications.