There has been a lot of talk recently about the future of real-time search with many saying Twitter was at the forefront of the technology. With the company’s new redesign, search looks to be its primary function, which could increase the use of search engine optimization (SEO) of tweets.

Last night Twitter unveiled a revamp of its homepage for those who are not signed in which makes the site look a lot more like a search engine than a micro-blogging tool.

In a post on the company blog, Twitter co-founder Biz Stone wrote that the new change is aimed at showing the power of Twitter as a tool for finding information for those who may not be familiar with the service.

"Defining a ‘tweet’ for the uninitiated and explaining how to create an account doesn’t resonate with everyone. ‘Why would I want to do that?’ is a common reaction," wrote Stone. "However, demonstrating the power of Twitter as a discovery engine for what is happening right now through our Search and Trends often awakens a sense of wonder which inevitably leads to a much more compelling question, ‘How do I get involved?’"

The importance of real-time search is growing as people continue to look for up-to-the-minute results. In addition to Twitter, Facebook is testing a real-time search function and Google’s Marissa Mayer recently told the UK’s Guardian newspaper that it will have an impact on the future of search.

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.