how a google and twitter marriage could help digital marketers

could a happy union be in store for this would-be couple?

DMNews.com reports today that David Berkowitz, director of emerging media and client strategy for 360i, says that if the rumors about Google purchasing Twitter were true, Twitter could offer Google better real-time search and other capabilities like increased brand and trend monitoring.

Berkowitz adds that Google can offer Twitter two things it needs:

• “Twitter needs more reliable servers and it needs some sort of a business model,” he said, “Google has some flexibility to find a consumer-friendly way to monetize Twitter in a way that consumers and marketers can really get behind.”
• Berkowitz adds that a Google-owned Twitter partnership would entrench the idea of just how important a role Twitter Search can play for brands. “Google search optimization is at least a consideration for marketers,” Berkowitz said, “If an acquisition happens and Twitter’s growth rate continues, marketers will realize its importance as a tool and make it a larger part of their overall Web presence.”

In reading the DMNews.com piece, I wonder about the implications this may have on microblogging as a whole. While Twitter has become the darling of the microblogging arena and has held that shiny position for some time now, there are still many who don’t know what Twitter is and even more who have heard of it but can’t understand its purpose. I just met someone this weekend, in fact, who fits the latter category when he said: “I’ve heard of Twitter but have no clue what it’s for or why you’d even use it.”

Seems like for some time now, Twitter has become more and more mainstream. I see “tweets” being showcased in the scrolling ticker areas of CNN news casts on television. The weekend version of Fox & Friends heavily encourages viewers to twitter in their opinions and shows like Good Morning America have recently featured Twitter in an effort to educate audiences on what this phenomenon is all about.

From the marketing perspective, Twitter’s current mainstreaming track would hit a home run with any Google-owned partnership. Google, like it or not, is the mothership for searching and search-related advertising on the web. A Google partnering would seem to lend more credibility to Twitter and perhaps even help some digital marketers to better pitch or position Twitter as a viable component of outreach for various clients. And those clients who still don’t “get” Twitter might be more apt to make more of an effort to “get it” if Twitter had a Google backing. Right or wrong, there may be some folks out there who would see the Google affiliation with Twitter as one that legitimizes Twitter, making Twitter more “professional” than before.

To date, however, the Google-Twitter merger and acquisition is still just a rumor. And according to Google spokesperson Rachel Nearnberg, Google doesn’t comment on rumor or speculation. Guess this will have to be a wait-and-see situation …