Twitter’s Policy Shift on Unregistered Users Tanks Its Google Search Visibility by 62%

A recent alteration in Twitter’s stance towards unregistered users has sent shockwaves as it led to a severe plummet in its visibility on Google Search. The number of tweets indexed by Google took a nosedive from 471 million to a barely manageable 180 million, marking a drastic 62% drop. This occurrence raises numerous questions about the implications of Twitter’s approach for the platform itself and for users, particularly businesses which rely heavily on Twitter to bolster their online presence.

This decline is closely tied to Twitter’s recent decision to deny unregistered users the ability to view public tweets. As a consequence, there was a marked decrease in the number of indexed tweets by Google Search. Graphical facts can do more justice to these numbers. Comparison snapshots showing the results from Google’s index for Twitter.com on different days considerably intensify the weight of the situation.

The validity of this abrupt decline is further strengthened by Glenn Gabe’s findings. A screenshot from Semrush, a third-party search engine optimization tool used by Gabe, corroborates the observations, also underscoring Twitter’s dwindling visibility in Google Search.

For those unfamiliar with the intricacies, a “firehose” deal currently exists between Google and Twitter. This pact allows Google direct access to Twitter’s data stream, making it easier to show new tweets from Twitter in Google Search results. As a result of this alliance, recent tweets often appear as a Twitter carousel in Google Searches.

The recent changes, however, have unfortunately cast a shadow over the visibility of old tweets. The decision by Twitter to block unregistered users significantly impacts these older tweets, causing them to gradually drop out of the core Google web search index. This decrease in visibility spells bad news for Twitter’s presence on Google Search.

These developments bear ominous implications for those businesses that heavily lean on the visibility of their tweets on Google Search, particularly their older tweets. Another noteworthy concern is the possible negative impact on Twitter’s ad impressions due to the reduced visibility.

As we move forward, speculation is rife about the possible steps Twitter might undertake next. Will Twitter reverse their decision or perhaps adopt the supported markup for paywalled content? The latter could potentially rescue their content from the obscurity of reduced indexation by Google Search.

This unfolding scenario calls for swift action for SEO experts, digital marketers, content creators, social media specialists, and brand managers. A proactive adjustment in Twitter content strategies could help soften the blow from this development.

We encourage all who rely on Twitter’s Google Search visibility to monitor this situation closely. Your insights into the matter can shed more light. Therefore, feel free to share your opinions and how you plan to navigate this unexpected change in the digital sphere. As we await further developments from Twitter, the resilience and adaptability of the digital world will again be put to test.