Search Could Be Twitter's Path to the Big Bucks

Twitter is huge, and while it remains relatively unconcerned with how to monetize its prominent position in the online zeitgeist, a few ideas have popped up, Advertising Age reports. One is search: The micro-blogging site is considering charging firms for detailed metrics on who is saying what about their brand. Twitter bought search firm Summize last year to integrate search into users’ feeds.

Twitter's info on brands would be to-the-minute in a way no other site can provide— and therefore extremely valuable. Another potential moneymaker is providing firms with certified accounts proving they are who they say they are. Many firms currently maintain feeds, but there’s nothing stopping rascals from setting up fake feeds claiming to be, say, Comcast or Google. (More Twitter stories.)