Will Google Buy Twitter?

A juicy rumour is circulating on the World Wide Web: Google Considers Buying Twitter. The thought of one titan buying another almost seems mythical and too good to be true, but it’s not as preposterous as we may think. And we are certain that Google has considered this at one point or another.

Twitter is worth an estimated $33 billion. Last Tuesday, the social media giant’s shares climbed 4% and climbed another 2% on Wednesday. The word on the street is that the spike had something to do with Twitter hiring Goldman Sachs to defend any bid from Google; a strong indication that this time the offer is serious. Both corporations declined to comment on the rumours.

Many years ago, Google made an offer to buy Twitter, which the latter turned down. Not too long after that a rumour was circulating that Apple made an offer to purchase Twitter. That too was being denied by Twitter.

Why the surge in interest? Twitter has recently achieved something that Google has only dreamed of – it is home to one of the largest social user bases in the world. Google is salivating at the thought of getting a hold of one. It has tried Orkut, Jaiku and Buzz, but unfortunately all projects have failed. Their salivation came to a halt with the creation of Google+, but frankly, the latter doesn’t hold a candle in comparison (in popularity) to Twitter.

What Google could bring to Twitter

1) A large database of advertisers already a part of Google AdWords and AdSense
2) Global Reach
3) Integration with YouTube
5) Resilient systems

What Twitter could bring to Google

1) Engaging Social Network with over 40 million users
2) Different dimension to “search”
3) mobile-optimized platform for advertising
4) Positive reputation on privacy

[source: The Guardian]

Will Google buy Twitter? Very unlikely; it’s the third proposal. If the deal would occur, it would take over $40 billion to accomplish. Something that is difficult, but not impossible to achieve. The real question is: should Google buy Twitter?