Real Time Search

Well it's happened, Google and Yahoo are showing searches in real time. SEOmoz has a post about tracking real time activity, which essentially amounts to an advertisement for Trendistic. I don't mean to discount the value of Trendistic or the data it can show you, but hey, I call it like I see it.

Anyway, so there's such a flurry over real time search and how it's going to shake everything up. It's like the entire interknot is convinced this is a huge game changer for search marketing. The general consensus seems to be that if you weren't hip to social media then, you're basically screwed if you aren't now. I don't dispute any of this..but my question is this...how are people supposed to benefit from this?

No really...I'm not being snide here. I really want to know. Take off your marketing hat here, and put on the average joe hat (I attempted to inject a funny analogy here, but failed on all fronts). How is your mom going to use this basically. How does real time results in a one-box improve their Google experience? Does it? Is this a feature that appeals to a limited group of people? Will this be something practical and usable for the everyday user?

Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying it won't. I just don't get it. And I'll readily admit my failures at recognizing things that will get big (Twitter). But until I can wrap my head around how a feature like this will benefit anyone besides the L33test of the Google Power Users...a feed of disjointed feeds from Twitter and Facebook that include your query string smack being a solution in search of a problem.

On the other hand, this has to be some kind of magical breakthrough for all those aspiring hipster bands out there that Google their band name on a semi-hourly basis to see what comes up.