Google has been cracking down on keyword rich backlinks. But in a way, hashtags are keyword backlinks used within a site. But, a lot of hashtag use is spammy and only used to get attention.
So, what if Google decided to reward or penalize a social network user based on their use of hashtags? For instance, if a hashtag is considered unrelated to the tweet or status update, that specific user could lose influence with Google or their tweets would be disregarded or ignored by the algorithm. Consequently, any site they would link to or be associated with via Google+ would also have less value in Google search. It would be more of a refined move to actually target users of a site, rather than specific behaviors or sites and might require more sophisticated algorithms.
Now, all this is just speculation, but it might happen, especially since Google is valuing social influence and author credibility on social networks more now, as part of SEO.
So, what if Google decided to reward or penalize a social network user based on their use of hashtags? For instance, if a hashtag is considered unrelated to the tweet or status update, that specific user could lose influence with Google or their tweets would be disregarded or ignored by the algorithm. Consequently, any site they would link to or be associated with via Google+ would also have less value in Google search. It would be more of a refined move to actually target users of a site, rather than specific behaviors or sites and might require more sophisticated algorithms.
Now, all this is just speculation, but it might happen, especially since Google is valuing social influence and author credibility on social networks more now, as part of SEO.
