There’s no denying the rise of social media has had a far-reaching impact on the SEO community in several ways. It has essentially become an extension of word-of-mouth referrals and reviews on search engines, websites and brochures.
SEO and social media have a very complicated relationship. Previously, social media was looked at as something that had little influence on rankings in search engines. But over time, we’ve seen links from social media channels provide more benefits to search rankings than traditional types of links. In this article, I’ll be covering the relationship between social media marketing and search engine optimization.
Social Media and SEO are Indirectly Correlated
The relationship between social media and SEO is complicated. The two aren’t directly correlated — one doesn’t directly affect the other — but they do work together to influence how your web pages rank in search engines. And they both impact each other indirectly in several ways.
Strategies to utilize social media and SEO
Hire an agency
The best option for most businesses is professional social media SEO services. This is especially true if you have multiple lines of business or if you’re targeting more than one geographic region. Most small businesses have limited resources, and they need to focus on what they do best — running their business.
With a professional agency providing your social media marketing like ClickFirstSMM you can rest assured that you’re in good hands. Agencies are staffed with people who do this day in and day out, and they know how to get the job done right.
You can find a reputable agency by asking other business owners for referrals (or even Google) or by visiting conferences where agencies present their services to potential clients.
Keyword Strategy
One of the greatest benefits of social media for SEO is that it allows for immediate indexing, especially within the search engines like Google. This is because Google and other search engines pay very close attention to social media platforms and use the data they gather there in their algorithms. In this way, social media can be used as a great free SEO tool.
A strong social media SEO strategy that integrates content and keywords is a powerful way to drive more traffic to your site. And if you’re already paying for advertising on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, or another platform, you also want to make sure that you’re getting the most out of your hard-earned dollars by optimizing your keyword strategy.
Use social sharing buttons on your website
Adding social sharing buttons to your site can help you get more shares and followers. But where do you put them? Digital marketers have been debating the best placement strategies for years. Here are some tips on where to place your social media buttons.
The most common social sharing buttons in existence are Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and Google+. They tend to be the most popular networks because they’re easy to use and have a large following base. They also have the largest APIs, which means that most services that offer social sharing tools will generally support them.
Links in social profiles
When you think about link building, social media probably isn’t the first thing that springs to mind. But while they may not be as effective as links from other sources, links in social profiles can still provide a small boost to your overall SEO strategy.
Here are some tips to keep in mind if you’re going to use this tactic:
Choose your social networks carefully. Just because a network is popular doesn’t mean it’s right for your business. Do your research before starting accounts — make sure you pick channels with audiences that are likely to be interested in what you have to say.
Fill out all the profile fields completely and clearly. This can be a hassle, especially if you’re managing multiple profiles, but it’s worth the effort. Each field gives you an opportunity to add relevant keywords and content that can improve your search engine rankings.
Use the same consistent format for each profile. Consistency isn’t required by any search engine, but it is seen as a sign of professionalism — which will boost both your site’s rankings and its conversion rate.
