How Social Media and SEO Go Hand-in-hand

Intro

When it comes to growing your business’s presence on the internet, what two terms are bandied around more frequently than SEO and social media? Both of these facets of online marketing are crucial, and we’re going to explore how you can use both of them to compliment each other, further improving your returns.

The Impact of Social Media on Your SEO

Improving your SEO is a process that takes time, and the strategies that you can use to do so may sometimes seem opaque and arcane, especially to outsiders. Even people who have been working in SEO for years are sometimes taken aback by the ever-changing landscape of the industry, and integrating social media sometimes results in a whole new range of headaches.

However, social media and SEO both have some similarities in that they’re both fields that you always have to pay attention to so that you can ensure that you’re kept abreast of the latest developments. While social media does not yet directly impact SEO ratings, it can massively affect your SEO indirectly.

There are many things that an improved social media presence can do to bolster your SEO rankings, but one of the most useful things about social media is that it can direct people to your site and help distribute your content more widely.

Here’s an example. Let’s say that you’re creating quality content and posting it on your site and nobody is seeing it. If you want to expand the reach of your content, posting it to one of your social media channels will allow it to reach a wider range of people and potentially redirect them to your site.

If some of your social media followers end up liking the content that you post on your page, then they may be inspired to head over to your site so they can get the content from the source. This is known as organic traffic, and it is so valuable because you don’t pay for it aside from the effort you put into publishing it.

Social media is also useful because it allows you to gauge the effectiveness of your content. If someone likes your content on your social media profile, then there’s no reason why they shouldn’t like it when you post it to your site, so it’s a great way to research the effectiveness of new marketing strategies.

In fact, studies have shown that shares on social media correlate with success in SEO, so social media platforms act like a testing ground for businesses working on new content to deploy. Combine this with the analytics that are available to you through many social media platforms, and you can gather some detailed info about where you should take your business next.

The Social Media and SEO Cycle

Due to the indirect influence that social media has on your SEO rankings, it can lead to people visiting your site and reading blog posts or long form content that you put out. This will create loyalty between you and the people who read your content because they will now know that they can trust you.

When you offer someone something of value free of charge, you increase the likelihood that they’ll head out and tell their friends. When their friends hear about this, they’ll visit your site too and continue the cycle until your marketing funnel becomes self-sustaining, driving leads and creating results.

Does Social Media Affect My Search Ranking Directly?

As we’ve mentioned before, your social media posts and followers will not directly impact your ranking on sites like Google and Bing. These search engines work hard to make sure that social media success is entirely separate from good rankings on their SERPs.

Don’t take this to mean that social media is useless, but you have to be realistic and work on your SEO instead of expecting social media to carry you through it entirely.

The Top Social Media Sites for SEO

If you’re trying to indirectly benefit your site’s SEO, then you may be wondering which social media site you should focus your efforts on, and the truth is that it depends on your industry. Certain niches will be better served by LinkedIn followers while others may want to look to Facebook or Twitter.

Facebook

Facebook is the most popular social media platform on the internet, and that alone makes it an attractive choice for businesses looking to get the most bang for their buck. However, getting your organic content noticed on Facebook may be challenging due to the stiff competition that you’ll be facing.

Facebook is also integrated into SERPs, with some of its pages appearing when certain queries are entered into Google. You’ll also find Facebook reviews on Google SERPs, so this platform is tied into SEO a little more closely than some of the other social media juggernauts.

LinkedIn

LinkedIn has the best lead generation rate out of any social media site because its niche is professionalism and business. Whereas most other social media platforms are designed around personal posting, LinkedIn dabbles in the professional world, making it a great place to grow your brand.

With over 60% of B2B leads coming from LinkedIn, it’s also an excellent platform for B2B marketing. LinkedIn also ranks well on search engines, and with the right keywords spread throughout your profile, you’ll make it a lot easier for people to find you with a simple search query.

Twitter

Twitter is another social network that is incorporated into Google, with relevant tweets from companies and individuals showing up at the top of Google SERPs. Hashtags allow you to make it easier for people to find your posts, so be sure to learn the ins and outs of using them and the proper hashtag etiquette.

If you’re trying to draw attention to your site through Twitter, try to Tweet links to your content frequently but don’t be spammy about it. Be sure to mix it in with useful content and Tweets that seem natural if you’re not trying to make it look like you’re only using Twitter as free ad space.