4 Ways Social Media Can Improve Your SEO
There a dozen different ways you can market your business online. However, if you truly want to see your brand take off, you need to consider the various ways those techniques and strategies work together to improve your online presence and expand your reach. Because each online component is linked in one way or another, investing in one strategy can typically help you see better results in another.
One of the biggest links in online marketing is between search engine optimization and social media. While the two may not seem to have a lot in common, improving your social media presence can actually help you rank higher in search engine results.
However, you're not going to reach the top of a search engine results list just by posting the latest updates about your company or business. If you truly want to see results, you need to fully understand how your social media behaviors will improve your SEO.
Let's take a look at four of the main ways you can use your social media platforms to improve your SEO.
1. Social Media Helps Build Links
Link building is one of the most important factors when it comes to your SEO strategy. However, it is also one of the most difficult to secure. Because link-building is almost entirely out of your control, you have very little say in how many links push back to your website. Unlike keyword research or content quality, this SEO factor depends on your community.
Social media is one of the best tools for improving the number of links available to your website online. With each post that you upload to a social media platform, you have the potential of it going viral. The more shares, reposts, and engagements you can get on a post, the more links you will get back to your website.
Each time a fan, follower, or friend shares a link to your content, this counts as a link. If you can get hundreds or even thousands of shares on each of your posts, you're able to show search engine crawlers that your audience truly finds value in your content. The more links you're able to get, the stronger your SEO strategy will be.
Links are important to an SEO strategy because they help build authority with the search engine. Because search engines want to recommend the best content to their users, they're only going to recommend pieces that have performed well with readers and viewers. When you have a high number of links to your content, you're able to prove that you're among that crowd.
To improve the number of links you secure on social media, make sure you're creating highly-shareable content. The more shareable your content is, the more likely your target audience is to repost or engage. Make sure to listen to what your audience is looking for in the content they connect with online and deliver it in a way they will find interesting.
2. Social Media Builds Your Authority
When search engine crawlers are combing through content they may want to recommend to their users, they're going to look for authoritative websites and brands first. Because they want to ensure they're sharing high-quality content with their users, search engine crawlers will be more likely to promote content from recognizable brands. When you're just starting out, this can be difficult to accomplish.
However, the number of followers you have can actually prove to a search engine crawler that you're an authoritative source. Through growing your online following, you're able to establish authority online and show that you're a brand with significant influence over your customers, clients, and target audience.
Companies with large social media followings are more likely to reach the top slot of a search engine results list. However, search engines can determine if your followers are genuine or not. This means you're not going to see much benefit if you go out and buy fake followers or bots to engage with your accounts. In fact, this could actually hurt your chances of reaching the top of a search engine results list.
You want to grow your followers as organically as possible. However, if you're looking to improve your SEO, you can grow your base of followers by engaging with your target audience. Don't be afraid to start conversations, give updates, and provide responses to those connecting with you online.
You also want to consider how consistently you're growing your followers. If you get thousands of new followers in a short period of time and then stop attracting attention, this may be seen as a red flag to a search engine. Make sure you're putting in the effort to continuously grow your base of followers.
3. Social Media Posts Use Keywords
Keywords are the backbone to each and every search engine optimization strategy. As the terms, words, and phrases that your target audience types into the search bar, your keywords are the most important factor in determining what searches your content appears in. In addition to selecting the right keywords, you also want to ensure you're placing them in the right areas.
When we think about keyword placement, we most often focus on our blog posts or website. However, these aren't the only areas where you want your keywords to appear. You can also include your targeted keywords in your social media posts to increase your chances of reaching the top of a search engine results list.
Recently, Google made the decision to start including Twitter posts in search engine results. This meant that you could optimize your posts to appear in searches. While social media posts will display a bit differently than traditional website content, it is still important to consider when and where they might show up. By properly optimizing your social media posts to appear in a search, you can improve your reach and attract more attention.
In addition to traditional search engines, properly optimizing your posts can allow you to appear in searches within that platform. For example, Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and Instagram all have their own search bars that allow users to search for relevant content right within that platform. By optimizing your posts, you increase your chances of appearing in one of these searches.
As with your web copy and blog posts, you want to use your keywords as naturally as possible. Avoid keyword stuffing or including words or phrases when they don't truly fit. Instead, use keywords when they fit. If you have to force it, leave it for another post.
4. Social Media Influences Local SEO
If you're a company that operates in a specific location, your local SEO strategy will be incredibly important. Because a local SEO strategy is what allows your content to appear in searches relevant to your area, you need to ensure you're targeting your local community with the SEO strategy you create. One of the best ways to engage with your local community is through social media.
There are a few different ways that your social media platforms can contribute to your local SEO. First, social media platforms can track your location each time you post. If you have your location sharing services on, the area where you posted your content will appear each time. Not only does this help search engine crawlers identify that you're serving that community, but it also allows other individuals in your area to engage with your content.
Staying local with your social media strategy can also help you engage with members of your community. For example, if you attend a local event, you can create a post featuring details, images, or even an update about what is going on. This invites other attendees or individuals in your area to comment or engage, helping you develop a new relationship.
Additionally, you can use social media to engage with other brands in your area. Because search engine crawlers are always scanning and analyzing who we are connecting with online, this can help you solidify your connection with the local area that you serve. If a search engine crawler sees you're connecting with a major brand in your area, they will assume you are also a big contributor to your community.
If you serve a specific area, be sure you're considering the local aspects of your social media strategy. Because the majority of your target audience members will be confined to one location, you need to ensure your posts are appearing in that area.
When you consider the various ways your digital marketing campaigns can work together, you can start promoting your business more efficiently. By enhancing your social media strategy, you can also improve your search engine optimization campaign and attract more customers and clients online.
