The Connection Between SEO and Social Media
Digital marketing has become one of the best ways to advertise products and services. Thanks to the ever-expanding network of the internet, new strategies have been developed to assist businesses in capturing the attention of consumers out of the billions of people that use the Web every day. These strategies include search engine optimization and social media marketing, which have proven to be necessary components in gaining exposure. As a social media marketing agency, we understand the relationship between social media and SEO and will break down how the two can be used to build a brand presence.
What is SEO?
SEO is the acronym for search engine optimization. It’s the process in which you implement strategies that will improve your website’s visibility in Google and other search engines. In other words, it’s a way for you to optimize the chances of your site being one of the top results when someone searches for your services on Google. SEO is very important for digital marketing as internet searches are one of the most prevalent sources of site traffic. If you can increase the number of people that see your site, it can drive more clicks, and hopefully sales.
What is Social Media Marketing?
On the other hand, we have social media marketing. As defined by Buffer it is, “the use of social media platforms to connect with your audience to build your brand, increase sales, and drive website traffic.” While the goals of social media marketing are very similar to SEO, the strategies in both processes are quite different. With social media marketing, you are focusing on tailoring content for different platforms and engaging with your followers. Whereas SEO is centered around specific keywords and how they are worked into everything from your site content to the URLs.
Using SEO and Social Media to Build a Brand Presence
SEO and social media marketing strategies work great independently, but when they work together you can create a solid, reliable brand identity. It’s important to keep in mind that your social media presence doesn’t directly influence your SEO ranking, but there is evidence that the two are influenced by each other in some ways. It is also common for social media profiles to be found in the search results for branded keywords. For example, when you search for Netflix on Google, the third search result is their Twitter account.
The connection between SEO and social media marketing lies within the engagement social media posts can garner. Quality posts that gain a significant amount of likes, comments, and shares are signals Google uses to rank your site. A data plot from CognitiveSEO illustrates this relationship further.
When you post content on your social media that people resonate with, they will share it with their followers and friends. As the post gains more shares, it signifies to Google that your content is valuable which can influence your SEO standing. Additionally, the shares can help you build a reliable brand image which is important when you consider social media is one of the first ways consumers interact with a brand. People can have more confidence when purchasing from a business that has an established social media presence as they get a more personal look into who the company is and what they stand for.
The effect of social media engagement can be even more powerful when you start to link your posts back to your website. As the post cycles through multiple consumers, there is a greater chance of someone clicking on the link to your site, which increases your visibility. This process also creates backlinks which are very important for SEO.
Conversely, having a dormant social media presence can have the reverse effect according to Nancy Marshall from Forbes. An inactive social media profile can decrease your SEO ranking as there is no other source your website is gaining exposure from. This is especially true now when almost every business has some sort of social media presence.
As a social media marketing agency, we understand the necessary steps that need to be taken to increase SEO rankings through various social platforms. So, here are some quick tips on how to improve your social media presence:
- Create high-quality content – You want your content to resonate with people (so that they will share it), so take the necessary time to understand your audience and the content they like.
- Make your content easily shareable – Encourage your followers to engage and share your content with captivating call-to-action phrases.
- Optimize your social media profile – Include as much information about your business into your “Bio” or “About” pages. And link your social media posts back to your website so that your followers can learn more.
Overall, understanding the relationship between social media marketing and SEO will allow you to start or continue building a quality social media profile that can improve your search results ranking.
