Okay so you’ve heard me and every other marketer scream about how your Facebook page should not count as your business website, but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t put as much effort into your social feeds as you do into your business website SEO. Social SEO is a thing, and it’s only going to get more important in the months and years ahead.
Look at it this way – 68% of online searches start with a search engine. So where do you think the other 32% start? If you guessed social media, you guessed right. Social search involves strategies that can grow your business by ensuring when people search on social for what you do or sell, social platforms deliver them straight to your door.
What is Social SEO?
The concept of using text-based features like captions, alt-text, and closed captions to enhance your postings’ social media visibility is known as social SEO. It’s similar to regular SEO in that it all revolves around keywords.
The difference is that instead of using keywords to rank in search engines, you use them to make your social media posts more visible. It’s a little like the way Google uses keywords in its algorithm and then displays results based on what people are searching for.
When people want to find something on the regular Internet, they type or speak words into a search engine then look at what comes up to figure out the best answer. It happens something like 7 billion times a day. Regular SEO involves making sure signals are in all the right places so that when people look for what you do or sell, your business comes up at the top.
Social media platforms have search bars too, and people use them to find places to shop, eat, learn and so on. Social SEO involves placing relevant information on your profile and your content so when they search, they find you.
Social SEO vs. Regular SEO – Does Social Media Affect a Website’s Ranking on Google?
Is social media affecting your website’s ranking on Google? It’s hard to say for sure because the top dogs at Google have done a lot of flip-flopping on the subject. One day they say heck no, don’t even pay attention to that social media because it doesn’t matter at all. Then a few weeks later someone goes on record to say actually yes, it does factor in.
I lean toward saying it does. Here’s why.
If you share content on social media and it gets shared by others, then more people will see that content and potentially link back to it. From there, Google can take notice of all these backlinks pointing towards your site and decide that they want more information about this topic or product. Google also includes social profiles Knowledge Graph panel in order to give potential consumers a complete view of the local business.
What I’ve seen personally with accounts I manage is that when people are looking, often they discover a business in one place, whether that’s Google, Yelp, Facebook, TikTok or wherever, and they get curious. So they look them up in other places as part of the decision-making process. This means if there isn’t anything new happening with regard to your Social SEO strategy then you risk losing out on potential customers who may otherwise have visited our website had we been active enough online!
How People are Using Social Search Engines in 2023
Social search is a growing trend, and it’s one you should keep an eye on.
It’s no surprise that people are turning to social media when they need to find information. Google recently reported that 40% of Gen Z users prefer Instagram and TikTok over Google search when they’re looking for food, merchandise and entertainment–and many others are using Twitter as their go-to source for local businesses. The reason? It’s faster and easier than searching through multiple sites (or even one).
If this isn’t enough to convince you that social media is taking over our lives as we know them today, consider how much more integrated our digital lives will become by 2023. We’ll have even more ways than ever before with which we can interact with brands online; from location-based services like Twitter’s new Location Spotlight feature (which displays important business information) all the way down into the depths of chatbots where everything from ordering takeout through Messenger until finding out if there are any openings at your favorite restaurant can all be done via text message!
Engagement Is the Name of the Game
The name of the game is engagement. Engagement is what social media sites are all about–and it’s what makes them different from other types of online platforms like blogs or news sites.
Social signals are things like shares, comments, likes and retweets that indicate how interested people are in your content and whether they want to share it with their friends or followers. The more social signals you get on any given post or tweet, the more likely Google will consider that content worthy of higher rankings in search results for certain keywords related to your business (if those keywords match up with what’s being discussed).
Different Networks Deliver Different Results
The first step to understanding social SEO is to understand that, unlike traditional search engine optimization (SEO), which is based on keywords and keyword density, social media optimization relies on engagement.
Every network delivers results differently–and they all have their own unique ranking factors. Facebook is the most important social network for SEO, followed by Twitter and LinkedIn. Pinterest comes in at number four because of its focus on visuals over text-based posts and links.
Why Social SEO is Good for Business
Social media is a great way to get your content in front of new people.
If you’re not already leveraging social media as part of your overall marketing strategy, it’s time to start thinking about how you can use it effectively. Social networks like Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and Pinterest are excellent places for businesses and brands to engage with customers by providing valuable information such as news updates or product reviews–but they also provide an opportunity for companies that don’t sell anything directly (like us!) The reason why? Because people want to learn from others who have been through similar experiences before them!
Social media is a great tool for customer service too; if someone has a question about something related to your business then this could be answered via Twitter or Facebook where there’s usually plenty happening 24/7 so someone will always be around ready willing & able try help out.
Getting Help With Social SEO
As you can see, social media is an important part of SEO. It can help you build a strong brand and drive traffic to your website, which is why it’s critical that you get involved with social media in some way. Whether you choose to focus on one network or try them all out is up to you–but whichever option works best for your business will ultimately determine how successful it will be online! Need help? Get in touch.
