Social media is an important tool for search engine optimisation (SEO) – a statement that is sometimes met with skepticism. However, platforms like Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, TikTok, LinkedIn, Pinterest, and others have become an indispensable part of SEO strategies. While a clever post on a Facebook page might not directly propel a website blog post to the top of Google’s search results, the effectiveness of websites is often intertwined with the world of social media.
There have been contradictory statements from Google about how the search engine considers content from social networking sites. What seems certain is that while social media content may not have a direct influence on search rankings, organic reach and spread can play a role. Of course, this doesn’t mean you can reach the first page of search results solely through shares—there’s much more to it than that!
1. Share Everything
Whatever new content appears on your website, share it on all your social media profiles – in every possible way. On Facebook, for example, it’s not enough to just publish a post; you should also share a story about the update and post it in professional groups. Take advantage of every opportunity to promote your content. Otherwise, you’re relying solely on Google’s traditional search engine ranking for websites, which could put you at a competitive disadvantage.
2. Build Links
It’s one thing to link to your content on your profile, but to achieve real organic reach, you need others to share your content too. There are many ways to encourage this—you could write compelling text to inspire sharing, but if the content is of high quality, you might not even need to resort to such tactics. Of course, it never hurts to pair an exciting title with an eye-catching image!
3. More Chances to Rank in Search Results
By including your most important keywords in the name and description of your social media profile, you create additional opportunities to appear in Google’s search results. And if you do this across multiple profiles, you increase your chances of getting clicks even further. Why not take advantage of this? If a potential client or customer can find the most important information and a link to your website through your social media presence, you’ve already gained a significant advantage.
4. Boost Your Clicks
Social media platforms can significantly multiply the traffic to your website. Sites like Facebook, LinkedIn or Pinterest can generate far more clicks than Google search alone. Regardless of your target audience, the vast majority of them are likely on these platforms, actively engaging with content – while fewer are using conscious search. The best part? Your audience doesn’t even need to search for you on social media to find you. Through shares and posts, your content can appear right in front of their eyes. While an SEO strategy might take months or even years to achieve its goals, social media offers the potential for instant success.
5. Building Trust
Anyone can create a beautiful website with attractive wording, but maintaining an active and strategic social media presence is a much bigger commitment. The fact that people value the latter more is why social media has become the number one tool for building trust. Nowadays, customer service is also moving to Messenger, so quick and useful responses there build valuable engagement.