In 2014, former Google software engineer Matt Cutts argued that social media metrics like likes, retweets, and followers do not directly influence SEO rankings. Cutts stated that, because social media signals can be easily influenced and manipulated, this could lead to less valuable sites falsely earning a higher SEO ranking. He goes further to state that the whirlwind of social media posts and profile changes moves too quickly for Google to keep up with.
When you think about social media and SEO, it feels like comparing apples to oranges. While the former is all about creating engaging connections with your target audience through creative intuition as a brand, the latter is more scientific, all about following techniques and guidelines. But the fact that leveraging social media can contribute to your business’s SEO isn’t exactly wrong either.
A lot has changed since 2014, and search engines are starting to pay more attention to social signals. Google uses social signals to increase the effectiveness of its overall search results. For example, the level of engagement with certain pages helps Google understand what kind of content resonates with searchers.
According to Google’s Search Quality Rating Guidelines, manual search evaluators should use social media profiles as a means to assess the reputation of content creators and websites. In today’s blog, we’re going to explore why investing in social media might be the right step for taking your local SEO to the next level.
Why Invest In Social Media?
There’s no doubt that social media has the biggest influence on people’s perceptions and choices. According to a survey conducted by Hubspot, 42% of surveyed social media marketers “strongly agree that people prefer finding brands on social media rather than traditional search engines”. According to the survey, more people will opt to buy directly from social media platforms than from other channels. And if you’re still unsure about leveraging social media for local SEO success, here are some factors to consider:
Increase Traffic To Your Website
Although social media does not have a direct impact on search engine optimization, when used strategically, your social media platforms can drive traffic to your site. Sharing links and promo codes on social media can drive more traffic to your page. In today’s world, where engagement is important, content creation can be one of the most valuable ways to increase your SEO rankings.
Blogs, videos, infographics, and e-books that provide valuable information to your audience boost engagement and time spent on site. This time spent signals to Google that your site is valuable, and this will increase your rankings. When a lot of people engage with your content, be it through social media or are encouraged to check your website because of your brand’s social media presence, it makes organic traffic easier to capture.
Social Media Fosters Community And Organic Web Traffic
There’s no doubt that many people find brands and products through their social media pages. A brand that has a strong social media presence can easily pull the target audience for their products and services, so much so that the latest social media statistics by Synup noted, “71% of consumers who have a good social media experience with a brand are likely to recommend it to others”.
A deeper understanding of how social media operates can help businesses create a community around their products and services. Much like organic web traffic that your website receives when people looking for a product or service look it up, a strong social media presence can also help you build a customer base that resonates with your brand voice.
Increased Brand Awareness
Effective social media marketing is pivotal in building brand awareness. Consistently posting quality content means that your customers are continually exposed to your brand and keep you at the top of their minds. This means that they are more likely to make branded searches, thus boosting your SEO ranking. This brand recognition is vital for securing conversions.
Actionable Advice For Increasing Local SEO Using Social Media
Social media can be pivotal in boosting your SEO rankings. Having a social media strategy in place can help you streamline your social media marketing efforts, which will have the ripple effect of increasing your SEO ranking. According to Quso. AI’s social media strategy checklist for small businesses: “To truly connect with your audience and see real growth, you need a strategy that aligns with your goals and focuses on what truly matters.”
Here are some actionable advice that you can use to increase your local SEO when using social media as a part of your strategy:
Create And Share Quality Content
Quality content is a proven way to drive leads to your site. Your content needs to add value to your audience’s social media experience, or they won’t spend time watching and sharing it. More often than not, low-quality content won’t get your audience engaged with your page”. Sharing links to your website’s content is a great way to boost engagement and signal search engines that your content resonates. Here’s why:
Quality Content Earns Backlinks
Quality content creates the opportunity for other high-authority pages to link back to your content. By creating and sharing quality content about your industry, you can attract other industry thought leaders to your social media profiles; this can lead to sharing and help you increase the domain authority of your website.
Credible backlinks boost your SEO score, i.e., when other sites link to your content, it increases your brand’s authority and trustworthiness. Whether you’re working in-house to create content and backlinks for your brand or with an experienced link-building consultant, social media can pave the way for high-quality link-building when used strategically.
Create A Community Surrounding Your Brand
Engaging in two-way communication with your audience on social media creates a community surrounding your brand and allows you to shape your brand narrative. This indicates to search engines that your profile is active and monitored. Actively engaging with your audience is also a way to improve the customer experience. Building relationships with your social media audience can create opportunities for link building and guest blogging.
Link Your Social Profiles To Your Business Listings
Linking your social media profiles to your Google Business Profile signals a more complete profile, which will boost your SEO ranking. By linking to your profiles, customers can also learn more about your business, and this will increase brand awareness and engagement.
Investing time in completing your Google Business Profile is extremely important, according to the local SEO insights provided by Synup: “64% of customers use Google My Business (GMB) to discover company addresses or phone numbers”. Offering your customers a variety of ways to reach out to you, especially through social media, being the easiest way, can help them choose your products and services.
Link To Your Social Media Profiles On Your Website
Strategically placed social media buttons can spark an interest in visiting, and even make them interested in following your social media profile. Social media buttons on blog posts are especially effective, but only if they’re done through strategic placement. You may need to run some A/B testing to see which placement helps your business gain more traction. In this way, your website can encourage more people to know about your brand’s social media presence and vice versa.
Optimize Your Posts With Keywords
Optimizing your content with keywords will help you increase your reach. Research the keywords that are trending on the social media platform you’re using and incorporate those keywords into your captions. However, don’t overuse keywords and only use them when appropriate.
Think of alternative search terms people may use to describe your product or service. Keywords that performed well in search engines may perform well on your socials, too. Last but not least, don’t forget to tailor your keywords to the platform in question. For example, while Instagram offers more creative options to play around with different keywords, platforms like LinkedIn can be won over by having more structured and professional keywords in place.
Optimize Social Profiles
Your social media profiles can benefit from optimization from time to time, especially when new social media guidelines are introduced. Here are some simple and effective tips to optimize your social profiles:
- Use a high-quality, eye-catching profile picture.
- Regularly update your cover photo.
- Use SEO-friendly keywords in your bio.
- Link to your website and ensure your website is mobile-friendly.
- Verify your account to build credibility and attract the right customer base.
Local SEO and Social Media: A Summary
In conclusion, while there is no direct link between SEO and social media, your social media marketing efforts can cause a ripple effect that will boost your SEO rankings. Consistently posting quality content on social media platforms will increase reach and brand awareness. Effective social media content, that is eye-catching and memorable, will keep your company top of mind and result in branded searches.
By following some simple actionable tips such as creating and sharing quality content through social media, linking your social media handles to your GMB as well as the website, and optimizing your posts and social media profiles from time to time, you can leverage social media for the success of your local business by incorporating it into your SEO strategy.