Can social media affect your SEO rankings?
Social media and SEO can be thought of as two separate marketing fields but there may be an indirect link between them that you should be aware of.
Both organic and paid social media can support your SEO efforts and increase your rankings in the search engine results pages (SERPs) in several ways.
To understand how social media can affect SEO, which social media platforms are the most effective and some top tips when it comes to social media SEO, keep reading!
3 ways your social media strategy affects SEO
In short – yes; social media can affect SEO. However, it is important to note it does so indirectly. Below are the three main ways social media can affect SEO.
1. Social sharing increases visibility in the rankings
Social media is useful for SEO in terms of social sharing; there are several opportunities to increase reach and go ‘viral’ on social media. If a post that contains a link to your site goes viral / reaches a wide audience, it will drive more traffic to your site and boost online visibility.
Popular posts on social media also increase the likelihood of earning backlinks (a key component when increasing rankings).
2. User interactions can improve your search rankings
Social media metrics such as likes and comments are a form of social proof; they can build brand credibility, trust and awareness. Social signals indirectly help SEO efforts by increasing referral traffic and boosting online visibility. The more people like your social media content, the more they will like your brand and engage with your site.
3. Social media profiles can now rank in search engines
Despite Google favouring its posts in the past, nowadays it is common to see company social media profiles pop up in the SERPs. With this opportunity, it is crucial to optimise your social media profiles, to give your account the best chance at ranking.
If a brand can rank for both its site and social media profiles, it is a huge competitive advantage and will further boost online visibility.
The best social media sites to support your SEO efforts
Facebook is a brilliant platform that allows users to share content easily. The more people share your content, the higher the likelihood of users visiting your site which will in turn boost your online visibility.
Top tip: Google actually crawls links on Facebook, so Google will examine any links posted on the platform. Therefore, posting any content that includes site / other content links will support your SEO efforts.
Instagram is a powerful platform that can help boost your SEO efforts mainly because of how frequently hashtags are used. Although hashtags are used across different social media platforms, they are used frequently on Instagram by both users and businesses. Hashtags are an effective way to increase reach and discoverability.
YouTube
Video content has increased in popularity over recent years because videos are generally more engaging than other ad formats. Not only do videos maintain user attention meaning your audience gains more information and remembers your message but by embedding YouTube videos onto your site, you increase the amount of time users spend on your site. This is beneficial because Google uses engagement as a signal to determine rankings.
Top tips when using social media to improve SEO
– Create valuable content: the more your audience resonates with your content, the more likely they are to engage with your brand. As mentioned above, the more engagement (including likes and shares), the higher your chances of boosting brand visibility. Valuable content is an effective way to earn backlinks too.
– Build your online community: A strong social media presence is crucial for increasing online visibility. Consistently increasing your follower count is essential for increasing reach and driving more traffic to your site.
Top tip: don’t be tempted to buy followers. Google will know whether traffic is valuable or not. Therefore, taking the time to grow your followers by engaging with your community, using paid advertisements and producing valuable content is essential.
– Optimise your social media profiles: Make sure you complete all profile sections (bio, header image, profile picture, links etc). Regularly updating your profile is another effective way to increase the chances of ranking in the SERPs; updating announcements in your bio as well as consistently producing content.
– Use keywords in your copy and usernames: incorporating your keywords throughout your social media account is important to increase discoverability.
– Use analytics to improve your social media SEO strategy: Monitor your social media performance in real time so you can check that your content is directing traffic to your site. If you find that specific posts are generating more engagement and driving more traffic, you can create more content similar to those posts and drive better results.
Need support with your social media strategy?
By following these best practices, you have a high chance of achieving ultimate social media and SEO success. If you feel you need support with your social strategy, our team of paid social experts are here to help. Get in touch with us today!
