How Does Social Media Impact Your Website’s SEO?

Search Engine Optimization, better known to most as SEO, is a crucial part of your online marketing efforts. It plays a vital role in helping people find your website by making it easier for search engines to discover and rank your content. When you rank higher on the search engine results page (SERP), visitors are more likely to click on your website. An internet strategy consultant can develop a multifaceted SEO strategy to maximize your performance online, including techniques such as on-page SEO, content marketing, link building, and more, but today, we want to explore the relationship between social media and SEO.

Is Google Looking For Social Signals?

Over the years, Google has had a lot of back and forth on whether social signals such as likes and shares would impact search rankings. In 2014, Google clarified that social signals would no longer be used as a ranking factor moving forward. However, that does not necessarily mean that social signals will not have any effect on your SEO. They may no longer be an official ranking factor, but they do have a positive effect on your internet marketing efforts as a whole. After all, a big part of ranking well on Google is having high-quality backlinks from credible sources, and shares on social media sites can help put your content in front of a larger audience. Let’s say you work with your internet strategy consultant to write an excellent educational blog relevant to your industry and share it on social media. As it is educational and a good resource, other content creators may share it with their followers, increasing your reach. Eventually, your blog post starts being linked to by other websites and social media platforms creating quality backlinks that boost your SEO rankings. So, long story short - social signals are not a ranking factor, but they create a knock-on domino effect that will indirectly improve your rankings.

Now that we have established the benefits of social media for SEO let’s examine some of the ways you can leverage it.

Use Social Media to Generate Quality Backlinks

As we have established, social signals lead to backlinks, which lead to improved Google rankings. So, how do you cultivate good-quality backlinks using your social media presence? It is all about building the right following, which includes not only your target audience but also other content creators within your industry. It is important to work with an internet strategy consultant to take some of the following steps to help improve your chances of getting quality backlinks.

• Create Link-Worthy Educational Content - If you want people to share your content or link back to it, it needs to be of high quality and offer something of value to educate or entertain your audience. Think about how to guides, case studies, and blog posts that solve your target market’s pain points.
• Build Your Social Media Following - If you want people to share your content, you need to build up a following on social media sites. It is important to build relationships with not only your target market but also with influential people within your industry, as those are the people most likely to share your content with your audience. Those shares from journalists, bloggers, and influencers will not directly improve your SEO, but it will indirectly benefit you by putting your content in front of more people.
• Promote Content - Writing great content is important, but if you don’t promote it, nobody is going to see it. It is important to promote your content using your social media accounts.
• Connect With Key Influencers - What comes to mind when you hear the word influencer? Many people automatically think of IT girls on social media promoting the latest clothes and makeup. However, influencers exist in all types of industries. Look for people who are influential within your niche. Think about bloggers, journalists, content creators, and YouTubers who talk about your industry. Connect with them on social media. Reach out to them and see if they are willing to share your content with their audience.
• Research Your Competitors - It is always a good idea to keep an eye on what your competitors are doing. Where are they posting on social media? Who is giving them backlinks? Work with an internet strategy consultant to find out what is working for your competitors and apply it to your own marketing strategies.

Is there value in working on social media to improve your SEO? The short answer is yes! Even though social media does not directly impact your SEO, when sharing your content, it will influence your SEO in several indirect ways, including the following:

• Driving organic traffic to your website
• Increasing your online visibility
• Improving local SEO
• Expanding the reach of your content
• Building brand recognition
• Increasing backlinks

In conclusion, while social media may not directly influence your SEO rankings, its indirect benefits are undeniable. By strategically leveraging social media, you can drive organic traffic, enhance your online visibility, and increase your reach and brand recognition. High-quality, shareable content and a robust social media presence can lead to valuable backlinks and improved local SEO. Collaborating with an internet strategy consultant to implement these tactics ensures you maximize your efforts and ultimately boost your overall SEO performance. Embrace the synergy between social media and SEO to elevate your internet marketing strategy and achieve long-term success.

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To Your Best Online!

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Ingrid Maddox, Internet Marketing & Strategy Consultant. bluedress INTERNET MARKETING®, an Internet Marketing Company headquartered in Knoxville, TN. Internet Marketing Developed, Implemented, and Managed to Full Circle! Organic Internet Search Engine Guru. Turn-Key Internet Optimization Programs Placing You Everywhere and Anywhere You Need to Be Online.

ingrid@bluedressinc.com

865-378-7712