There’s no definitive proof that social media helps SEO visibility for a site. With that said, I kind of disagree. I’ve worked in digital marketing for long enough to test the impact of social media in SEO and I’ve seen snippets of SEO magic. Here’s my observations, thoughts and advice when it comes to using your social channels and SEO in conjunction with each other to see results.
Your brand should be consistent in all your marketing. The tone might be slightly altered to suit a specific audience but content should be streamlined. That’s where social media comes in, shares of your content are not included in SEO rankings but social engagement can have an impact on visibility. See social media as an influence on your organic visibility, Google wants to know what your audience thinks of you and your brand. Where can it find that information easily – your social channels.
Local SEO & Social Media
Local SEO helps your business to be more visible locally on search engines. This could be opening times, reviews, images and other useful information. When someone searches for ‘coffee shops in Nottingham’, you want to appear at the top. For example, you can see that 200 degrees is the first result, this is due to the overall rating and correct information displayed. However, if we look at the search results, we can see that all content is for ‘the best coffee shops’ and although 200 Degrees is listed on some, it’s actually further down.
Quality content will help users to find you locally, especially those looking for ‘the best’, ‘near by’ etc. Social content can help with this, an example can be seen for Effy, their social channels are displayed because of their updated content including their menu, giving users the option to access info from multiple sources.
Google recognises that your audience are talking about your business on social media. Users turn to social media to find out more about your business and will actually get a better idea of what people think via images, articles and content shared on your channel.
If you’re updating content on your site, think not only about sharing it but telling a story. Be concise both on-site and off-site because that’s how your authority will grow via backlinks and overall visibility.
Keywords Everywhere
If a blog or article is popular across social media, the likelihood is that it will be shared. Gaining more traction and ultimately, ranking for specific keywords. I’ve made this sound easy, it isn’t. But, think about useful, quality content – perhaps look at your top landing pages and trial sharing across social channels. Monitor what happens, it is possible that you may see a jump in rankings on Google. Especially if there’ search intent and your article is already optimised.
There’s nothing to say that using keywords on your site in your social copy will benefit SEO. That isn’t to say that it’s not beneficial, especially with specific channels.
Pinterest is the perfect example for this because it ultimately acts like a search engine. Using the right keywords in pins is crucial for users to find your content. 70% of Pinterest users use the platform to influence their buying decisions.
Use existing keywords in your site content for your Pinterest copy. You’ll see a peak in engagement if you’re already using keywords with search intent. Pinterest is also great when it comes to giving tips, advice and insights on both their own users and industries.
LinkedIn is the perfect place for lead generation and content helps when it comes to B2B.
Using informative content will have weight when it comes to being seen in search results via LinkedIn. A huge 80% of all B2B leads from social media come through LinkedIn, so you can’t afford to not utilise it.
I love Twitter for SEO. Well, at least I used to before the Musk takeover, but that’s a subject for another day.
Twitter has always been pretty generous when it comes to showing relevant content via Google search results. Seeing recent tweets and ranking in SERPs, not to mention most users search on Twitter. Similar to Pinterest, using the right keywords in hashtags will only benefit your wider strategy.
Other Social Channels
Social Proof in the Pudding
Now that you can see the opportunity in making social an SEO more streamlined, here’s a checklist of small changes that could help:
- Check how your business is displayed both on your website and your social channels. Is imagery the same and optimised? Do you have the correct contact details, links to your site and is your brand messaging the same? Google loves consistency across marketing channels.
- Share quality content across your social channels. Make a list of articles that perform well but also those that you wish to rank higher. Experiment with sharing across social channels and using related keywords in your social copy.
- Have conversations with your users and answer questions. Engagement is a strong social signal that tells Google how relevant you are and ultimately helps your ranking.
- Most importantly, share your brand messaging and prioritise quality over quantity when it comes to content.
Why not talk to us at Victress and our partner, Plenty Digital on how we can help to elevate both your organic social and SEO strategy. We’re always happy to hear from businesses, different industries and the struggles you face daily.