Some things just go together. A set of pearls and a little black dress… summertime and baseball…movies and popcorn. Think of SEO and social media in the same way. Whether you’re talking about what makes for effective branding or in terms of how Google has defined the search ranking algorithm, what your company does on these social media platforms is now a critical part of not just your SEO campaign, but any successful online marketing strategy.
It’s all about engagement as a measure of relevance. The search engines want to rank companies with content that attracts attention and participation from consumers on the web. Google is continually trying to improve its results by answering your search request with the most relevant answers possible. That’s why it looks for goods and services that demonstrate that people care about them, as measured by participation with that brand on social media, or by how often consumers share a particular website’s content. If you have something that no one is reading about, commenting on, or sharing, you’re not showing Google you matter when it comes to your particular products and services.
The other caveat, however? Unfortunately, the process takes awhile. A viable social media strategy won’t happen overnight, but instead requires interesting, varied content over time. Mix it up. Use videos. Photographs. Informational posts. Answer questions-and interact with your users. Google will note these social connections and reflect it within the SERPs. While it remains a complicated trial and error process, an enduring social SEO campaign will pay off. Stick with the basics, and watch your star rise along with your rankings.
