Social media plays an important role in how your company ranks in search engines. While you may see social media as a marketing and customer service medium, it carries much more weight in your search engine optimization (SEO).
How does this work? The effect of social media on SEO comes down to search engine algorithms. Here are the aspects of your social media marketing that will help increase SEO.
Shares
Freshness is a key part of Google’s search algorithm. When your content receives social media shares, the freshness portions of the algorithm are triggered. The “fresher” your content, the higher your company will appear in a Google search.
Connections
In general, sites with large audiences rank higher in searches. So, if you have a large social media following, your company move up in a search engine list.
The more Facebook likes, Twitter followers, Google+ circles, YouTube subscribers and Pinterest followers you have, the higher ranking you will receive. How do you grow your social media audience? Well, that’s another story. But the quality of content you share and making your website socially accessible are good places to start.
Bookmarks
Social bookmarking sites like Stumbleupon and Reddit show search engines that you hold authority and popularity online. Not only do these sites increase the reach of your content, they also make your content popular. This makes search engines recognize you as a key figure online, increasing your ranking.
Authority
Writing quality content provides value to your audience. It also signals to search engines that you have author authority. Using the rel=”author” tag allows Google to track your writing content online. Then, the more you write, the more you improve your SEO.
Social media has a greater impact on your business than just reputation. It can also determine how people find you online. This can lead to sales and business growth. Time to think about how you use social media.