How Social Media Could Improve Search Engine Rankings

It’s no secret that social media is becoming an ever-increasingly significant tool in any online marketing strategy. But have you thought about the role that social media can play in your search engine rankings?

Search engine optimisation (SEO) is the process of optimising your website to be read and indexed by search engines. Effective SEO can put your website on page one of a given search (or even at the very top). There are many strategies that can be employed to achieve this but social media is becoming increasingly relevant and holding significant weight.

Here are some of our top tips for using social media to improve your SEO:

1. Utilise all profile sections provided

If there is an ‘About Us’ section, fill it in. Remember that even if it’s not read by many page visitors, it will still be read by search engines. With this in mind, you will need to treat this content as you would your website content – it must be relevant, high quality and include the keywords that may be used to search your type of business. It is usually best to include your location if there is a section to do so as most people search for goods and services on search engines geographically.

2. Consistency is key

Be consistent across all social media platforms as well as your own website and any other sites you use such as blogs or local directories. This consistency should cover everything from type of content to tone, style and word choice. The easiest way to ensure consistency is by nominating just one person to carry out all online updates. The more content you have online that accurately represents your brand, the better chance you have of placing higher on the search results.

3. Make use of vanity URLS

Most social networks now let you choose what you want as your URL e.g. facebook.com/bloggerhelp24and twitter.com/bloggerhelp24. Choose something that is memorable, not too long-winded and is consistent across the different platforms.

4. Engage your customers

This is pretty much the point of using social media for business. Only when you post interesting and relevant content will you engage your online community. If people find your posts interesting, they are far more likely to interact with you by commenting, ‘liking’ and sharing. The more interactions you receive, the more weight the search engines will place on your content and the better for your SEO.

Conclusion

When people think of using social media as part of their online marketing strategy, they mainly consider the benefit of engaging customers and potential customers as well as directly referring traffic to a company website. By taking note of, and implementing the simple tips above, you can ensure your social media is also working for your SEO.