Social media SEO

Social media plays an increasing role in determining the quality of a Web site. When your website has many followers on various social media channels, Google rewards you. It is an indication to Google that this is a company with high brand recognition.(1)

In addition, the interaction the company engages in with its followers is very important. When a company has a lot of interaction with followers, Google sees this as pluses. In this article, we discuss what points of interest there are for social media from an SEO perspective.

Why is social media important for SEO?

The short answer is: E-E-A-T. Through social media, you can prove to Google the experience you have within a particular market. It is the missing link for many businesses that blog a lot and write a lot of content for SEO, but have no followers online.

Consider this website, ralfvanveen.com. Google probably knows more about me than my own mother. By optimizing my LinkedIn (this is the most relevant social media channel for me) and being active on it, I can also prove to Google that I am a true SEO specialist.

Consistent posting

Want to maximize interaction with followers? Then it is important that you post frequently and consistently on your social media. To grow the number of followers, you need to post daily or weekly. Quality is more important here than quantity. Make sure you inform the follower about your industry, business and what you sell. (2)

Link social media with the website

Make sure social media is properly linked to the website. By doing so, you are essentially telling Google that you own the social media. So: in the footer or header of the website, place a link to the various social media.

There should also be a link to the website on the profiles of the social media channels. This way, visitors easily view your website.

Use your budget smartly

Do you have a limited budget? Put the focus on one channel. Creating a channel with a larger number of followers is more important than 3 channels with a small number of followers.

Engage in interaction within your industry

Interact not only with your followers, but also with others in your industry. Follow relevant other profiles and post comments and likes. These activities create more interaction on your own profile in the long run. This leads to an increase in the number of followers which also boosts the SEO of your website. Social media puts the focus on building a personal relationship with your target audience.

How does social media connect to your SEO?

Social media is not a direct ranking factor, though it does affect your SEO. The signals social media sends to Google strengthen your company’s brand awareness. The more relevant the content you create on social media is, the more audiences will share that content with friends and followers. This way, more visitors will arrive at your website. Often these are relevant visitors, because the visitors came to you through friends and family.

Don’t neglect social media when working on search engine optimization. It affects the online findability of your website and gives you the advantage over the competition!