How Social Media & SEO are your Recipe to Success

When establishing their online presence, businesses will often choose to “divide and conquer” by separating their SEO efforts from their social media platforms without realizing that these two techniques can work hand in hand with one another. While they may be different in the way each is put in place, they have more in common than meets the eye, and when combined with strength, they can become the most resilient pillar of your online campaign.

Quality of Social Media Audience

It’s all about the number of followers anyways, right? Although this may be common, believe, we must debunk this myth. Yes, the number of followers you have impacts your credibility, social “proof,” and overall online presence–but it is not the only factor that Google considers when drafting its ranking techniques. Just like with content, Google examines the “quality” of followers you have. So while some companies may purchase thousands of robotic followers regarding SEO services Ballarat, you would be better off working and nurturing your way to an active organic audience that interacts with your brand.

 

Creating External Interaction Through Links

 

One of the best ways to boost your SEO and establish yourself as a content genius in the eyes of Google is to have your content shared through external links. Social media is a phenomenal way to get your content recognized by members of your industry through the effective use of sharing, retweeting, posting, comments, and hashtags. These tools allow you to reach a good portion of your target audience and anyone who follows them. Utilizing hashtags to categorize your content gives you a likelier chance to be seen by these sources and, thus, a likelier opportunity for them to share your content on their websites—and just like that, you have built an external link without having to solicit anyone!

 

Social Media Platforms Are Smaller Versions of Search Engines

 

If you are solely focused on the results that appear on Google, you may need to rethink your strategy. These days, when consumers are interested in a brand or service, they head to social media platforms and perform a search that will lead them to more related content. For example, if a discussion about your industry is happening on Twitter, chiming in to interact will not only boost your voice as a knowledgeable source but will also have you appear on Twitter’s search results should someone look for that topic or hashtag.

Likewise, on a more visual platform like Instagram, businesses such as restaurants, boutiques, and design companies utilize location tags and hashtags to build the buzz around their brand. Instagram’s search tool ends up being used as a more marginalized version of Google Images, not only showcasing photos from websites but from other users themselves who have used these products or services.

 

Moral of the story: Google is not the only search engine you need to be optimizing!

 

While it is never wrong to focus on creating fresh and compelling content for your website to boost your SEO, you should never leave social media platforms on the back burner. Instead, aim to combine both of these tools for ultimate optimization. You will end up having more leads appear on both ends, boosting rapport among your industry and climbing up in rankings before you know it!