Google has repeatedly suggested that social media is not a direct factor in ranking. Still, having social media mentions is considered part of a healthy link profile. In this article, we’ll try to break down the relationship between social media and search engine optimization, as well as provide some valuable tips on which channels can most effectively complement your SEO work.
Social media doesn’t affect rankings directly but the links you share on social platforms increase brand awareness. Companies that understand how dispensary SEO works, such as Mjseo.agency, can help you achieve great results. As an indirect factor, social media can have the following effects:
- Accelerating the pace of distribution of your content;
- Increasing the relevance of your publications in terms of attracting traffic;
- Positive impact on overall brand awareness, trust, and reputation;
- Improving local ranking results.
When ranking search results for one or another key query, two factors are increasingly important — the value and usefulness of content for users. Thus, Google’s algorithms are taking into account an increasing number of indicators that can show that a particular link answers a particular question well. Therefore, having an active audience on social networks that will share and comment on your publications will definitely not harm the authority and position of your link.
As you already know, the better a site ranks in search results, the more effective your strategy for attracting quality organic traffic will work. And good traffic means returning users and more organic conversions. To amplify this effect with social cues, you only need:
- Regular publications. Based on monitoring of LinkedIn user activity, you should expect optimal performance with at least two updates per week.
- Bright presentation. Text messages can capture your main message superbly but without catchy images or additional multimedia content, they are more likely to get lost in the feed.
- Structure. It is not enough to just write a paragraph of text and post it. Segment messages as much as possible. Use text or emoji styling to highlight and draw attention to key ideas.
- Multifunctionality. If you posted a great article a month ago, there are many ways to remind your audience of it without repeating yourself. Create a short video, infographic, or even a small podcast to renew your audience’s interest in what you’ve already said.
- Brevity is not a problem. Although this already applies to the internal algorithms of social networks, the more users interact with your posts, the better. If you want to post a short message, start each sentence on a new line. So your subscribers need to expand the post to see all the text, which will help your rankings.
- Useful content. Remember that Google will rate you in terms of the value and usefulness of your content. Therefore, these two parameters should be at the head of the table when planning and developing your articles and updates, as well as publications on social networks.
To summarize, social media helps a brand to distribute its content to interested users faster and more efficiently. The quality and level of social media management determine the level of user loyalty (advocacy rate) — the more often your materials are recommended and your pages are linked, the better.
How to convert followers to fans? If we talk about the Western approach, then there are several main factors:
- Tone and Voice. It is believed that the audience will be more active and more willing to respond to information if it is conveyed in an understandable and familiar language. Therefore, it is important to develop a communication style that is specific to your brand and adhere to it — this way, you can be recognized without even reading the messages.
- Respect. Another reason your social media pages should stand out is respect. The fact is that insufficiently developed communication may not please the user, and they will not return to you again. Remember that you are also being watched and appreciated for your efforts.
- Feedback. No one likes long monologues, so try to reach out to your audience as often as possible. To do this, there are many useful tools available on every social network. Post polls periodically, ask questions and ask to vote on the topic of the next post.
Social media has no direct impact on ranking results. However, they directly affect the distribution speed of your content. And the faster the information spreads, the sooner you can expect any effect from the publication.
Social media are platforms built on data and interaction and most of the pages struggle so hard for your attention that they gradually put you into TV viewing mode. This is very worrying for developers, investors, and even social media creators, as a passive audience generates less revenue.
Therefore, despite the authority of the page, if you start to react less to its publications, their priority in the feed gradually decreases. Also, different reactions can carry a different level of priority renewal, since each has a commitment at a certain level. It is the easiest way to like a post because such action simply will not allow the priority of this page to fall in your feed.
The more complex is the action from the point of view of the algorithm, the greater the effect it will have. For example, Instagram evaluates the priorities of stories and publications separately, since these are two different types of content and each of them has separate opportunities for user interaction and reaction.
Simply put, don’t chase the number of likes or followers. Growing your brand awareness, increasing organic ranking, and popularizing content are tasks that only an active and loyal audience, whose attention needs to be earned, will help to solve.