With Google's release of their Panda algorithm update in 2011, the most powerful search engine on Earth changed the face of SEO overnight. Sites that only focused on keywords and provided very little else of value found themselves dropping dramatically in the search results, losing business as a result. The SEO game had changed completely and without warning. Now, in order to rise to the top of search results, you had to post high quality, valuable content on a regular basis (among other techniques that Google has been less than forthcoming with). So how do you post content that is actually valuable to users as often as possible in a highly visible and high profile way? Luckily, the answer is simple: social media.
The Value of Social Media and SEO
Even on the surface, social media as a concept is incredibly valuable to businesses for a wide range of different reasons. Sites like Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and more all have hundreds of millions of unique users between them. They also let you post new content incredibly quickly, allowing it to reach the masses before you even know what hit you. In point of fact, many of the reasons why social media is so valuable to regular users like your customers are the same reasons why it is so valuable to businesses and SEO in particular.
Google cares about social media—so you should, too.
One of the major ways that Google's algorithm determines whether or not a particular site is valuable has to do with the amount of social activity it's currently getting. Google regularly uses Facebook, LinkedIn, YouTube and other sites to determine whether or not a site is credible based on the number of people that are sharing its content. Suddenly every last follower on Twitter becomes not just important to your online reputation, but to the future of your business as a whole.
Another important thing to think about is the fact that people are using social media sites to search for content just as often as they're using sites like Google. People use hashtags, keywords and other phrases to find new and interesting bits of information to share with their friends. If you can take advantage of that, your business can dramatically benefit as a result.
Just as with Google in general, however, success in social media depends on more than just throwing everything you can at the wall and seeing what sticks. You need a plan of action. You need to understand the customers that you're trying to attract and what types of content they like to read. You need to learn what entices someone to share a post with their friends.
This is a large part of the reason why partnering with an inbound marketing agency is so important - they can completely overhaul your social media presence to not only help with SEO, but also to put your best foot forward for your customers as a whole. Contact a Digital Strategist at Marketing Essentials today for more information - 419.629.0080.
