Our Kansas City Digital Marketing Agency Explains All
If you’re surprised to hear that people have been talking for years about whether Google ranks websites associated with active and vibrant social media lives, then you haven’t been paying attention.
Although the Google algorithm is almost mythical, with specific details kept under lock and key, Google has made public announcements that hint at social signals helping with organic search rank, starting 12 years ago, in 2010.
That claim was reconfirmed more recently in 2014 – but with a clarification: No, Google does not treat social media profiles as ranking signals – but they are treated as their own organic search results.
So, what does this actually mean for digital marketing and search engine optimization?
Correlation Does Not Equal Causation
Social media is related to organic rankings, but they don’t influence those rankings. Rather, websites that rank at the top of the search engine results pages (SERPs) probably already have a powerful presence on social media.
That’s just the nature of a comprehensive and cohesive digital marketing strategy!
If you haven’t already, it’s time to reap the benefits of engaging social media pages to help improve your SEO.
Share Your Content on Social Media
So, you’ve been writing keyword-rich blog posts and adding them to your website to climb the SERPs, but you aren’t doing anything else with it.
It should become second nature for you to share your website content on your social media posts to help drive traffic to your site. Higher site traffic increases positive user signals to benefit your SEO rankings. You’re also more likely to connect with your target audience on social media – and those are the folks you definitely want clicking to visit your website.
Your Socials Could Show Up in the SERPs
When your audience searches for your company using branded search terms, there’s a good chance your social media profiles will show up in the results. If you’re working with an SEO agency, your website should show up along with it.
Take the opportunity to fill up two positions in the SERPs. It’s one less chance your competitors have to earn spots on page one.
Snag Some Backlinks for a Strong Native Content Strategy
If you’re writing and posting quality content on your website, it’s likely that visitors will link to it on their social media or their own blogs. The algorithm ranks beneficial sites higher – and those backlinks show how helpful yours is.
A digital marketing backlinking strategy gets links to your website hosted on blogs with higher domain authority than your site. Don’t forget that your content has to be well written and informative if you want it to get attention. Otherwise, your audience will blow it off as just more noise on the ‘net.
Become an Authority
High search rankings show that your website and organization are likely trustworthy and truly related to the terms your potential customer entered in Google.
In general, search engine optimization can boost your online reputation, and in doing that, you want social media on your side. How?
Social helps your brand get noticed where your audience already hangs out. (Who doesn’t sit and refresh social media profiles for hours a time?) But it also lets them know that you’re legit and allows them to connect and interact with your brand.
It’s Not Enough to Have a Social Media Profile
Anyone can create a social media profile and let it sit, lonely and neglected, in its tiny corner of the Internet. An abandoned social media profile isn’t doing your business or website any favors.
Your social media profiles should be frequently updated and encourage interaction through educational and interesting posts – not always calling your audience to action. Branded graphics, interactive elements, questions, and contents can all garner an enormous boost in followers. (Try these tips to get started.)
Play the SEO Long Game – and Win!
Any marketing agency near you who tells you they can achieve fast search engine optimization results is telling you a big fib to get your business. SEO is a long game.
Our award-winning agency SEO team will tell you upfront that it takes at least six months to see big improvements in your organic search rankings. That’s why we call it the long game.
If you’re ready for social media optimization and its complementary sibling, social media management, iFocus Marketing, an ad agency in Kansas City, can help you! Working with your dedicated account manager and our service line experts, we’ll create a digital marketing strategy that aligns with your business goals.
See how we work by requesting a discovery call.
Jenifer Calandra is an award-winning digital copywriter and copy team lead at iFocus Marketing with 12 years of marketing experience. She curates copy from conception to completion, capturing client voices, and building their authority in their industry. Her knack for storytelling is deeply rooted in journalism, and you’ll find her work published in various regional newspapers and magazines. At home, dogs and a never-ending cascade of home-improvement projects rule her life.
