Social media is so much more than chats about cats and snaps of what you had to eat last night. I mean, it is these things as well, but it can also be a strong driver for your business online. When used properly, social media can be an invaluable tool to boost your brand value and online presence.
Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, TikTok, and all of the other big names in social are the quickest way to get in front of loyal and potential customers. They are the perfect vehicle to build brand loyalty and engagement with real people who are interested in what you are offering. And it’s this interaction which is essential for SEO purposes, and for climbing up the ranks in Google.
What are the key benefits from social media for your business?
Whilst it’s always good to talk, there are several key aspects to measure and keep track of when gauging the success of a social media post or campaign.
- How many users engaged with the content.
- The number of visits to your website or service it has encouraged.
- How far your content has spread and been shared.
Thankfully, these numbers and statistics are easily tracked through a range of tools, including Google Analytics, as well as the basic reports built into each social platform. Need help setting up analytics? Bluefrog Digital can do that for you!
If enough of your content achieves high measures with the above criteria, then your social media savvy work could have a huge impact on your search engine ranks.
Continue reading to see our five best ways to benefit from social media and drive up your Google rankings.
1. Find, share and publish content that interests you
It may sound like daft advice, but you should make sure that whatever you are sharing is interesting or relevant. A good gauge of this is to ask yourself if you would click on the content you are choosing to share. If you’re not interested in what you’re posting, why do you think anyone else will be?
Furthermore, make sure you include relevant call-to-actions on everything you post. Whether it’s “Visit the page today” or “Leave your comments below” people generally respond more when given a simple and clear instruction. It’s a great way to engage your audience with the content of your post. It helps to nurture those you already have, as well as grow to reach new visitors.
A steady stream of interesting and engaging content like this is a great way to ensure people continue to come back. The more people who return, the more traffic you will receive, and the higher you can climb up the SEO ladder.
2. Ask the audience!
It’s not just a lifeline on Who Wants to be a Millionaire! Engaging with your audience not only builds up good conversation around your brand, but it also makes it seem more lively and relevant to casual observers.
Use your posts to ask open questions or for opinions, and you might find common interests. This can help steer your content to be more engaging with your audience. Similarly, if something you post sees little or no engagement, it’s a good indicator that you might want to cover that subject less.
Do your market research to know who your target audience is, and what kind of content you can share to attract their attention. You might know some of this already, purely from what you know about your sector. However, Bluefrog can also help you identify other interesting aspects of your audience, and help guide you into further niches.
3. Push links to your website
Make sure you are always pushing links to your website! Make the URL prominent on your social media profile, add it on the end of your posts, and always be directing your visitors to your website to learn more. Social media is great for capturing interest, but you need to convert that passing reader into a visitor to your site.
The more links you have, the easier your audience will find it to get to your website. We’re not saying to spam those links endlessly, but consider them a key part of your content, rather than an afterthought.
Links on credible pages provide organic traffic to your website. This is a huge plus in the eyes of Google and other search engines. It is a solid way to boost your rankings, and one of the oldest tricks in the book.
4. Work with other brands and influencers in your field
Collaborate with other local businesses or people in a similar area and you might find some interesting opportunities. It’s a great opportunity to get fresh views from the new audience of whoever you work with. With any luck, you’ll add them to your regular numbers.
Working with another reputable brand or influencer can also do a lot for your credibility, earning you more trust in the eyes of casual visitors and people you haven’t completely won over yet.
It’s also a tremendous chance to get more links from other websites! As we said before, Google loves to see other people linking to your content. Spend time building those links and the benefits can be enormous. If this is something you need help with, then Bluefrog Digital would be more than happy to lend a hand.
5. Add tools and plugins to share further across digital platforms
We don’t all just use Facebook and Twitter exclusively. There are several dozen popular social media channels, and more crop up every year! As such, consider adding their sharing icons to your products, content, and articles. It can greatly expand how far and wide your work is shared.
With the right configuration, this can drive huge benefits for your SEO. It allows your content and brand to be shared by some potentially influential profiles, spreading like wildfire across the Internet.
There are many tools and plugins that can do this for you, allowing you to potentially reach huge untapped audiences. If you’re unsure how to do it, get in touch with Bluefrog and we will be more than happy to help!
Conclusion
Social media may not have a direct role in optimising your Google search rankings, but it’s a fantastic way to direct your audience in ways that greatly benefit SEO. They are the perfect vehicle to talk to your audience and promote your brand.
This awareness and increased customer engagement converts to more visits to the pages you want. This is a hugely positive signal in the eyes of Google, and something that will benefit your brand immensely. It does take some time and nurturing to achieve results, but it can make all the difference.
Need a hand with your social media strategy and how it ties into your website? Send us an email and we’d be happy to put together an action plan that gives you a big boost!
