Social Media and SEO: Can Social Media Boost Your Rankings?

Social media marketing is different than search engine optimization. The two can run completely on their own, providing a return on investment in the process. But, when combined, can social media help provide a boost to your rankings?

Yes, but not like professionals once thought.

Social media signals were mentioned as a ranking factor in 2010, but then something drastic happened: Twitter blocked Google’s access.

The block, albeit temporary, is one of the things that led to the announcement that Google cannot rely on signals for their rankings that may not be existent tomorrow. Since then, Google has failed to state that social media signals are a part of their ranking algorithm.

Yet, we’re seeing a lot of social media pages ranking in Google’s search results, so not having a social media presence can definitely be detrimental to your marketing strategy.

Social media can be leveraged to increase rankings in other ways, too:

1. Social Media for Content Marketing

Content marketing isn’t just a trend – it’s the backbone of SEO. Any top-tier SEO agency knows that content is vital to a website’s success. Social media can be used, often indirectly, to help increase search engine rankings by promoting content.

You can promote your content over several social media channels.

Social media makes it easy to get content in front of your audience. Even if social media links don’t provide a direct ranking boost, it puts your content into the hands of influencers that may choose to link out to your content.

At the very least, social media will drive traffic to your website through content promotion.

Distribute your best content on social media and then reach out to influencers, or tag them in the post to generate further buzz.

2. Brand Awareness Leads to Improved SEO

Social media is a great avenue for building brand awareness. When you’re working on a social media strategy, you’re building a brand that others will know and remember. Influencers and other content producers will start to recognize your brand.

And when linking out to another website, it’s common to link to a site or company that you know.

When your name is in front of your audience and the Internet, you’ll start to build your brand which will naturally start to produce links over time. The goal is to become an influencer in your niche and then work off of this to gain links.

3. Social Media Helps with Branded Searches

When branded searches are performed, a potential lead is searching for your brand directly. Seeing your competitor ranked second or third on the list may drive some potential leads to the competition.

Social media profiles rank highly in social media, and branded terms are the ideal choice.

If someone searches “Pepsi,” you’ll find the company’s social media accounts on the front page of the results. It’s a great way to occupy the first page of Google for branded searches. While the impact may seem minimal, all of the potential leads will be directed to a page or asset that you control and own.