doncaster seo company

3 Things You Should Know About SEO & Social Media

Search rankings today focus on keyword intent and identify user needs rather than the SEO of old, which focused primarily on singular keywords. SEO has been able to direct its focus towards long tail searches in order to identify the purpose behind a search.

Back in 2014, marketers around the world were assured that social signals – such as Facebook likes and Instagram followers, which describe a profile’s influence – do not interfere with search rankings.

Up until that point, marketers had been operating under the assumption that social signals do have an influence on google’s algorithm, they identified metrics such as likes and follows as a benchmark for trustworthiness and quality.

However, a study in 2018 tested the SEO results of articles with and without social influence. How did this turn out? The articles with the most social engagement received an average 22% boost during the length of the test.

So how does this affect the relationship between social media management and SEO and what are SEO executives now thinking in regards to social media now that social signals are in the rearview?

Let’s find out what we should be considering the relationship between social and SEO

1. Do Social Links Affect Search Results?

So it’s clear that social signals are absent from search algorithms but Google still trawls for information on social media like it would for any other website. 

While the authority of a social account has little impact on search rankings, links published on social media are in fact credible back-links and do have a say in a page’s ranking.

2. Social Media Profiles Appear in Search Rankings

Social media accounts definitely have an impact on search results. They tend to be amongst the highest ranking search results on the first page of Google.

If you search for Be My Social for example, you’ll be greeted with a link to our website followed by links to our Facebook page, Twitter and LinkedIn.

When people are researching a company, they tend to delve into the brand’s social media profiles to learn more about what the business does and what their identity is.

Having an active social profile allows people to access information on your business in a number of ways, as opposed to just having a website to go off. When searching for your brand, people will have will be just as inclined to click on your social as they will your website, this gives them access to the more personalised side of your business – if that is the professional tone you set – which allows for a more fun, engaging and personal way to get to know your brand.

3. Social Media Platforms Are Also Search Engines

Channels like Facebook and Twitter are now just as important as Google and Bing when it comes to people searching for information.

Brands that develop great visual content can benefit from platforms like Pinterest and Instagram by using hashtags and organising their pins effectively.

Conclusion 

For further information on social media help and digital marketing services, head over to Be My Social for all things social media Doncaster related and for social media management in Yorkshire.