Difference between revisions of "Learn/Boost-SEO-with-Social-Media"

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Marketers at small companies often ask how they can get their websites to show up higher in search results. They're not sure where to start, and their budgets don't allow them to explore every search engine optimization (SEO) strategy, nor spend heavily on pay-per-click advertising.

Social Media: The Poor Man's SEO

That's where social media platforms like Twitter, LinkedIn and Facebook come in. Just a few years ago, no one thought these sites - and others like Stumbleupon - made any difference to a website's rankings in search results. Sure, it was a good idea to have people noticing you there, but no one thought that mentions on social sites helped SEO.

That's changed enormously in the last year or so. Social is now huge for SEO. Respected search marketing professionals spent a lot of time in 2011 analyzing the impact of social media activity on search engine rankings, and many have concluded that you really can get your site to rank higher by getting plenty of mentions on the social Web.

Getting social attention is something a small business can accomplish a lot more easily than overhauling its site for SEO. Most marketers in small businesses aren't SEO experts, and often don't have the budgets to hire an SEO firm. But marketers are often very social people, and comfortable making connections with others who can help their business grow. Extending that behavior and mindset to places like Twitter and Facebook isn't all that hard - and it costs very little, other than time.

Does Social Activity Really Help SEO?

Ian Lurie of Seattle marketing firm Portent Interactive tracked 15 companies in 2011 and found that a large number of "likes" on their Facebook pages was a better predictor of high Google search rankings than the number and quality of their inbound links.

Ian's not the first to say this, and the whole concept turns SEO on its head. Search marketing experts have long held that inbound links - that is, links from other sites to yours - are the most important ranking factor for Google and other search engines. To hear that a social signal - Facebook likes, in this case - is more important really changes the SEO equation.

Here's another wrinkle on the importance of social signals for search rankings: Search engines are smart enough to notice not just the mentions of your company or product name in social media, but also who is mentioning you. Getting influential people to comment on your blog, your Facebook page and mentioning you on other blogs and in blog comments is a great way to tell search engines that you matter.

This may sound as time-consuming as emailing people and asking them to link to your website on their own site or blog. Actually, it's not. Following influential people, asking questions of them, commenting on their posts and tweets - all this can get you noticed quickly, if you're contributing something of value to the conversation. And because people on social media platforms have friends and followers of their own, getting mentioned or engaging in a conversation means you'll be seen by lots of other people. Your message and reputation have the potential to spread far and wide, whether for good or for bad.

Here's a simple example. Some savvy restaurants are posting their daily specials at 11:00 on Twitter and Facebook, just when people are getting hungry and starting to think about where to go for lunch. This is a great way to get people to come in, of course, but it's also a good way to get mentions in social media, as people start messaging their friends on social platforms to see who wants to join them for lunch at the pub down the street.

Since your message can spread so easily, it's good to pay attention to social media etiquette and be a good citizen in this world. Watch how people behave, follow the people you admire, and learn from them.

Here are the practical details of what you can do to increase your presence in social media:

• Twitter account
  • Post every day. You can comment on industry news, link to your blog, high-five someone else's comment, retweet someone's blog post, ask for help with something, provide help to someone else....the list goes on.
  • Engage in conversation with customers and onlookers - anyone who mentions your company or your product. Thank people, ask questions, solicit feedback, etc.
  • Search Twitter for mentions of your competitors and their competing products, to learn which words people are using. Now you start using them, too.
  • If you see someone who could use what you sell complaining about a competitor, offer to help them somehow - but don't disparage your competitor or his product.
  • Find the people who are influential in your market and follow them.
  • Thank people individually for following you - do NOT use an autoresponder. It's a pity for someone's first interaction with you to feel canned - and believe me, experienced Twitter users can smell an autoresponse a mile away.

• Facebook
  • Post every day. You can post the same things on Facebook that you do on Twitter, with the added benefit of being able to include a photo and a much longer comment.
  • Invite engagement by asking people what they think about something you've posted. Comments are noticed by search engines.
  • Search Facebook for mentions of your competitors, etc.
  • More stuff here

• LinkedIn
  • Join groups specific to your industry or to your target customers.
  • Post interesting articles and news to these groups.
  • Answer the questions people post in these groups.
  • Write recommendations for people you've done business with.
  • Ask your good customers to write recommendations for you.

• Your blog:
  • Post about industry trends and issues
  • Post about business issues that aren't specific to your industry, but interesting to other business people
  • Post about your own company's news and developments
  • Offer insights and advice based on things you learn in the course of business, even if they're not directly about your own product
  • If you have something thoughtful to say about someone else's blog that is too long for a comment, write a post on your blog, linking to the post you are commenting on.

• Other people's blogs:
  • Comment on people's posts, but avoid generic comments like "great post." Try to add something unique and interesting to the discussion. See above for when you have a lot to say about someone's post.
  • Ask if you may guest post if you think you have something to contribute. Many bloggers are happy to have guest authors post if they're adding value.

• News sites:
  • Comment on news stories that are relevant to your industry and your business. Don't be snarky - be thoughtful. You can also share these news stories in your social accounts.