Don’t be Anti-Social (Media)
May 8, 2013
The importance of social media is no secret in SEO. Social Media offers a great way to share information which users can in turn share which helps build your following organically. Taking the time to set up your social media profiles is well worth the time. Once set up, you can add buttons to your site that link to your different social media profiles.
I recommend updating your profiles at least weekly. The reason why is it shows you are active and adding new content. This does not go unnoticed by Google! Google loves providing users with quality and relevant search results for any given keyword term. By keeping active on the social front, you are demonstrating to Google that your website is geared towards users and their experience.
Maintaining and updating these profiles regularly may seem daunting and a job unto itself, especially if you are running your business and website. Don’t despair, though– there’s great tools out there like Hootsuite that allow you to manage and update your social media simultaneously through an easy-to-use dashboard interface.
When creating content for social media, make sure the content is share-able Ask yourself: is this something my users will want to share with their friends and acquaintance? One great tip for social media updates is to ask your followers a question. This encourages your followers to interact and generate a discussion. If you share blog posts, news, offer events, just remember to keep your users in mind. Is this something that will interest them and will they want to repost your update? Most importantly, don’t forget to include a link back to your site where these items are posted. You want to make sure your social media updates will drive people to your site and potentially increase your traffic.
Here’s a rundown of some of the bigger social media platforms out there:
The reigning king of social media right now and for good reason: established and versatile, Facebook offers exposure to millions of users all over the world. The ease in sharing updates means your posts could possibly spiderweb exponentially, given the number of your followers.
The birthplace of the ubiquitous hashtag, Twitter’s brevity lends itself well to sharing links and succinct blurbs. Twitter is great for generating discussions and keeping your customers up-to-date on news, offers and events.
Google+
Although, not as popular as Facebook or Twitter, Google+ is essential for setting your business’ place page and profile. Having a Google+ page is especially important for ranking higher on geo-targeted Google searches. Also, Google authorship allows bloggers to attach their face and name to their content, thus demonstrating quality and relevance to Google.
If Facebook is the king of social media, then Instagram is the prince and may usurp the throne. There’s good reason that Facebook shelled out $1 billion to buy Instagram. With the rise of smartphones, the easy of sharing and picture-orientated format that Instagram provides has rivaled if not eclipsed Facebook as the preferred social media platform. Also, you can use hashtags and share your Instagram posts on Facebook and Twitter.
Much like Instagram, Pinterest boils down and simplifies aspects of Facebook and Twitter, with it’s photo-centric format. Essentially, Pinterest acts as a digital bulletin board, allowing you to organize and share your interests, as well as allowing users to share your business or website with their friends.
For the professionals out there. Connect with business associates and clients. Linkedin is a great networking tool to manage your business’ identity and create new business opportunities.
Stumbleupon
Stumbleupon is great for the adventurous (or bored) social networker. This platform allows users to find new websites based on their interests. Establishing your profile is great because it can help you find your audience and lead them to your website.
In summation, social media is a powerful tool to diversify your website’s audience and reach. Even if you’re a novice, take the plunge! All the aforementioned social media platforms offer step by step guides to set up your profiles. It’s well worth spending a few hours developing your social networking presence and once your profiles are established, updates are a breeze and will surprisingly take little time out of your day.
Brian Carver is an Account Manager at SEOhaus. If you would like to stay up-to-date on all of the latest SEO industry news and tips, you can subscribe to our blog here.