How Social Media Helps SEO
March 4th, 2009
Over my vacation I read a very interesting book from Bill Tancer of Hitwise. His book brings up some very interesting points in regards to search engine visibility as a result of social media engagement. His book uses data to display how social media presence creates a lagging improvment in search engine visibility. I have provided a rough chart below that speaks to the “inflection point”, the point at which social media activity is eclipsed by search engine activity. (please excuse my poor drawing) In his book, Bill uses the rock band Fall Out Boy as an example of how social media activity can have an effect on searches performed on Google.
Red = Social Media Activity
Blue = Search Engine Activity
Using this basic chart, you can see that the initial surge in social media activity resulting in a surge in search activity. While Social Media may not have a direct influence on improving search engine rank, it can have an indirect effect on visibility. If more people are searching and visiting your Website, then more people are likely to link to your site. If more people link to your Website, then your site will improve in search engine results.
Which comes first?
As SEOs, we often focus on what we can directly influence as a marketer. With the growth of social media, we need to expand our strategies to include social media as an early SEO tactic to gain visibility. Setting up social profiles and brand pages are often as important as building your website. If you think of social media as a promotional/link bait tool, setting up specific social media product pages with on site landing pages would make sense. While much of social media marketing is still in it’s infancy, it’s clear that it can be driver for all aspects of marketing success.
Your Thoughts …
What strategies of combining social media and SEO have you had success?
At what point in an online marketing campaign do you introduce Social Media tactics?
Red = Social Media Activity
Blue = Search Engine Activity
Using this basic chart, you can see that the initial surge in social media activity resulting in a surge in search activity. While Social Media may not have a direct influence on improving search engine rank, it can have an indirect effect on visibility. If more people are searching and visiting your Website, then more people are likely to link to your site. If more people link to your Website, then your site will improve in search engine results.
Which comes first?
As SEOs, we often focus on what we can directly influence as a marketer. With the growth of social media, we need to expand our strategies to include social media as an early SEO tactic to gain visibility. Setting up social profiles and brand pages are often as important as building your website. If you think of social media as a promotional/link bait tool, setting up specific social media product pages with on site landing pages would make sense. While much of social media marketing is still in it’s infancy, it’s clear that it can be driver for all aspects of marketing success.
Your Thoughts …
What strategies of combining social media and SEO have you had success?
At what point in an online marketing campaign do you introduce Social Media tactics?
I think its probably best when you have a subject about which you are passionate, and about which you will regularly post. Then you are both searching and socialising with regard to the subject, which means you participate and also can see the actual impact of the Seach-Social link with regard to that Topic.
Nice post!
Linda,
You are right about having passion for the topic. I think finding people who are passionate sponsors for a product or brand to act as a voice can greatly increase results. Social networks tend to ignore voices that don’t ring true with passion. Thanks for your comment!
Enjoyed reading this post. I’t made me think more about social networks etc, and their place in SEO.