Using Social Media Effectively for SEO

Social media has grown from a niche trend to the face of the web, and the ingredients of a good SEO campaign changed as a result. Accordingly, webmasters and SEO services need to change the tactics they use in order to optimize their websites.

With that said, here are a few tips for incorporating social media platforms into your SEO efforts. By continuing with the tactics you've been doing and effectively involving social media, you'll see a much greater return on your SEO investment.




Actually Use It

 This one might seem obvious, but the fact is that there are still SEO managers out there who have yet to add social media to the mix. This is a mistake for a couple of reasons, mainly because the largest search engines have started to include social media in their results. Google has, Bing has, and others will.

Thanks to this, if you're not using social media in your SEO, you're no longer speaking to the web with the loudest voice that you can. Launch social media pages and develop a buzz; get people to retweet and +1 your websites.



Give Your Audience a Reason to Talk

 Of course, you can't just launch a Facebook page and expect it to manage itself from that point on. Once you've attracted a following - likely through self-promotion on your own website or other avenues - it's time to get people to talk. How, though?

Giveaways or discussion both work great as catalysts for discussion. Giving away a product and asking for a retweet always does well to stir up a buzz. Or if you're managing a Facebook page for a car insurance company, perhaps you could create a post asking users what their worst driving experience has been.

The point is that you need to engage your audience. Retweets, Google +1s and Facebook Likes can all work to increase your social media presence and, therefore, your site's search engine rankings.



Don't Be Modest

 So you've launched some social media pages, ran a few campaigns and developed a strong following. Still, you aren't seeing the results you'd like to. Maybe, you start to think, this social media thing isn't all it's made out to be.

That may be the case in some very niche industries, but what's more likely is that you're being too modest. Giving things to your followers and getting lengthy discussions going is great, but it doesn't do much to help you engage new customers.

The solution is to not be modest! Ask for a Like, +1 or Retweet when you're doing your campaigns. These types of promotion will help your exposure on social media networks. More importantly, though, it will signal to the major search engines that people find your site relevant. This will give you a boost in your SERPs.



Direct Followers and Fans to Your Website

 This goes hand-in-hand with the last point, but it's worth repeating because sometimes company profiles still manage to fail at this. Don't keep your social media followers on Google+ or Twitter. Encourage them to visit your site.

After all, your site is where most of your business will come from. Customers can't buy anything from your Facebook page, they have to go to your site for that. Although they might not normally have a reason to go to your company's site spontaneously, social media gives you a chance to reach them and direct them to your site.

Another advantage of including a link to your site is that it will give your website yet another incoming backlink. Once people start to +1 and Like your social media profiles, the backlinks to your main website will help to further improve its standing in the search engines.

Between all of these tips, the goal remains the same: Get people to recommend your social media pages and get more inbound links to your site. By maintaining a strong social media presence, you'll have a head start on competitors who haven't yet moved into the social territory.

Social media is here to stay, so it's time to further your skills if you haven't already. With these tips and an active approach towards blending social media into your SEO efforts, you'll be able to leverage social media in your favor. Try out new combinations and see what works best for you.

Author Bio
This is a Guest Post by Kelly L. who is a self-proclaimed social media expert. Kelly enjoys hiking, swimming, and jogging in her spare time. Kelly's job keeps her busy as she specializes in helping her insurance clients settle car insurance claims.