The connection between social media and SEO has long been a topic of conversation for marketers. In the seminal days of SEO, early-phase wisdom largely centered around “tips and tricks” to get content indexed and found. The beginnings of social media had a similar leaning.
In the same way that effective SEO today is the result of providing helpful and relevant website content — to the right audience at the right place at the right time — similar practices are in order for effective social media messaging. Here are few thoughts on how to expand your online footprint and build your overall brand story, in ways that can significantly enhance SEO.
Steadily amping up the trust factor.
In the world of social media, consistent and credible messaging over time is a key element to building trust for your brand. Once you’ve built a substantial social media following, other content creators will be more likely to link to your site — which will help to amplify its effect.
Think beyond the post.
For social media to effect your online cred, needing a systematic plan for posting content is a given. Using tweets and shares to expand the reach of your social media content is a valuable way to grow your organic website traffic, by getting your content in front of as many eyeballs as possible.
Convert individual inquiries into link builders.
The more conversations your brand can facilitate online, the more link juice you’ll generate via Google and multiple social media platforms. Formulate an answer to recurring questions or issues on your website, then include that link when responding to specific comments or forums on Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn. This will increase site traffic, while also boosting your rankings for the topics covered in the discussions.
Engage with influencers and like-minded content creators.
The key here is finding opportunities to connect with other creators and curators of content. Especially those who are influencers in your profession, field or target markets. Following, retweeting, commenting, favoriting are all great ways to engage with the posts and contents of others. One-on-one reachouts via email or instant messaging can also help you establish mutually beneficial marketing relationships, and to take them the next level.
Don’t be afraid to ask for feedback.
Social media fans love to have their voices heard. And social media pros love to be asked for expert advice. Think about enlisting valuable contributors to enhance your content. Explore opportunities to collaborate with others on content topics/issues where your interests and/or scopes of knowledge intersect. And when you have a particularly valuable piece of content to offer, don’t hesitate to share it with other appropriate content creators — while asking for a linkback to help disseminate it to additional audiences and spheres of influence.