Getting a better site ranking on Google is something virtually every tech company is interested in. That’s how you’ll generate most of your leads, so having a good search engine optimization strategy is a must. Optimizing your title tags, meta descriptions, and outbound links won’t guarantee you the top spot in Google’s SERPs however. For that you need to get creative. In this blog, we’ll explain how you can use social media marketing to close that gap.
Social Media Marketing = More Quality Traffic = Better SEO
Let’s get one thing straight: Google has made it abundantly clear that it doesn’t factor social signals into its search algorithm. So buying Likes on Facebook won’t have the slightest impact on your ranking.
However, Google’s algorithm is smart and it picks up on a website’s organic traffic and the quality thereof. The more relevant your users are and the more your site engages them, the better your site ranking will be.
Here’s where social media marketing comes into play: By amassing large followings on Facebook and Twitter, you draw lots of attention to the original content on your website. According to this Business 2 Community article, this wave of users to your site will have a big impact on your SEO:
“It’s simple logic. The larger your following on social media is, the more it helps Google to measure the authenticity of your users’ click-throughs from social media to your website. After all, you wouldn’t have had a community of followers visiting your website if you were only posting a bunch of sham. Also, the more your posts are shared, the more search engines assume that the content is of value. You just need to ensure that those posts contain the keywords that your target audience may be searching for.”
It might seem roundabout, but it makes perfect sense when you think about it; social media helps you get a larger, more engaged audience, and that’s a critical indicator in the context of SEO.
How to Profit from This Relationship
Many marketers already have a decent understanding of the relationship between social media and SEO. Yet many still struggle to get adequate site rankings. This just proves how difficult it is to run a successful social media marketing campaign.
The most important factor in this respect is the quality of your content. As long you’re already targeting your market segment, then a stream of high-quality articles, videos, and infographics will increase follower engagement and bring them to your website. This Entrepreneur article recommends throwing in some long-form content to really impress users:
“There is a shift toward long-form content on sites like Medium and LinkedIn. Content marketers have coined the phrase ‘10x content’ for social content that delivers radically new ways of thinking and solving problems. But even the best content is entirely lost without a way to reel your reader in, so focus there first.”
The key here is to first post the content on your website, then share it via your social media platforms. Not only does this bring your Facebook and Twitter followers to your site, but it also has a more direct impact on SEO due to the rise in your site’s credibility.
Finer Points
Aside from content creation, there are a few finer points to improve your social media marketing campaign in a way that also benefits your SEO. These are often the points that small businesses miss, such as:
- What time of the day you should post
- The right context mix (short-form vs. long-form, written vs. visual, etc.)
- How often you should post
- What calls-to-action (CTAs) to include in your posts and where
- How you should follow up on your posts
Having a better understanding of these aspects helps you squeeze more value out of your content. Otherwise, you could fall into the trap of posting more and more articles without increasing follower engagement.
Contact us today at McAllister Marketing to learn more about social media marketing best practices for your tech company, and to find out how our team of marketing experts can help you design a strategy that attracts, converts and retains more customers.