Boost Your Online Business by Integrating SEO Into Social Media
Most enterprises are represented online nowadays as that’s where most customers begin their search for something they want or are looking for.
More specifically, they will do so via search engines as it’s easy, quick and effective.
How does this affect businesses?
Well, simply put, if you’re not found on Google or Bing, chances are most people will never come across your products or services.
SEO, short for search engine optimization, has therefore become a key digital tool to increase online content scalability, link building and website rank positions to improve your business’ online visibility. And by integrating SEO into your social media marketing strategies you can even take your venture one step further in the world wide web.
Why are social media so important?
There are around 44 million social media users in the UK. Out of these, about 38 million users use their mobile phones to access the internet.
Social media was initially invented purely for socialising and meeting new people, making friends. But over the years, marketers have noticed an opportunity and gone for it. SEO marketing and social media marketing should be integrated and implemented as one.
Paid search and online ads are not the only way to promote your content. Often, social media is underutilised by marketers who are yet to understand its actual potential. Social media doesn’t directly help you rank higher; Google and other search engines view social media just like any other site.
However, the power of social media lays not so much in direct ranking, as in sharing your content widely.
How many times has a friend shared an interesting post and a URL on their social media page? You probably saved the link for future references or even shared it with someone else.
Such is the power of social media! You’re able to get your content out there to the masses, without having to pay so much for that.
What opportunities to boost an online business do social media offer?
- There’s an immense appetite for content out there. This is not just in the form of text or articles, but can also cover videos, podcasts, webinars, and many more. Generating good, scalable content is not as easy as it may seem, and you might need expert support with that.
- Depending on the budget you’re working with, you don’t always have to create new content. You can tweak and refurbish existing content to make it more desirable. It’s one way of working smart, rather than hard. And remember: sharing is caring so ALWAYS let your followers/customers know about anything relevant to your business.
- Tools and software like Google Analytics or BuzzSumo are a must-have if you want to know the right keywords for a topic you want to cover. You’ll also see content that has already used that keyword and how it is performing regarding rankings. Also use these for your social media posts as that’s what people are interested in.
- Once you get the keyword right, take a fresh perspective on the topic regardless of how many times it has been covered. Nowadays, we even have tools to help automate your content distribution to users, based on their social media profiles. Talk about delivering your content to the right people, at the right time, using the right channels.
Your SEO Social Media Strategy should therefore include:
Positive brand mentions: increasing the number of mentions of your brand online is a great way to catch Google’s attention. If your brand is getting numerous mentions, then Google will start viewing you as an ‘entity’. An entity refers to a unique place, thing, person, or topic that deserves attention. More mentions can impact what you get ranked for, rather than how much you get ranked.
Engaging your audiences: social media users are the catalyst that fans the flames of positive brand mentions. You must engage online users on social media and other online platforms. This tactic helps in building audiences and brand loyalty. You can encourage the users to talk about your brand by offering irresistible discounts, shopping offers, freebies, engaging content and recruiting social media influencers, and so on. You must listen to your online audiences and encourage them to share the feedback of their experience with your product or services.
Building partnerships: consider building partnerships with relevant players in the industry. Strategic partners can include non-competitive businesses that add value to your brand. For instance, if your business offers plumbing materials and services, partnering with a roofing or building and construction company can help you get noticed. You’re both in the same industry but don’t pose any competition to the other.
Organic influencers: unlike paid influencers, organic influencers are not motivated by the desire to promote your brand for money. Often, these are experts in their field who enjoy huge online following due to their expertise in a given area. Partnering with such influencers or having them review your brand will help raise brand awareness and positive mentions while exposing you to a wider audience.
Link building: you don’t always have to post your content to get traffic to your site. Social media users are avid consumers of any engaging content. What you want is to ensure that each time they visit your page, there’s something new each day. Link building enables you to post interesting content from other sources either in the form of a retweet, a Facebook post sharing, and so on.
With that being said, if you are looking to integrate your SEO strategy with social media marketing, you can learn to do it step by step or else hire an online marketing agency.
A digital marketing agency like ClickDo can support you with managing your online advertising and SEO. The ClickDo experts know how to adapt your social media strategies and reduce online marketing costs, offering services that boost your online presence on search engines and social media channels.
It takes hard work to achieve higher rankings on major search engines like Google, and with the right SEO partner, this can happen faster than you expect.