Posted by on August 6th, 2010 View Comments
Posted in SEO - Search Engine Optimization, Social Media |
Today’s Internet landscape is so competitive that it really is hard to have one SEO strategy that will work. Moreover, it usually takes years for one company to establish itself at the top of the search engine rankings.
Enter social media and the quick boost it provides to startup and established websites.
The Emergence of the Social Media Platform
One of the most important tools to emerge today is the use of social media platforms for a variety of causes, may it be for profit or not. Facebook and Twitter spearhead this movement and both sites have already had substantial influence in the world today.
There used to be a time when social networking sites are not included in the search engine results pages of most search engines out there. But through the years, SERPs have already considered updates coming from social networking sites as part of their searches. Several companies have used these social networking sites to further connect with their target customers. Aside from this, non-profit organization and advocacy groups utilize them in spreading their advocacy to a wider range of audience.
Taking Advantage of Social Networking
Web developers have found several ways to ramp up their rankings by using social media as one of their tools. Here are some ways to take advantage of social networking sites for your SEO processes:
1. Have as many friends as you can
The whole point of social networking is networking! Establishing a connection with your customers is what it’s all about. Facebook and Twitter are great platforms that specifically make this job easy for any web developer and company.
In the realm of search engine optimization, more followers or contacts mean that your webpages have more authority. The difference between a social networking account and an actual website is that social networking accounts are usually judged by the number of followers that it has whereas websites are primarily judged through the quality of the links that point to it.
Having as many “friends” as you can increases the relevancy that search engines will put to your webpage. It may also be the simplest and most obvious gauge of how successful your web marketing is going so far.
2. Use Meta Tags and URLs to your advantage
Meta tags and URLs are most of the time automatically generated by the social networking sites you are signing up for. But many of these sites allow their users to have a go and customize their tags and URLs to their liking.
For example, Twitter usually creates their users’ URL by using the user’s name and chosen username. The bio submitted by the user usually becomes his accounts’ description tag.
Facebook has now also allowed their users to edit their URLs according to their liking. Using your username, company name or keywords related to your industry in your URL will make it easier to be found by search engines and post them in their results pages.
3. Produce new content regularly
Content is still the heart of search engine optimization. Without great and unique content, your search engine strategies will all be considered moot. Even in social media platforms, new content is basically the foundation that will keep your customer coming.
A caveat: no-follow tags are now the norm in social networking websites. Nonetheless, it seems that search engines are keener towards posting new content in these social networking sites in their SERPs. Quick to recognize the potential, many web developers have been using their social media accounts to post links to newly published content. Posting content here also gives your followers the opportunity to easily repost and link to your content in their other sites, like their blogs.
4. Make your updates count
Making updates with regards to new products, promos and other news usually make up most of the time we spend on social networking sites. Besides, these are probably the easiest avenues to connect with customers and followers. So why not make even your everyday updates count in the eyes of search engines?
In Twitter, 140-characters serve as the maximum length of a tweet. The title tags are usually comprised of around 42 characters which include the first 30 characters of the tweet and then the username of the one posting. Positioning your keywords within these limits is a very advantageous albeit subtle way of doing SEO.
In Facebook, on the other hand, keeping your status messages and updates related to the line of your company’s work or the industry you are in is the way to go. Building theme for your Facebook page is the whole point here which makes it easier for search engines to index your account in the SERPs.
5. Post links
Going back to the traditional way of search engine optimization, links always count. Keep in mind that search engines have a keen eye for inbound links. Posting links of your social networking accounts to your actual website can help bolster your search engine rankings. It also serves as a guide to your customers so they can log in and connect to your social networking accounts.
The SEO Game
Social Media websites are great tools not only for search engine optimization but for communication as a whole. Because of the far reach that these social networking websites have, it is only imperative that businesses use them for their advantage. But always keep in mind that SEO has always been a game of quality content and link building, never forget the basics of the game.
