SEO and Social Media: How To Increase Organic Search Traffic on Social Media

58.4% of the world’s population is now using social media. That level of popularity makes it crucial for brands wanting to build awareness, trust, and good relationships with customers, not to mention the fact that it’s a free marketing opportunity. It is very important to make a content strategy for SEO! The question is, how does SEO (search engine optimization) relate to social media? You’re most likely using SEO as part of your IT business strategy, so it makes sense to integrate the two. In both cases, you’re trying to maximize attention for your website, product or service. You can think of the relationship between SEO and social media as Social Media SEO.If you apply SEO techniques to your social media strategy, you can help your content reach a high SERP ranking and grow your social media ROI.We’ll show you how to use Social Media SEO!

What is the role of SEO in Social Media, and vice versa?

SEO and social media are often perceived as separate entities, probably because one is about statistics and the other about relationships. That’s an overly simplified view, though, and it is possible to strive for those all-important rankings without losing the personal touch of social networking. There is some debate as to how much Google takes ‘social signals’ into account for its search engine rankings. However, we know that Google looks for relevant backlinks to your page and the popularity of a specific topic. So, the more people tweet or post about it, the higher your ranking will be.

Therefore, social media may not have a direct effect on SERPs, but there’s definitely a connection. If you search for a particular brand, you’ll see its social media accounts near the top of the page. Plus, social traffic is treated as a separate category on Google Analytics. Basically, good Social Media SEO boosts organic traffic to your website, which in turn boosts your rankings. 

Why do you still need to consider Organic search vs Paid search in 2022?

Organic search means using SEO to optimize your website’s visibility or search engine rankings, while paid search involves paying for top billing. There are pros and cons to both methods, and many companies opt to use a mixture of both.The most obvious benefit of organic search is that it’s free, which is good news for businesses with a low budget (you could use the savings to invest in Social Media SEO tools or social media management). However, it can take time to see results.It also takes more effort than paid search because you have to do the keyword research to produce optimized content for your Social Media SEO. But that research provides deeper insight into your audience’s needs, as well as attracting those most likely to use your services. For example, if you see that IoT is a trending topic, you could create a blog about internet of things app development.

Organic search helps increase your credibility. Most people are fully aware that certain results rank highly because the brand paid for the privilege, whereas if you do well in the SERPs without paying, your brand will seem popular and trustworthy. 

How to increase Organic Search Traffic on Social Media

Maximize your social profile bios

If someone wants to find out more about you, chances are they’ll turn to your socials. Most social media platforms provide a dedicated space for you to tell people about your business, so make sure you use it. For new visitors, this is a chance to present a positive first impression. Don’t give it the hard sell at this stage of your Social Media SEO strategy. Include location information, a link to your site, and relevant keywords (but not too many; keep it natural). Contact details are essential, and if you’re setting up a call center, be sure to let people contact you via social media as it’s so convenient.

Produce content that’s backlink-worthy

Pages with plenty of backlinks typically enjoy high search engine rankings. And yet one study shows that 66.31% of pages don’t have even a single backlink! Don’t let this opportunity pass you by. Make sure you produce content that other people want to be associated with.You generate backlinks when other content creators see links to your posts and decide to cite them in their own content. You’ll gain visibility with a new audience, and the search engines will recognize your site as an authoritative source.Also check out opportunities for reciprocal backlinks, where you agree to cite someone’s content in return for them citing yours. For example, if you’re promoting your web based retail management system, you could trade backlinks with ecommerce platforms and shipping carriers.

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Make your content meaningful, reliable, and shareable

Your content should always provide value to the reader. It might help them learn something new, or solve a problem. It’s important that you come across as trustworthy and authoritative, and deliver relevant content by getting to know your audience through social listening.The more consistent your content production is, the more visibility you’ll get, which helps you to build relationships with people who might link to you at a later date. It’s good practice to use automated tools for scheduling posts, and to figure out the optimum times to post on social media to boost your Social Media SEO.The aim is to create content that people want to share with their friends, and also to attract the attention of other websites and influencers. Make sure your posts are easy to share with quick-copy links, single-click sharing, and social share buttons.

Be one step ahead with link opportunities

Social media posts are a good opportunity to direct people to your website, as long as you don’t do it so frequently that it looks like spam. Certain types of content, such as infographics, original reports, and videos, are ideal for this. Make readers’ lives easier by using a custom short URL.You can also work with other businesses to share links that promote each other’s content and services. This helps you build a marketing network, while displaying partner links on your site demonstrates your trustworthiness. It’s also convenient for consumers to see links to related businesses in one place.

Produce high-quality videos

Visual content is typically more engaging than text-only posts, and a professional-looking video can grab people’s attention. 87% of video marketers say video has increased traffic to their website, and 84% of people say they’ve been convinced to buy a product or service by watching a brand’s video.From explainer videos to product promos and webinars, video is interactive, shareable, and shows up in the SERPs (especially if you use relevant hashtags and keywords). Make sure you add a catchy CTA and a single-click link to visit your website or even to purchase the featured product.

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Use your keyword prowess

If you’re already using SEO on your website, you should be a pro at integrating keywords and phrases into your content, and Social Media SEO is no different. Well, the posts are shorter, but there are still plenty of opportunities. Always make the keywords sound natural, rather than stuffing them in awkwardly.As we mentioned, performing keyword research is a great way to find topics to post about. Check out what’s trending, make a note of keywords and phrases used to search on social platforms, and compare them with your list of SEO keywords. Those that turn up on both lists are the ones to use.

Start sharing on-site content to inspire others to do the same

As well as sharing your own website content on social media, it’s good to share or comment on posts from other businesses, especially those relevant to your audience. This helps your profile look active and authentic, and hopefully the creator will return the favor.When visitors see this, they’ll be inspired to share your posts, giving you insights into which type of content engages them. Make sure you use link tracking to see what gets the most clicks. Employee advocacy, where you encourage colleagues to share your content, is more proactive than waiting for your audience to do it.Don’t forget that you can repurpose content to share it on multiple platforms for maximum exposure. A blog from your website could be turned into a listicle for socials.

Build relationship with influencers

Only 38% of people are likely to trust recommendations from a brand on social platforms, compared with 61% who’ll trust a friend, family member, or influencer. These so-called ‘social proofs’ can be make-or-break for your business. Make sure you follow popular influencers in your industry, and look for opportunities to partner with them directly. Then you’ll access their devoted followers, too. But they don’t have to be celebrities: you can link with product reviewers, customers with a high NPS (net promoter score), or even competitor businesses.

Takeaway

By using Social Media SEO, you can boost organic search traffic and get more from your marketing efforts. The keyword research will give you customer insights and content ideas, and with relevant content you’ll be better placed to spot opportunities for backlinks and influencer partnerships. Using Social Media SEO management tools will help you evaluate traffic and user engagement, and schedule your posts at optimum times.