Why Twitter, Facebook And Google+ Are Must Haves In Your SEO Arsenal
It seems like the world has gone “socially crazy” with more and more social networks launching every single month. It can be tough for a business owner to keep up with all the new networks, in fact as internet marketing experts we even find it hard to keep up.
The time for excuses though is starting to pass, if you’re not on the big 3 social networks then you’re not only missing out on social traffic, but you’re also missing out on search traffic. You see, recently Google and Bing (the two “real” search engines) have updated their algorithms to incorporate more social results.
In fact Bing is releasing a large-scale update, which is the start of its transition to a “social search” platform. Something that is certain to ruffle a few feathers at Google and see them taking their updates one step further.
What Does This Shift To Social Search Mean For Every Day Business Owners?
It’s simple, if you’re not currently an active user of Twitter, Facebook And Google+ then you or someone in your business needs to get active. Content shared via these social networks is now being indexed and used in search engine results. Not only that but sites which offer actively integrated social content are also getting a boost.
Phrases like “Google It” and “Facebook Me” have now extended with users of your website being asked to “Share It”, “Tweet It” and “Like It”. These actions are not only helping to extend the reach of your content but also positively impact your search engine rankings.
Simply put, if you’ve avoided Twitter, Facebook and Google+ like the plague, now’s the time to change your stance and start embracing social media, at the very least to help your search engine rankings. Now I know this may sound daunting to business owners but the reality is social media is getting easier and easier to manage.
In fact now there’s a whole suite of tools available for you to share content, update statuses, build applications and engage customers which means you don’t even need to be “on these social networks” to be “on these social networks”. We know, it sounds weird, but the reality is most business owners don’t have the time to actually engage on social media, and that’s why tools are needed to make the process easier (watch out for a post on which tools to use shortly).
Let’s face it, with these new changes to Bing and Google making them more “social” the prediction that “social media is a fad” was a long way from the mark. Social media is here to stay and if you don’t want to be left behind you need to embrace it and start integrating it into your daily marketing. Not only will you see improved search engine results but you’re also going to see more traffic to your site, you can’t deny the fact that social media generates traffic!
The only question that remains is: When Will Google Announce It’s New “Social Search” Functionality? Leave a comment below and let us know your thoughts…
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I think this is something really underrated nowadays. One thing to note, yes it is true that the search engines are jumping on the bandwagon of social search because they realise the importance social media has on society nowadays. But in essence, what people need to realise is that social media in itself, is taking over search engines. We came from the times when google and yahoo rose up and everyone clamoured to find whatever information they wanted by just typing their queries into the box.
But times have changed. The new generation of internet users are relying more on social media to find what they want. Review of which movie to watch? Post a facebook status or tweet and your friends and followers would tell you more. Wondering which dress looks nicer? Do the same, and you’ll get the responses you need. This is why search engines are indexing social media because they know, the more people talk about something, the better it is. And what better way then to get hold of ordinary people who might not have sites of their own to link to others.
But search engines can never beat that of social media plainly because of one thing, and that’s the power of the human touch.
Thanks for the article, the conservative SEOs really need to learn more about impact of social media.
Alfian recently posted..Movie Review : 21 Jump Street
Alfian, you make a superb remark about “the power of the human touch” and I would imagine that small businesses are going to have to get back to these basics but from a social-media-smart point of view.
Search Engines and Social Media are two very different things and the company that can combine the two properly is going to win the race because they will have the power of search backed by social proof of friends and of the masses.
I predict that we will see some pretty big changes in the way they integrate over the next 12 months.
“Simply put, if you’ve avoided Twitter, Facebook and Google+ like the plague, now’s the time to change your stance…”
This is my dad’s biz all over — he just doesn’t understand how much he needs to move into the 21st century and use social media to move his biz out of the dark ages. What can I do? He doesn’t even have a Facebook account. A worthy post though and I’ll be sharing it with Dad (most likely, I’ll have to print it out and hand it to him — certainly won’t be able to tweet it to him).
Tell your dad that he doesn’t have to have a Facebook account but his business does.
LOL, Great point Bev!
Well put! I agree that social media is where it’s at. How important is Pinterest? Is Pinterest part of Facebook or is it a separate company?
What about LinkedIn? Worth it?
@Dawn Pinterest is separate from Facebook and probably going to stay that way seeing as Facebook just acquired Instagram which, while being very different are in a very similar space.
At the rate pinterest is growing I think we will see search engines using it more as a signal.
Pinterest is great if you have a visual type business like an ecommerce store, fashion label, etc.
And if you don’t you can make funny images or quotes for your business to help have it spread.
@Bill Linkedin can we a very powerful for the right type of business. It is very good for B2B networking and referrals. Just ensure when making new connections that you ask “what can I do for you?” first
“The time for excuses though is starting to pass…” Yes, you can’t ignore the big 3 anymore. Small businesses have to be aware that social media will raise their profile and customer base in a way that will help their business grow. It can be intimidating if you don’t have a computer background but you still have to do it.
It can be intimidating at the start Gillian, though so was riding a bike and most people get the hang of it pretty quickly.
Main key – Have fun!
Social media has the potential to account for more than 80% of your traffic flow, facebook almost tops a billion users with twitter also in the millions these places are where people are at and it would be unbelievable if you didnt jump on the bandwagon, social media is a must!
Absolutely and it’s a mistake we see a lot of people make – People building businesses from just one traffic source. If that source gets taken away the business can fold.
There are even cases where people have just built their business from Google traffic and when they made changes the business lost all it’s traffic and then tried to sue Google. Very dangerous!
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