(I did not write this. I found this on a blog that I read on a daily basis. http://www.provenseo.com/2011/09/the-importance-of-facebook-and-twitter-on-seo/ is the original posting. -Elijah)
It is a fact that social signals are now part of the algorithm of most search engines. This is especially true for Google and Bing which are the top search engines today. This is the reason why Facebook and Twitter which are two of the most popular social media services available today should be given importance in any SEO strategy. However, it is also important not to ignore other less popular social media channels that can contribute in SEO.
As a rule, you should be aware of your social media visibility. This means your social media events such as comments, likes, shares, tweets, etc. linking to your web page. Search engines can now determine your social media visibility which has a considerable impact on your rankings. This is why most organizations have their own Facebook and Twitter page. These are also very useful for new products or services and other significant events of your organization.
History of Internet Marketing
Let’s take a short history lesson to emphasize the point. In the 90′s, banners and other internet ads were the tool of choice. After the year 2000 (remember Y2K?), the search environment became more focused on the interest of the users therefore the old ways weren’t as applicable. For years, online businesses tried to figure out a way to reach out and attract more customers.
Today, SEO is probably the top method that online businesses use to significantly increase traffic and sales. Social media is the tool of choice for advertising because of its popularity. It is a tool you can use to create company and product awareness with the main goal of attracting visitors especially potential customers to your site.
The Facts
If you want proof, take a look at these facts form a recent survey by Brightedge. Websites with a tweet button get around 7x the amount of engagement compared to those that don’t. However, only 42% of websites have the tweet button. If you’re one of these sites, don’t you think it’s time to create one?
Another fact from the survey is that websites that have a Facebook plugin get 3x more engagement compared to those that don’t. Only about half of web sites have this button at the moment. This is such a big opportunity for considerable engagement and it is just unbelievable that there are numerous websites who ignore this opportunity.
The Solution
The solution is quite simple, you just need to have a Facebook and Twitter presence. You also need to create useful content posted on these accounts. Also, remember to apply SEO on these social media accounts. Follow these simple steps and you will surely experience the benefits in very little time.
http://www.provenseo.com/2011/09/the-importance-of-facebook-and-twitter-on-seo/
