So, does social media help SEO? Truth is, the answer is vague at best, and even Google doesn’t really give up the goods on how the two can relate.

Firstly, don’t confuse content with social media - you can read all about content and blogging for SEO here. But for now, let’s focus on social media and SEO in 2020.

Here’s what we know: Google, Yahoo and Bing do crawl sites like Facebook, Instagram and Twitter, but what we don’t know is how much impact these have on search rankings. Followers and likes, don’t seem to have much effect on SEO directly, and just because you are sharing links on social platforms, doesn’t necessarily mean a huge organic SEO boost.

So, what’s the deal with social media and SEO? The two can work together, and here’s how.

Regular content

First and foremost, good regular content is still essential - creating content your followers want to read and share is vital. Staying relevant in Google’s algorithms is your baseline for on-going organic SEO. It creates opportunities for backlinks, which increases your domains authority. So, share away on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and Google My Business, as it’s the sharing of content that is key - not the follower number itself. Creating a loyal brand follower base is paramount for getting your content shared, this is far more important than simply growing numbers just for number’s sake. If no one is sharing, a high follower count is meaningless.

Video for SEO

Few companies dabble in the likes of YouTube, but this is a missed social and SEO crossover. Google and other search engines value video in their algorithms, so don’t underestimate this platform. Try to publish regular content, every week or month, to help indirectly push your organic SEO. Make sure you add your meta descriptions and links, to create more clicks back to your website.

Build partnerships

By building strong partnerships, whether it’s through organic influencers, other brand partnerships, or brand fans, all goes to help increase your organic SEO. Working with a partner that has a higher domain ranking than you creates a strong backlink, and that builds new loyal brand followers for you. Organic influencers are more preferable overpaid, as they are naturally interested in your product or service. This in turns buys into Google's EAT’ formula: expertise, authority, trustworthiness.

The thee points above, all lead back to the basic rules of good content and SEO: regular content, brand followers, sharing content.

If you’d like more help with SEO or growing a social following that will engage with your business, feel free to get in touch.