I hear this all the time – isn’t social media separate from SEO? They’re so different, aren’t they? How can I make them work together? Shrug emoji, shrug emoji. If this is the first time you’ve thought about putting social media and SEO together, don’t worry! You’re definitely not alone and today, I’m going to show you how it works in my latest blog “How to use social media for SEO”.

But I know as a creative business owner, you’ve got a jam-packed schedule and to-do lists coming out your ears, so first I’ll talk you through why it’s worth it to use social media for SEO (and how it could even save you time!).

Why is social media important for SEO anyway?

If you think only your website will show up in a Google search, think again! Your social media profiles will rank too. Try it now by Googling yourself and see what you find.

Search engines are constantly on the hunt for the best websites and content to display. They work that out in many different ways, from site speeds to backlinks, including looking at your social media content.

Google will give you a huge great tick if your posts are regularly shared, commented on and liked. Search engines want you to create content that people engage with and enjoy. That includes content shared on your social media channels.

And remember that when your post is shared, if it contains a link to your site, they’re reposting that too. Result!

Used correctly, social media can bring in a lot of traffic (read: couples!) to your website, improving your SEO score as a result.

What should you post on social media for SEO?

If there’s only one thing you take away from this blog post covering how to use social media for SEO, let it be this. People crave visuals and it’s your job to supply them.

Add branded graphics to your photos and videos, embed links to blog posts alongside a picture and link to your website when you share quotes, infographics or images. You’re providing quality content that people want to engage with while ensuring a solid boost for your marketing and SEO.

Next up, it’s time to make sure your posts reach as many people as possible. That’s the aim of the game after all.

Tag any suppliers you’ve collaborated with, post at the optimum time for each platform and mix up your approach and content depending on where you’re sharing it. What people expect on Twitter versus Instagram are different – respond to that.

How can you reach more people with posts?

If you’re serious about levelling up your SEO, you should be blogging as often as possible.

Each time you create a blog, share it twice on social media on the first day. Do this within a few hours of the post going live and use different platforms. You could share the article first to Facebook, then to Instagram and later to Pinterest, for example.

Create a social media calendar so that you know what you’re sharing and when, then schedule in three more shares of that blog post in the coming week.

But don’t just cut and paste the original post. How many times do you really want to see the same photo, after all?

Mix and match the images and copy each time. The perk of this approach is afterwards, you can assess what combination worked best to replicate for future success. The Facebook Insights tool is handy for this.

Collaboration is the key to using social media for SEO

Tagging suppliers who are connected to your updates should become your go-to style. Not only will this increase awareness of your brand, it’ll also help you reach more people. This, in turn, can drive more traffic to your post and ultimately, your business.

Sharing your blog posts is another way to tap into the power of other people and promote engagement. Why not email all the suppliers you mention in a blog post to let them know it’s live and ask them to share it?

Everyone has an ego (whether they admit it or not!) They’ll love to be featured, you’ll love the publicity from being shared and Google will love the backlinks that suggest your site is useful. It’s a win-win-win!

Using social media for SEO is simpler than you think. With a little bit of planning, you can give your social channels a boost, attract more website visitors and see your Google ranking climb. Even better, because social media is something you’re already doing, using social media for SEO won’t add to your workload.

So is that it? Can I just implement these and then that’s all there is to know?

These are the tips to get you started sure, and I’m excited to hear how you implement them. But I go into much more detail on my SEO course Blogging for Gold. Sign up to the waiting list here.

Chat soon!

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