There are hundreds of factors that affect your website’s SEO and social media is becoming an increasingly strong influence on search rankings.  There are a variety of ways that social media impacts SEO.  Here we break down some of the key factors.

Website Traffic

The number of website visits you receive has a significant impact on how search engines view the authority and legitimacy of your website. Posting links to your website content on social channels is a proven way to drive that traffic. When it comes to promoting blogs and premium content, social channels represent your best opportunity to put them in front of your target audience.

Profiles Rank

Social media profiles rank within search engines just like any other internet page. Having the ability to get your social profiles to rank alongside your main company page will allow you to take up valuable real estate in search results. Ensure each of your profiles are optimize and that you are consistently engaging with your audience.

LinkedIn Posts Rank

Now that individual LinkedIn posts have been made public and can rank in search engines, it opens up another way to be found through search engines, improve brand awareness and drive website traffic.  This makes it essential that your posts be not only informative, but optimized for search.

User Interaction Signals

Some of the key user interaction signals that are used in search engine algorithms include the times spent on your site and your bounce rate (when someone clicks on your website and immediately leaves). Another strong indication of user interaction as viewed through search engines are social interactions. The number of likes, shares and comments on your posts are a strong indicator of the quality of your content and that is one of the strongest considerations taken by search engine algorithms.

Inbound Links

Inbound links to your website provide some of the biggest impact on your search engine rankings. When you post a link to a social site it has the chance to be shared throughout your network and then potentially viewed and shared by influencers who will place your link on additional websites. It’s important that your social reach not only includes potential customers, but those who can spread your content throughout their own channels.

Brand Awareness

Social media can also impact SEO indirectly through increased brand awareness. Simply bringing exposure to your brand through social channels will improve the visibility of your brand. Be sure to take advantage of trends such as popular hashtags, upcoming events and current news stories. Be sure to promote your own events as well through your profile and relative discussion groups.