Author: Isioma Ogwuda
Last updated: 29/10/2024
I've seen firsthand how integrating social media and SEO can drive results, and I'm not alone. Brands across various industries are reaping the benefits of this powerful synergy.
Paaduks saw a 105% increase in organic profile visits and a 285% jump in website traffic from social media.
DesktopReady optimized its social media strategy, which resulted in a 409% increase in users, a 63% growth in backlinks, and a leap from 4 to 468 terms in SERP rankings.
Though social media activity isn't a direct ranking factor, it's hard to ignore the trend: companies with strong social presences (think high engagement and follower counts) often enjoy higher organic traffic and website authority. A Hootsuite experiment found a correlation between social engagement and search rankings.
Looking to squeeze more value from your social efforts to drive organic traffic? This article covers all the ways social media activity can complement your SEO efforts.
Social media followers are more likely to click on your listings in the Search Engine Result Pages (SERP) if they’re familiar with your brand. This can help improve your page’s clickthrough rate, which signals your page’s relevance to search engines, and boosts your page’s ranking.
With almost 1 million organic followers on X (formerly Twitter), Dave Ramsey has harnessed social media to provide personal finance advice to thousands of viewers.
As a top social media voice, Dave has garnered followers and awareness about his company, Ramsey Solutions.
A quick search using the query ‘how to get out of debt’ features an article on the subject matter by Dave’s company. It’s safe to assume that anyone familiar with Dave Ramsey will be more likely check out this article.
Social media can be a powerful tool for attracting backlinks to your content. When your content performs well on social media, it increases its visibility and reach, making it more likely to be discovered and linked to by other websites.
Source: @sallysbakeblog on Instagram
Placing your website links strategically in your social media profiles, like Sally has, or in your post content generates no-follow links to your website which direct traffic to your site.
You can also make it easy for visitors to your website to share your content on social media by adding social media share buttons.
I love how prominent the social media share buttons are on Clickup:
Social media allows you to learn about what’s trending so you can create content people will find interesting and valuable.
But don’t just jump on trends. Identify which trends you can create content around. For example, local businesses in Paris providing tourism and hospitality, food and beverage, retail, and sports products and services will benefit greatly from creating content with the Paris Olympics in mind.
I saved the best for last—branded searches (queries including the brand name). The power of branded search is enormous. Most of Google's top 20 most searched phrases are branded, including Amazon, Facebook, and Home Depot. It’s a no-brainer for people to choose a brand they already know and engage with.
People who discover your business on social media are more likely to search for it on Google. This added search volume can signal search engines to rank your website higher.
Take Fenty Beauty as an example. Combined with other marketing strategies, the brand uses social media apps like Instagram to create awareness about new products.
When readers are ready to buy, they can head directly to the link in bio or search for the product on search engines.
Google Trends shows how interest in the search term ‘lip liner Fenty’ has grown over the past 12 months.
As a marketer, I write constantly and was quite satisfied with Google Docs. I never thought I needed an alternative. Until I started seeing ButterDocs everywhere in my feed from the marketers I follow. These posts showed how they use ButterDocs in their workflow and highlighted its benefits over Google Docs. My curiosity piqued, so I signed up. Many other content marketers caught the ButterDoc bug thanks to the company's collaborations with respected industry professionals.
Another example of successful collaboration is Semrush. They partnered with well-known marketers like Lily Ugbaja and Erica Schneider for Twitter thread takeovers.
These expert-driven threads attracted significant, targeted engagement from their ideal audience.
While collaboration can be a powerful strategy, you can't just team up with anyone. Look beyond an influencer's popularity and focus on how well they fit with your brand. Here are some key points I consider before collaborating:
Use social media platforms for keyword research. They offer a unique perspective, showcasing personal recommendations and opinions from your online community.
Twitter is one of my personal favorites for keyword research. Say, I want to search for Marketing from Sparktoro.
Here is how I'll filter Twitter data by multiple searches. So the search string becomes:
#Marketing@Sparktoro (tweets containing the two terms)
Explore tools like Pinterest Trends or TikTok's new Creator Insights. These can reveal how users are discussing and searching for your focus topic on those platforms.
YouTube Studio's section is another great resource for exploring topics, discovering top searches, and identifying content gaps.
Platforms like Buzzsumo can show you the most popular social media content in your industry, helping you refine your content strategy, boost shares, and improve rankings.
On social media, you're not just competing for attention with your direct competitors; you're up against creators from all verticals. This means your social media content must captivate your audience and accomplish one of two goals:
Original research and creative presentation are my top 2 methods to achieve these goals on social media. Here’s how they work for organic traffic:
The internet is flooded with regurgitated content which lacks original ideas. People crave fresh perspectives and real-world experiences. Like most users, I follow individuals and brands that teach me something new or explain complex concepts in simple terms.
Data-driven content can set you apart and boost your social media and SEO strategies. It provides valuable insights your audience can't find elsewhere, and it positions you as an authority. It is also a link magnet, as content marketers are always looking for fresh data to link to.
Not all research has to be expensive or time-consuming. You don't need a large team to produce a comprehensive "State of the Industry" report. I've created impactful research-based content in as little as one week using simple surveys.
Some other ways to generate original research content:
Original thinking and research are great, but sometimes they're not enough. What happens when you have to cover topics that aren't exactly new or novel, or you don't have groundbreaking new research? Or perhaps you're in a saturated field with competitors already doing original research and putting out thought leadership posts.
Creative presentation helps your content stand out, be remembered, and make your brand stick in people's minds.
Some popular examples are:
✅ Does it include unique insights readers would find valuable?
✅ Is it presented in a unique, or attention-grabbing way?
✅ Does it trigger emotions to make your content stick in people's minds?
You don’t have to tick all the boxes depending on your goals. You can choose or mix any of the approaches.
Looking for more guidance? You can download and access my free Social Media Content Strategy Template here.
Each social media network is unique and requires a slightly different focus for search engine optimization.
Here’s a quick dive into how to optimize popular social media channels for SEO:
With 4.95 billion monthly users, YouTube is undoubtedly one of the best ways to connect with your audience and to provide value.
Post type: videos and community posts
Tips:
You might also like to check out Emina Demiri-Watson’s WTS Knowledge article for further YouTube optimization tips.
Instagram is the 4th largest social media network, with over 2 billion monthly users. Many businesses thrive on Instagram due to the wide reach and business functionality it provides. For businesses with a well-optimized Instagram account, attracting followers and potential customers is a tad easier.
Post type: reels and pictures
Tips:
Facebook has over 3.03 billion monthly active users. With business-rich features like the Facebook marketplace and location pages, business owners can increase their online visibility.
Post type: text, videos, product posts
Tips:
X is a great social media app for following industry news and trends. Aside from establishing a social media presence, X is incredibly useful for building thought leadership. A few posts per week giving expert opinions in your field can go a long way toward building your voice online.
Post type: posts and videos
Tips:
Pinterest is the go-to social media app for inspiring ideas. From home decor, fashion, travel, and crafts.
Post type: pictures and videos
Tips:
LinkedIn is an excellent medium for connecting with other industry leaders and getting feedback from followers. Building your LinkedIn page is a brilliant way to scale business growth if your target audience includes other businesses.
Post type: pictures, long-form content, carousels, and videos
Tips:
Don't just rely on likes and shares. Track web traffic from social media, especially organic social, and compare it with competitors. The most common approach is to use an analytics platform like GA4, but I also recommend third-party attribution tools like Ruler to get more insights.
Here are some key metrics to keep tabs on:
1. Organic Traffic
Watch for an uptick in organic search traffic to your site. Google Analytics is your friend here.
2. Social Media Referrals
Track how much traffic your social channels are sending your way. Which platforms are your MVPs?
3. Engagement Metrics
Keep an eye on likes, shares, comments, and click-throughs on your social posts. How do these line up with your search performance?
4. Branded Search Volume
Use tools like Google Trends to see if more people are searching for your brand. This could mean your social efforts are boosting awareness.
5. Backlink Profile
Monitor your backlink growth with your SEO tool of choice. Quality over quantity is key here.
6. Keyword Rankings
Track how you rank for target keywords, especially those you use in your social content.
7. Conversion Rates
How does traffic from social convert compared to organic search? Set up goal tracking in your Analytics platform to find out.
8. Social Media Follower Growth
Watch your follower count grow and see how it impacts your organic search performance.
9. Content Performance
Which content types are winning across both social and search? Use this intel to shape your strategy.
Remember, consistency is key when measuring these metrics. Set up a regular check-in schedule to spot trends, measure campaign impact, and make smart, data-driven decisions. This way, you'll keep fine-tuning your social media and SEO strategy for maximum impact.
The power of social media goes beyond likes and shares. It's more about building connections and showing how you can provide a solution. When done right, those efforts can drive serious results for your SEO and business growth.
Okiemute D.A, CEO and Co-founder of Miden, shared how LinkedIn has worked for their startup:
"Posting on LinkedIn has resulted in organic website traffic and closed deals for our early-stage startup. The key is to be helpful, and just network without being salesy. People can smell when you want to sell to them from your first post."
Just like SEO, social media isn’t a quick fix. It’s a long game. Stay consistent, keep refining your approach, and focus on what truly resonates with your audience. The magic happens when social media and SEO work together to boost your online presence and help you reach your business goals.
