How Social Media Can Help Local SEO

As a business owner, you know the importance of being where your customers are. And for many people, that means spending time on social media networks such as TikTok, Instagram, Facebook and Twitter. But did you know those networks also help your website rank higher in search engine results pages (SERPs)?According to recent studies, 41% of local businesses depend on social media sites as a key revenue driver. And with good reason: customers are interacting with brands on social media more than ever before. In fact, 74% of consumers say they’ve used social media to research a product or service.But how can social media help your website rank higher? This informational guide covers the role social media should play in your local SEO strategy.Does Social Media Impact Local SEO?Before we dive into the details, let’s answer everyone’s mind: does social media really impact SEO? It’s a complicated answer.While there is some correlation between social media engagement and higher rankings, the relationship is far from clear. We can’t say for certain that social media causes higher rankings. This is because Google doesn’t consider social media to be a top crawl priority considering there are roughly 61,000 social media posts published every second.What we know is that social media has no specific metric that Google provides, showing us the impact on your website’s ranking in SERPs. However, that doesn’t mean it can’t indirectly help your SEO efforts. Here’s how social signals, no question about it, affect your local SEO marketing efforts:Increased brand awareness = more website visitors = better SEOSearchers are increasingly using social media to research products and services. In fact, one study found that 50% of consumers say they’ve used social media to find local business information.Let’s explore other ways that social media improves your website’s search result rankings.How Can Social Media Help with Local SEO?While being active on social media won’t directly improve your website’s SEO, it can indirectly help in several ways. We’ve outlined three of the most important ways below.Content Amplification Through Social MediaSince Google searches aren’t paying attention to social media posts, you might wonder how it helps your SEO efforts. The answer lies in content amplification.Content amplification is using social media to increase the reach and engagement of your content marketing efforts. The more eyes on your content, the more likely it is to be shared, leading to increased website traffic.And as we all know, increased website traffic is one of the key ranking factors for SEO. Content amplification can indirectly help improve your website’s SEO. This is exactly why we include social media posts as a part of our SEO service.Raises Brand Awareness & BacklinksFor customers to visit your website, they need to be aware of your business first. And social media is a great way to increase brand awareness.It does this by giving you a platform to share your brand’s story and connect with potential customers. The more people aware of your business, the more website visitors you’ll have, leading to better SEO.Consumers are more likely to advocate for a company when having a pleasant experience with it on social media. Consumers who have had a pleasant experience with a brand on social media are 71% more likely to suggest it to their friends and family.This customer advocacy leads to increased website traffic and, as a result, better SEO.Helps Improve Your RankingsAlthough there is no concrete evidence that social media engagement leads to better SEO, there is some correlation between the two. Search insiders often showcase the results of their local SEO strategies, and show that increased social media activity does lead to improved page rankings.The recent research by CognitiveSEO has revealed some exciting findings. After analyzing 23 million social media shares, they discovered that there is no unequivocal link between your posts’ reception and local ranking in the Google search results pages. But while a single post is not a determinant, more frequent activity may still be important.The reason? Shares, likes, and comments are all vital signals that Google uses to rank websites; paid advertising can influence these (for e.g. social media marketing or organic promotion) across various online communities such as Facebook groups, Quora, or LinkedIn. Potential customers may hang out.Social Landing PagesThese days, it’s easier than ever to get your content in front of interested people. One way you can do this is through social landing pages! The sole purpose of these mobile-friendly web pages directing users from Instagram towards other popular social media sites helps users find what they are looking for – related ads/links, etc…Here are two substantial reasons these work so well. People are already in ‘browsing mode’ when using social media. Second, it’s very easy for users to share content they find on social landing pages with their friends and followers.Social landing pages are an effective way to funnel web traffic from social media platforms towards your website. This gives you the potential to improve your SEO and boost conversions.How Social Media Can Assist With Your SEO StrategyWe can squeeze more social media juice than potential backlinks and send a social signal. One area most companies fail at SEO is with photos and Google Business Posts.Connect with Your Customers and Capturing ReviewsIn order to rank higher on a search engine’s results page, you need happy customers who leave positive reviews and feedback about your business.Social media provides a great platform to connect with your customers and build relationships. It allows you to quickly and easily resolve customer service issues. The feedback you receive will improve your business and better serve a potential customer.A social platform such as Facebook has its own place for reviews. You can use another social media site such as Instagram to request Google reviews, yelp reviews, and any other business listing relevant to your business.By engaging with your customers on social media, you can create a community of customers who are loyal to your brand.This customer loyalty can lead to increased website traffic and, as a result, better SEO.Content for your Google Business ListingFormally known as your Google My Business Listing, your social media post includes a photo and content that can keep your Google MAP Pack listing fresh and relevant. Having a well built Google Listing Profile increases your SEO ranking because, like your website, you can make it rich in local keyword content.Leverage your social profiles and use that content to reach a local customer who is searching Google for your product or service.Free Advertisement of Your BrandOnce establishing your brand community on social media, they can start marketing for you – word-of-mouth marketing, which is definitely an offline strategy for online success.Customers who are happy with your product or service often post about it on social media, leading to new website visitors and potential customers.Extensive Content DistributionMore than half of the world’s population is now using social media, which provides businesses with an unprecedented opportunity to reach a global audience with their content.By sharing your content on social media, you can tap into a massive audience. Your content is seen by people who would never find it in your local search engine results page.Tips for Optimizing Your Social Media Strategy for Local SEOBeing into Local SEO means you understand that social media platforms are a powerful tool for promoting your brand and connecting with leads and existing customers. Here are some tips to get the most out of social media for your Local SEO:Always Create High-Quality MaterialThis should be a no-brainer, but it’s still worth mentioning. Your content on social media should be well-written, informative, and relevant to your target audience.Don’t just post any old thing – make sure it’s something that will interest and engage your audience. Just because making a post is easy, doesn’t mean we should do it in seconds.Be ConsistentOnce you’ve created a social media profile, it’s important to be consistent with your posting. Your audience will quickly lose interest if you only post sporadically.Post regularly, and try to stick to a schedule (you are confident that you can manage) so your audience knows when they can expect new content from you.Make It Easy for People to Share Your ContentIf you want your content to be shared, make it easy for people to do so. Include share buttons on your blog posts and social media updates, and format your content so that someone can easily share it on different platforms.Optimize Your Social Media Profile Company Information

• Optimize your social media profiles with complete information and link back to your website.

  Use keywords in your profile descriptions so people can find you more easily.

  Include images and videos to make your profiles more visually appealing.

Talk to People in Order to Build RelationshipsSocial media is all about building relationships. Don’t just post your content and disappear. Like Google and Yelp reviews, engage with other users, respond to comments, and start conversations.The more you interact with other users, the more likely they will remember to visit your website.Write Compelling Social Media PostsYour social media updates should be attention-grabbing and interesting, with a strong call to action.Make sure your updates are short and to the point – no one wants to read a novel on social media. Leave long form articles to your website’s content marketing strategy.Frequently Asked QuestionsHow Can Social Media Help Local SEO?Social media improves your local SEO in several ways, including by increasing brand awareness, improving your rankings, and providing a great platform to connect with your customers. A study found that articles with top social shares received an average 22% boost during the duration of their experiment.Do I need to be on every social media platform?No, you do not need to be on every social media platform. Focusing your efforts on the platforms where your target audience is active is more important.How often should I be active on social media for the best results?The ideal frequency you post on social media accounts is several times per week, or once daily if time permits. In fact, some studies show that if someone’s engagement drops below their posted amount, then there will be an effect. So keep it classy and don’t go posting all over the place.What content should I post on social media for the best results?The best content to post on social media is high-quality, original content relevant to your brand and audience. This could include blog posts, infographics, images, videos, or anything else that interests your followers.Wrapping Up: Social Media for Local SEOAs we can see, social media can be a great asset to any business looking to improve their local SEO strategy. By maintaining a strong social media presence, you can improve your website’s visibility and local search ranking. THe result is more traffic to your site and building relationships with potential and current local customers. If you’re not already using social media to promote your business, now is the time to start.Your Local SEO AgencyIf you are looking for help with search engine optimization and supportive digital marketing needs, 805 SEO is here to help. We are a full-service SEO agency based in Paso Robles, Ca offering local SEO services to the 805 counties and beyond. Our SEO agency specializes in helping businesses like yours maximize their organic online traffic. Fill out the form below for a free SEO website audit and strategy call.