Social SEO is like peanut butter and jelly. You can eat one without the other, but the combination of the two is like a party for your taste buds.
The principles of search engine optimization (SEO) have been around for quite some time now…not as long as peanut butter and jelly, but long enough to give it some props. Social media is relatively new in internet years yet its growth has exploded in the past five years with the surge of networks like Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn.
For years, SEOs never considered the impact of social media in the search engines. Once Google started to index Facebook and Twitter content, marketers began to step up and take notice. While some SEOs refused to jump on the social bandwagon even with the signs blaring in their faces, we now see that many are forced to enter the social sphere mainly because Google is taking its search engine there.
You no Longer Have a Say
The introduction of the Google +1 button started a frenzy of sorts because interaction and user engagement went from a teenage fad to a solid marketing strategy virtually overnight. In the past, webmasters could slap up any old, keyword rich content and see a boost in rankings. Since the Panda update and the introduction of the Google +1 button, times have changed and website bias is taken out of the question.
Social SEO has stripped webmasters of the ability to perform black hat SEO techniques. Google refuses to tolerate it anymore and ranking signals have changed tremendously as a result. Ten+ years ago, webmasters could use scientific practices like footer links and 3-5% keyword densities to rank content. Fast forward to the present and webmasters are stripped of their power to rank their own websites aside from appealing to the people they are servicing.
You no longer have a say…your audience is now a major factor in deciding your fate in the search engines. This, my friends, is the essence of social SEO.
What can you do about it? Well, aside from creating valuable content your users will want to +1 and share (Do this…a lot!), let’s look at one more trap into which marketers can fall.
Resist the Urge to Advertise
The union of social and SEO have brought out of the woodwork those marketers who are looking to manipulate the social networks. While there is nothing wrong with keyword rich tweets, the drive to sell can cloud one’s thinking and come back to bite them in the “you know what”.
Even though marketing and social has done a dance, it doesn’t mean you should use the same methods of advertising you would in traditional marketing campaigns. Social ranking signals are centered on how OTHER PEOPLE view your content. The more you advertise, the less people will like your content.
In fact, Google just proved this dynamic with its Search Plus Your World update. Google now ranks on page 1 the top 2-3 Google+ profiles for any given keyword. The more people you have in your circles and the more you engage, the greater chance your Google+ profile hits page 1 for a related keyword.
The Wave of the Future?
Actually, I can’t even call social SEO the wave of the future anymore. Two years ago, I was waiting for Google to use social signals in its rankings and now the movement has begun. If my predictions are right, this is only the beginning.
What do you predict for the future of Google and its ranking factors?
Jenna Scaglione is a content writer, internet marketer, and a lover of family, friends and life. Jenna enjoys learning, growing and discovering the newest and latest trends on the internet. Known as "Lady Content", she lives in sunny Socal where she helps her clients around the world increase brand awareness on the internet through content writing and social media.
