Why You Need to Make Time for Social Media Right Now

Running a business is not easy. With a hundred things demanding your attention and time, you may feel that investing time in social media is a ‘waste of time’.
Hold that thought right there. It is time to change such thinking because it can actually prove to be a costly error. Read on to know why.

Significance of Social Media – Impact on SEO

You know that search engine optimization is important for your business. And of the many factors that impact SEO, in recent times, social media has assumed great importance.

It was in late 2010 that Matt Cutts of Google admitted that the search engine is considering social signals in ranking websites. And since then the impact of social media on search rankings has only got stronger.

And if you are not making time for social media, it will surely affect your search rankings and your business.

3 Reasons Why You Need to Make Time for Social Media Right Now

• Increased Social Media Presence Boosts Social Signals

One of the key social signals for search rankings is the number of social recommendations. The more Facebook like and shares, Twitter tweets and Google+1s your content receives, greater the chances of higher search ranking. This experiment shows how tweets can enhance search rankings within hours of publishing content.

When you are present on multiple social media, you have the opportunity to share the link to your content on all the platforms. This results in exposure to a very wide audience. And if you are providing consistent high quality content that really adds value, you can expect maximum social shares and recommendations, which are positive social signals that will boost SEO.

Of course the surge in traffic via greater click-thurs also directly contributes to search rankings, when you have increased social media presence.

• Consistent Social Media Interactions Create Mutually Beneficial Relationships

The key is to use social media as a ‘social’ platform rather than a promotional tool.

Don’t focus only on sharing your own content or linking to you own site. Share relevant content by others. Comment on posts by others. Start social media conversations on trending topics and engage meaningfully with peers. You will soon find that people are sharing your content and commenting on your posts and increasing the social buzz around your content and website.

A ‘social’ relationship of sorts is established, which you can leverage for bagging guest blogging opportunities with high SEO value natural back links. Or you can look forward to your posts being shared by influencers in your niche (due to the relationship you have established and of course because your content is awesome). Social sharing by influencers with high social authority is another positive social signal for SEO that can bump up your rankings.

• Strategic Social Media Usage Builds Online Authority

One of the key factors that search engines consider while according search rankings is the authority of the website. And social media, strategically used, can enhance your online authority.

Use social media consistently to showcase your authority in the niche. Be the first to comment on latest industry happenings. Predict future industry trends. Share research results. Offer solutions to industry related queries posed by others on social media.

Slowly you will find that the number of your social followers has increased. And you will be pleasantly surprised to note that your content is shared widely and rapidly on social media. All these are perceived as signs of social authority and in response, your website and content are accorded higher search rankings.

And none of these would be possible if you had not spent time on social media. Are you spending enough time on social media?

  Yasir Khan

About the Guest Author:

The author of this post is post Penguin link building expert Yasir Khan, founder of Quantum SEO Labs, one of Canada’s top SEO companies.