A year ago now, both Google and Bing announced that they factor social signals from social media into their organic search algorithms. As the lines between social media and SEO continue to thin, social media will gain importance for SEO. As Google described it, social media is about relationships and relationships prove relevance and relevance is at the core of organic search.
It’s well known that Facebook has 800 million active users and 50% log in every day. These numbers are astounding! I guarantee you that your customers and prospects are included in those numbers. They are on Facebook and they are likely trying to engage with your brand. If you don’t yet have a Facebook Page for your organization you really ought to consider optimizing your web presence to include one.
Here are 10 SEO reasons why your organization needs a Facebook presence:
- Google and Bing crawl and index Facebook Pages because they are publicly available. As a result, Facebook Pages do indeed come up in the search engine results pages (SERPs).
- Google announced in early November 2011 that they now crawl and index Facebook Comments.
- People are starting their searches at the Facebook search box. Test to see if your brand comes up when you search for it in Facebook.
- SEO is now about web presence optimization (WPO) and Facebook is a must for any web presence.
- Your target audience (unless you think they are not included in the 800 million Facebook users) is hanging out there.
- The “Like” button is the new “backlink”.
- The “Liker” (the Facebook User who did the “Liking”) is the new “lead” or “contact”.
- Your Facebook presence adds quality backlinks to your website.
- Facebook is easily accessible on mobile devices giving your prospects and clients easy access to your content and brand.
- Your competitors most likely have a Facebook presence.
SEO as a digital marketing tactic continues to evolve because our friends, at places such as Google, keep adjusting their organic search algorithms. In fact, it is estimated that in the past 12 months Google made 500 adjustments to their algorithm. As the lines between SEO and social media continue to fade, we can count on one thing – that Google will continue to tweak their algorithm to include more emphasis on social signals coming from not just Facebook, but also Twitter and Google +1.
To learn more about how to optimize your Facebook Page for SEO download:
SEO your Business Facebook Page for Google – A How-To Guide
You are right Krista. With over 600 million users world wide, Facebook is a must for any serious SEO professional. Thanks for sharing.
Social media is no longer just a branding tool. Social media data now plays a part in search engine ranking, which can make or break a business. There's no excuse for continuing to ignore social media or operating an inactive page. In order to achieve these social signals it's necessary to share quality posts and content on a regular basis.
This is clearly true. But it is an interesting exercise to anticipate how Facebook can be "gamed" and create a situation similar to backlinks -- a perfectly ingenious system borrowed from academic citations is used to rate the content of websites, an industry springs up around it, and the next thing you know we have content farms and lame SERPs and Google comes up with Panda. It isn't hard to imagine a similar scenario relevant to social media and website rankings, but one that unfolds much quicker.
You bring up some excellent points. Businesses who engage their customers socially haber a tremendous competitive advantage over those who rely on an egotistical billboard type website.
I think that, sooner or later, Facebook will quit dominating the market
The Beginning of the End for Facebook?
http://antiworldnews.wordpress.com/2011/12/05/the-beginning-of-the-end-for-facebook/
I really find it silly that your writing is published on imedia, as most of what you say here and elsewhere was far beyond obvious at least two years ago.
Well explained. Social signals are important part of SEO strategy. I am wondering how to make the Facebook fan page more user friendly with available apps.
Google give much importance to social media sites to get ranked in SERP page
very nice explanation. thanks for sharing
what is Google analytic and how it works? ...and please tell how smo boost our keywords ranking ?
thanks for sharing this information this such a great post..!!this seo tips are very useful..!!thank you so much..!!