Social Media vs. Search Engine Optimization

Recently in my new position as Solutions Consultant at Cirrus ABS, we had a brainstorming session to further develop our Social Media Marketing Programs for current and new clients.

I admit, that a few years ago I thought that Search Engine Optimization wasn't necessary anymore, due to some of the results I was getting with Social Media.

For example, at one point, a story I wrote on one of my blog sites was appearing on the first page of Google when you searched "Starbucks History".

The Wall Street Journal even pointed web visitors from their site to mine for this one article I wrote.

I thought I stumbled across the Holy Grail of Fame & Fortune online.

I was wrong.

I was a one hit wonder, as we used to say in the radio business.

In reality, there are real, legitimate ways to use Social Media combined with S.E.O. to have an impact and get noticed.

In short, Social Media does NOT replace Search Engine Optimization, but it can enhance your S.E.O. results.

Don't just take my word for it, here's what Copyblogger.com has to say:

Has Social Media Killed SEO?

I’m often shocked at how silly some smart people can be.

For example, there’s a guy I know who’s VP for the digital arm of a global PR firm.

He’s a blogger, true social media player, and marketing stud — like I said … a smart guy.

A while back, he threw out the proposition that social media was going to kill SEO, specifically because “social media signals” would replace keywords.

Huh?

The language people use when searching is vital …

Just to make this abundantly clear, “keywords” and “keyword phrases” are simply the words people type in when they use search engines.

It’s the language real people use when looking for stuff.

Put another way, it’s the language of your audience, your prospects, your customers, and your clients.

For decades, copywriters and marketers have done anything possible to discover the words used by the people they desperately seek to connect with. Now, that exact language is available to anyone willing to do simple keyword research.

So, the language of the audience is valuable even if you don’t care about traffic from search engines.

But most of us do care about targeted search traffic, because it converts better than any other traffic.

Here’s the deal … Google can’t function without “keywords,” because Google is in the business of matching up the language people use when they search with the information they’re looking for.

Now, that doesn’t mean social media isn’t changing the world of search. It’s been doing that for over 5 years at least.

Social does impact search … here’s how:

The “social media signals” that are changing the search game, however, are not the words people use, it’s the content they share.

The Google algorithm was built with the premise that links determined value and relevance, and that’s still largely the case.

But now, retweets on Twitter, and to some extent Facebook likes and shares, matter too.

Social media definitely impacts search results, and the “voice of the people” is making it much more fair to those of us who create great content. And that’s how it should be.

And yet, despite the explosion in social media, SEO remains fundamentally the same:

• Discover the language your prospective audience speaks though keyword research
• Spoon feed that language to search engines by gently tweaking your great content
• Build links and social media signals (sharing) in the places that deliver trust and authority

My next question is: are you serious about using the web, including Social Media to attract customers and client?

Contact me at : 260-255-HELP (4387) or email SHoward@CirrusABS.com