In the current digital landscape, social media is instrumental for businesses and has changed the dynamics of information sharing, communication, and audience interaction. In 2023, an estimated 4.9 billion people used social media across the world, according to Forbes. Beyond its traditional role in marketing, social media is influencing search engine optimization (SEO), becoming the backbone of a website’s visibility on search engine results pages (SERPs) and in turn, website visits.
In this blog, we will dive into the multi-pronged relationship between SEO and organic social media by studying various facets such as the impact of social media advertising, social shares and signals, the role of social media profiles, and the emerging trends that are shaping the future of this landscape to determine if social media is truly instrumental in helping SEO in 2024.
Table of Contents
Social Media and SEO in 2024
- Social Media is Transforming Accepted SEO Guidelines
Social Media is emerging as a transformative force that influences a website’s search rankings. Social Signals, which are a key metric of a website’s authority and relevance, are now an amalgamation of likes, shares, and comments. The traction that a website’s content gathers on social media sites like X (Twitter) or Facebook is perceived to be more credible by search engines such as Google thus elevating its position on SERPs.
SEO and social media are further entwined, as social media profiles that are well-optimized also contribute to a website’s SEO by making it more visible on search engines. Additionally, social media ads play a tangible role in SEO with ads on platforms such as Facebook. Those ads are capable of driving targeted traffic to a website, therefore improving visibility, click-through rates, bounce rates, dwell time, thus enhancing a website’s search engine rankings.
- Social Shares: A Strong SEO Signal
In the intricate landscape of SEO and social media, social shares have emerged as a powerful strategy. An indirect factor in how search engines decide on the relevance and quality of content on a website is in part by how much it is shared on social media platforms. This heightened visibility improves the traffic to the website while also contributing to the generation of backlinks, a valuable and pivotal element to the success of SEO.
The sharing of content on social media indicates to search engines that the content is engaging, interesting, and valuable. This in turn can lead to higher rankings on the SERPs. But does social media really help SEO directly? While studies show that pages with more social shares rank higher on Google, Google says that it does not consider social signals as a direct ranking factor. This shows that there may only be a correlation between social media and SEO in terms of social shares and search rankings.
- The Crucial Role of Social Signals in Search Rankings
Social signals that include shares, likes, and comments on social media platforms form pivotal components in SEO strategies in 2024. These social signals equip search engines with valuable insights into the quality and relevance of a website’s content. A thorough understanding of social signs empowers website owners to streamline their social media and SEO strategies more effectively. Search engines like Bing are increasingly using social media signals to assess the relevance and popularity of a website. This is one of the ways in which social media helps SEO.
- Social Media Profiles: SEO Powerhouses
Social media profiles serve as dynamic contributors to indirectly increasing a website’s SEO. Well-optimized social media profiles function as an extension of the website and improve its visibility. When these profiles are crafted strategically, they contribute to an increase in social signals, valuable backlinks, and enhance local SEO. A key part of utilizing SEO for a social media strategy includes adding relevant keywords in social profile descriptions and bios as well as linking to your website on your social media profiles. This will make it easier to find your website and improve your website’s visibility in search results.
- Mastering Link Building Through Social Media
Link building is a foundational element in an ongoing SEO strategy, and social media channels can be strategically used to complement this effort effectively. Sharing content on Facebook and X (Twitter) opens the door to organic link-building as followers share and engage with the content. Responding to comments, answering questions, and participating in conversations show customers that you care about them and what they have to say. This can build trust and loyalty which in turn leads to increased engagement and website traffic.
- Unveiling the Power of Social Bookmarking in SEO
People are more likely to share engaging, informative, high-quality content on social media. In this reality, social bookmarking is a great tool for improving a website’s visibility and ranking. Platforms such as Pinterest and Reddit encourage businesses to share and tag web pages on their public profile, capturing the attention of their target audience. The advantages of this include an increase in traffic, backlinks, access to audience-specific interests, and improved visibility on SERPs.
- Social Media Advertising: A Dynamic SEO Game-changer
The integration of SEO and social media advertising drives home the evolving landscape of online marketing. 28.8% of all digital advertising spend in 2023 was dedicated to Social media ads. In practice, how does social media advertising help SEO? It increases brand exposure, generating high-quality backlinks and amplifying social signals which leads to enhanced search engine rankings. The strategic incorporation of social media advertising and SEO into a business’s marketing strategy positions it for sustained growth in a competitive market. By posting targeted ads on social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, and X (Twitter), a business can reach a wide audience of people who are interested in its products or services. This increases traffic and brand awareness ultimately leading to better SEO rankings.
- Measuring the Nexus Between Social Media and SEO
The debate around how much social media helps SEO necessitates a comprehensive analysis from business to business. Social media profiles, signals, shares, and degree of brand awareness tend to emerge as crucial metrics to assess the actual impact. By tracking and monitoring these metrics, businesses can optimize their social media strategies, which will impact search engine rankings, leading to more traffic to the business’s website.
- Envisioning the Future: Social Media and SEO Integration
As the future of social media and SEO is shaped by emerging trends and technologies, The dominance of video content, the importance of social listening, the AI boom, and the push of influencer marketing are going to play an important role in defining the future of this dynamic relationship. The capacity of businesses to adapt to these trends will dictate their place in this evolving digital game.
Platform-Specific Strategies to Help You Drive SEO
Though these are the basic principles of how social media can help SEO in 2024, there are platform-specific strategies that you can employ to leverage your social media channels better which will in turn drive SEO, brand awareness and website traffic:
Instagram plays a crucial role in raising brand awareness and driving traffic back to your website.
How to leverage:
- Optimize Captions – Use relevant keywords including strategic hashtags that prioritize engagement.
- Image and Video SEO – Include alt text for images and videos, incorporating relevant keywords.
- Collaborations – Partner and engage with relevant influencers to leverage their SEO and social media power.
Facebook allows for building a strong community and driving traffic back to your website through organic posts and paid ads, with over 2 billion daily active users according to Meta.
How to leverage:
- Groups – Build and join relevant Facebook Groups, posting high-quality, interactive content that has high shareability.
- Facebook Ads – Run targeted Facebook Ads to drive traffic to specific landing pages on your website.
Pinterest ranks highly for relevant searches due to its image-centric content and keyword-driven approach. It is one of the best examples of how social media can help SEO.
How to leverage:
- Optimize Board Titles and Descriptions – Use relevant keywords that match the user’s search intent.
- Pin Descriptions – Every pin should be linked back to your website to drive traffic to it.
- Create Backlink Worthy Content – Utilize eye-catching visuals as Pinterest users are more inclined to share content.
YouTube
As the world’s second-largest search engine, YouTube is one of the largest video repositories in the world and one of the top marketing channels for 2024. Optimizing your YouTube channel can positively impact your overall SEO and social media presence.
How to leverage:
- Keywords – Optimize titles, descriptions, and tags with relevant keywords.
- Video Transcripts – Include closed captions and transcripts that are indexed by search engines.
- Engagement – Encourage users to like, comment, and subscribe, as these are positive ranking features for the YouTube algorithm.
As a professional networking platform, it offers potential for brand building and establishing yourself as an industry thought leader, which directly affects search rankings.
How to leverage:
- Optimized Company Page – Complete your company profile with a relevant headline, description, logo, and banner image.
- Thought Leadership Content – Share industry insights, articles, and thought leadership content with target keywords, linking it back to your site.
- Collaborate – Engage with industry leaders and groups, garnering more reach and engagement.
Reddit can help in building your social media and SEO presence, driving traffic back to your website through well-structured, engaging content.
How to leverage:
- Subreddit Participation – Identify and participate in subreddits where your target audience is active.
- Link Building – Share links to your website in relevant subreddits, but prioritize engagement through providing value over promotion and advertising.
TikTok
TikTok can help build brand awareness and drive traffic back to your website through creative and engaging video content.
How to leverage:
- Trendjacking – Identify and piggyback on popular trending hashtags to increase post visibility and gain more followers.
- Collaborate – Either with other brands or influencers to leverage their social media and SEO power.
- Call to Action – Encourage viewers to visit your site through a call to action within your video or captions.
The symbiotic relationship between social media and SEO underscores the dynamic nature of the modern digital landscape. The question of whether social media can help SEO in 2024 is no longer a philosophical one, instead, it is one that businesses can address through recognizing the impact of social signals, shares, link building, social bookmarking, and advertising on SEO. By embracing the new trends of AI, social listening, and influencer marketing, businesses can stay ahead, improve their visibility, and enhance their search rankings.
