The Ultimate Guide to Social Media and SEO

Buckle up, kids!

We’re diving deep into the depths of social media and how it benefits your SEO.

(anyone getting Mrs. Frizzle vibes? Maybe I should dress up like a filter IRL for this post…?)

And oh, you millennial you, do you think you already know everything there is to know??

I bet you one giant latte that you’ll find something, perhaps a few things, that are new to you.

Because of course, you know how much I adore SEO and the way it can impact business. And that’s because people hang out on Google.

But guess where else they hang out?

Social media. (PS–that’s not the new fact. I know you already knew that!)

People are spending — at least —135 minutes a day on social.

That’s more than 2 hours of our days spent scrolling through pictures of people’s pets, dinners, and infinity pools.

And that means there’s an opportunity here to create something worth following, while at the same time building your SEO presence.

 

So what does social media have to do with SEO?

We’ve already talked about how social media only has an indirect effect on your SEO rankings. So why are we spending so much time talking about this?

Because until you have a solid SEO foundation, social media is a great way to take charge and get yourself to the top by mastering your platform.

Eventually (with content and backlinks) you’ll land on the first page of Google. But until then, social media is a way to bridge the gap, and is a powerful tool for helping you reach your business goals.

Plus, this is where the people are (yes, up where they walk, up where they talk, up where they stay all day in the sun).

So you can use it as an opportunity to create an opening that other platforms (even your website!) simply don’t provide, such as:

• Getting noticed by big brands & influencers
• Having a 2-way relationship with your audience
• Seeing in real time how people talk about trends related to your industry
• A direct way to reach out to press/brands, and others to easily reach you

Social media has its merits, and playing to its strengths will help your brand in all areas.

 

What’s the best social media platform for you?

Here’s the secret: this is really the wrong question.

Because your social media strategy for business isn’t about you, it’s about your ideal clients. You might prefer Instagram, but if people are blowing up your Pinterest, then that’s a better spot for you to focus your energy.

And if you have multiple apps on your phone that are making you spin into a scrolling frenzy, step back from the iPhone, ma’am. Here’s a truth nugget for you: you can do anything, but you can’t do everything.

Hear that again:

You can do anything, but you can’t do everything.

So instead of renting all over the social town, pick one platform and build your house there, because you’re moving in and staying for a while.

But back to the OG question. Which platform is best?

Numbers don’t lie

If you think Instagram is the hottest platform, then think again.

We pulled this graphic from the fine folks at Statista. Here’s what it’s telling us:

Facebook drives the most traffic to websites. By a long shot. This isn’t a photo finish, folks. If you thought Facebook was just for finding out which high school friend’s baby just had a birthday, then scroll to top and refresh that thought. Instagram is more passive, people enjoying seeing and scrolling on Insta, they don’t want to leave.

Facebook is mega-valuable because of the data (that and the baby pics).

So if you have a business page just to get an Instagram business account (we’ve all done it), then reconsider how you use that page, because it drives massive traffic to websites.

But here’s where it gets interesting…

People aren’t landing on your website from your Facebook business page. Because where’s the monetization in that? (For Zuck, of course).

Nope, most of that traffic is coming from ads.

Which brings us back to the data.

When you see stats like the one above, keep in mind that it’s because of paid ads.

And that means that Facebook might only be valuable to you if you want to run ads, which is an entirely different animal.

 

Merits of Instagram:

• Gorgeous aesthetics
• Perfect for niche communities
• Keeps it real
• Builds 1-1 interactions

Merits of Pinterest:

• Massive potential reach
• Buyable pins (great for shops)
• Drive big traffic back to website

Merits of YouTube:

• A search engine within itself
• Opportunity to share your expertise
• Video is most engaging type of content, and most shared/consumed
• Content on YouTube is searchable via Google ← this is huge!!

Merits of LinkedIn:

• Connects you to a corporate audience
• Great for freelancers/service based businesses
• Massive potential reach
• Great for publishing long-form content, like blog posts
• Lots of social proof

(PS–want more detailed demographic data? Check this out!)

 

Pro Tips for Building a Social Media Strategy:

1. Do a quick social audit. Take 10 minutes/platform to update your bios, headshots, and links on platforms you don’t visit often, like LinkedIn of Youtube.
2. Look at the merits above. Which one are you most engaged on? Are those merits on your chosen serving you best, or do the merits of another platform serve your needs better?
3. Pick 1-2 platforms to focus on, and spend 30 minutes or less (set a timer!) researching how to optimize your profile.
4. Once completed, take a break! No social media overwhelm here, thank you kindly.
5. Follow up in a few days. Do more research on best practices. Maximize those merits!

Pick ONE Goal

You heard us. One.

We know that’s hard! And we know it’s especially hard because it makes those darling goal planners look woefully empty. But by picking a single goal, you’ll be able to zoom in on it and focus all your social media efforts on that one goal.

And when you pair that one goal with one ideal client in mind (more on that below!)?

You’ll be unstoppable.

We really mean it.

And this doesn’t mean that you’ll best Selena Gomez in follower counts. Because followers ≠ business growth.

It means that you’ll be attracting your ideal clients.

So, what to choose?

A few options for you:

• Get featured by influencers
• Grow audience through collaborations
• Educate clients about my industry
• Build a community through comments, messages & follows
• Gain access to speaking opportunities
• Show how my products/services help people
• Generate leads from qualified clients
• Drive traffic to my blog/ site

If you’re not sure what to choose, follow these action steps

Action Steps:

1. Revisit your annual goals. What haven’t you accomplished yet?
2. Pick the priority goal. What do you need to accomplish to get there?
3. Look at the ideas above. How can ONE of those help you get closer to your goal? How does the social media strategy align with your overall business goal?

PRO TIP: Remember, that like anything, social media isn’t a silver bullet of success. So when attaching a social media strategy to your goals, keep in mind that it’s just one player on the team. Your marketing efforts are a tide that lifts all boats, and every bit helps lift that tide.

 

A classic marketing principle: the one thing you can’t ignore

Most of us creative entrepreneurs are getting IRL business training every day on the job.

But none of these principles matter unless you always keep in mind the #1 marketing principle:

know your audience.

You need to know everything about your best clients, and most especially what they have in common. This is tricky because sometimes those best traits aren’t magazines they read or cars they drive, they’re qualities.

Action steps:

1. Set a timer for 30 minutes. Think about your best clients and write down what makes each one such a wonderful client. Really write this, even if it’s just in a Google doc, because it’s important.
2. Circle trends you see among these clients. What do they have in common? Write that down. Now, how do these shared qualities overlap? What multiple qualities do they have in common? Make a list of that, because that’s where the magic happens. The true magic is in the overlap, because if you can identify that, then you’ll easily be able to quickly identify that je ne sais quois in people you meet, IRL and online.
3. Then pair these common qualities with tangible interests (like magazines, etc), to craft a social media strategy to find where these folks hang out in online and how to best connect with them.

 

Social media is best paired with…

Just call us your digital sommeliers. Why yes, we do know the best blog post pairing for that platform. Right this way.

Ok. You caught us. There isn’t one answer. It’s all the answers.

Content marketing and backlinks are still the best ways to get great SEO. And SEO is the best way to make your inbox a revolving door of perfect-fit customers.

But here’s the truth: SEO is hard (that’s why we have a mastermind for it!).

So it’s ideal to meet people where they are, and more often than not, that’s on social media. And while you’re working on getting a bulls-eye for your best keywords (aka #1 spot on Google), you can work on building relationships and a reputation on social media.

So while you’re staging your next selfie, use those seconds while the self-timer is ticking down to dream about your next blog post, because both are going to be valuable in crafting a social

Action steps:

1. Identify your ideal keywords
2. Create an editorial calendar that can feed the content on your social profiles
3. Source photos to match the written content, not the other way around

 

Ready to make your social media work for your SEO?

Over the next few weeks we’re exploring even deeper into the waters of social media, doing a deep dive into the best practices off multiple platforms.

So if this is your #summerofsocial, then be sure that you’re following us on Instagram and signed up for our newsletter so you don’t miss a detail (and they’re both hilarious).

Questions? Tips? Drop it like it’s hot into the comments below, or shoot us an email!

Always cheering you on,

Meg and the CDM Team