What is social media SEO?
James Pruden
Managing Director at Xigen, Business Investor, Digital Expert & Entrepreneur.
We all know the importance of optimising your website for the right keywords.
When you nail down the words and phrases your target audience is most likely to use, you rank higher in the search engine results, meaning more traffic and more conversions.
However, SEO no longer just applies to your website. It applies to your social media profiles too.
Imagine you own a vegan burger joint in London. When people scroll through Instagram, TikTok, or YouTube looking for ‘best vegan burgers in London,’ you want your photos and videos to be right at the top of their feeds.
Let’s look at why optimising your social media posts for the right keywords and hashtags is so important, as well as the benefits.
Why SEO is so important on social media
In the past, when people wanted to find an answer to a question, they’d turn to a search engine like Google. Now, people, especially young adults, are more likely to search their social media accounts.
You may be surprised that YouTube is the second most popular search engine behind Google. It makes sense. When you need to repair a shower head, watching a five-minute video is easier and more efficient than poring through a 2,500-word article. Plus, viewers will remember 95% of a video but only 10% of a text post.
However, image and video-orientated social media platforms like TikTok and Instagram are hot on YouTube’s metaphorical heels. 74% of Gen Zers use TikTok for search, with 51% preferring it to Google.
Why the change? It’s estimated that Gen Zers spend nearly twelve and a half hours a week on TikTok – so it’s more likely they’ll use it to find answers to questions. Plus, if they know and trust the content creators on the platform, they’ll trust the search results they receive.
Don’t get me wrong, SEO on your web pages is still essential – at last count, Google had a market share of nearly 92%! However, social media SEO is becoming increasingly important, especially if your target audience is younger.
How to optimise your social media accounts for SEO
So, how do you tweak your social media presence to increase the odds of ranking in the social media search results? Here’s what you need to know.
Use the right keywords
Like standard SEO, it’s vital to think about the words and phrases your customers use.
Here’s a handy hint – many social media platforms have an autocomplete function that shows what people are searching for. Start typing your keyword and see what comes up – you can then check search volumes and competition in your keyword tool of choice.
When you’ve got your keywords, use them in your caption, hashtags, video text overlays, and video transcripts.
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Want to know more about keyword research? Check out this comprehensive guide!
Post regularly
Posting frequently on social media increases the chances of appearing at the top of the search results – it shows your account is recent and active. Nobody is going to trust a video that’s two years out of date!
How often should you post? It depends on the platform you use. According to Hootsuite, you should post on TikTok three to five times a week and twice a day on Instagram Stories.
However, remember that quality is better than quantity. It’s better to post one engaging, well-crafted post a week than several irrelevant pieces of content.
Not sure which social media platform is right for your business? This article will help you make the right choice.
Encourage engagement
People are more likely to see your content if they’ve interacted with you in the past.
Create great content that encourages likes, respond to people’s comments quickly, and ask questions – polls are great for this.
Don’t forget your profile
It’s essential to optimise your posts, but it’s also important to make sure your profile looks good, is easy to find, and makes you appear a credible choice. Fill in as much information as possible, use keywords, include a link to your website, and make sure you upload a recognisable company logo.
On LinkedIn, give your personal profile some love too – people buy from other people after all!
In conclusion
Social media SEO is a relatively new concept, but the logic behind it has been around for years.
The more relevant and engaging your posts are, and the more value they offer to potential customers, the more likely you are to appear at the top of the results.
My final tip for getting to grips with social media SEO is to keep an eye on your metrics. Look at which posts get the most engagement and which accounts drive the most traffic to your website. This will give you a clear indication of what works and what your viewers like most.
Want to know more about all things digital marketing? I post regularly on LinkedIn. Check out my articles, or hit the notification button on my profile to get the latest marketing updates!