Are you being SEO-cial with your Media? What it is and how to use it

Yes, it’s a happy marriage of two very powerful resources that we use every day as business owners. It’s the amalgamation of Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) and social media marketing that has given rise to this particular term.  Hopefully you already understand the interaction between both concepts, as their role is to enhance your online visibility, drive traffic, and build your brands authority.

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What is SEO-cial Media?

While social media does not directly impact search rankings, it plays a significant role in amplifying content, increasing brand visibility, and driving traffic to websites—factors that indirectly influence search engine performance. I will outline the key benefits of it below:

• Improved Content Discoverability – Social media platforms help distribute content to a wider audience, increasing its chances of being shared and linked to by other websites.
• Boosts Website Traffic – Well optimised social media posts with links to high-quality content can drive significant traffic to a website.
• Enhances Brand Authority – A strong social media presence establishes credibility, increasing the likelihood of users searching for the brand, which can improve and impact search rankings.
• Increases Backlinks – When content gains traction on social media, it has a higher chance of earning backlinks from authoritative websites, a key ranking factor in SEO.
• Optimises Social Profiles for Search – Search engines index social media profiles, meaning an optimised profile with relevant keywords and links can improve brand searchability.

The Origins of the Term SEO-cial Media

Unlike terms such as "search engine optimisation and "social media marketing," which have well-documented origins, "SEO-social media" appears to have emerged organically among digital marketers. There is no widely recognised individual or organisation credited with coining the term. However, the concept itself has been widely adopted in the marketing industry as brands seek to bridge the gap between social engagement and search visibility.

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I did however, find out where the broader term "social media" had its roots from. Some sources suggest that Darrell Berry first used it in 1994 while developing an online media environment called Matisse,where he referred to "social media spaces" as digital platforms for communication (Forbes).Others attribute its origin to Ted Leonsis, a former AOL executive, who claims the term was first used within AOL in the early 1990s.

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How to Implement SEO-cial Media Strategies

Now on to the part where we learn how to better apply it. It’s about sensibly bringing both methods together to reach our goals. There are some best practices that you should look at trying in the list below:

1. Optimise Your Social Media Profiles – Include relevant keywords in bios, descriptions, and profile URLs (if you can).
2. Share High-Quality Content – Create unique, engaging, informative, and shareable content that encourages interactions and CTA’s and backlinks.
3. Leverage Hashtags and Keywords – Use trending hashtags and industry-related keywords to improve content discoverability.
4. Encourage Social Sharing – Add social sharing buttons to blog posts and website pages to increase engagement.
5. Utilise YouTube and Pinterest – These platforms are search-driven and can significantly boost visibility and traffic. Both valuable SEO tools. I don't really like Pinterest myself but use it anyway for just this reason!
6. Monitor Analytics: Use tools such as Google Analytics and native social media insights (or 3^rd party tools) to measure the impact of social media efforts on your website traffic and search rankings.

If you can learn to integrate your social media strategies with your SEO principles, your brand can improve its online visibility, attract more organic traffic, and establish a stronger digital presence. Search engines continually update and change, that's how they work. Their job is to leverage the combined power of SEO and social media and your job is to make them both work for you and your brand.

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If you have any questions regarding this, then please contact me today.