Search engine optimization isn’t limited to your website. When you are thoughtful about your social media profile and content, and if you treat social media platforms like search engines, the engagement you have with your audiences on social media can lead to brand awareness, brand loyalty and conversions.
Social Media Platforms Are Search Engines
Digital audiences don’t just search keywords any more. They’re looking for concepts and ideas, and they’re going about it in more immersive ways than typing a few things into the Google search bar. Instead, they’re searching YouTube, where they can see, hear about and experience what they’re looking for. Or they’ll search topics on TikTok to see what peers and trusted influencers are using and doing. LinkedIn, Pinterest, Facebook and Instagram have search capabilities, too, and most of these platforms have “for you” features that gather content based on what users have searched and engaged with in the past.
What else do all of these platforms have in common? They’re visually rich. Unlike typing a few keywords into a search engine and receiving a list of links and summary text in return, searching within a social media platform provides video and images with text and/or voiceover included. And you bet the collage of information is more eye-catching than text on a page.
Social media is also quickly becoming a preferred retail platform. A study from HubSpot found that 82% of their survey participants would make a purchase from social media over a brand’s website. Others may leave the social platform for the website to investigate more and then purchase, but the transaction still began on social media.
This isn’t to say that social media will ever replace search engines. But, over the past couple of years, traditional search engines have started including social media in their own search results, making your social SEO efforts even more valuable.
How to Get Started
Apply the keyword strategy you have for your website to your social media platforms, when appropriate. Not every post is going to benefit from industry keywords – you don’t need to load up the captions of your teambuilding pics – but your posts with work case studies or how your organization is actively engaged in the community could. Just make sure what you write still sounds authentic; that you’re using your keywords in a natural way and they don’t detract from the vibe of your post.
Add your location to your profile bios to improve local discoverability of your brand, especially if you have an offline presence, too.
Include links in your social media profiles. The links in your bio will be clickable / follow-able so keep them up to date. You can put links in your post captions and comments as well. They won’t always be clickable (like on Instagram), so make sure the url you’re writing out is short enough for users to want to copy it into a search bar. Link shorteners like Bit.ly and TinyURL make this super easy.
Write ALT text for your images. Like the ALT text on your website images, the practice is the same for social media: it allows people with visual disabilities to know what your picture is about and provides context to users when images fail to load. It also helps the social algorithm understand your visual content better, which in turn helps your search rankings.
Optimize your profiles. This means regularly updating your profile images and making sure your posts are sized properly for each social platform. You can also pin your best content to the top of your profile grid on some platforms, which is kind of like putting your best foot forward.
Treat your social profiles as if they are an extension of your website to ensure the transition from one to the other is seamless.
Social media might seem simple, but it’s not easy. Your platforms need consistent attention in order to make them work for you. But getting into the habit of considering SEO while you plan your posts will help you reach your audiences right where they spend the most time – scrolling on social.
Alison Quinn
Creativity, strategy and sparkles: our Creative Director's Big 3. Alison is a self-professed word nerd and lover of marketing that makes you go "whoa!"