Unless you’ve been living under a rock for the last few years, it’s hard to ignoresocial media. It seems that every day existing social media sites are getting larger and new ones are cropping up all over the place. This popularity is driven by the viral nature of social media. You invite your friends, they invite their friends, and before you know it, the whole world is connected.
I’ve been participating in social media for a long time. A number of social media sites have come and gone over the years, but some continue to dominate the social media space. Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube are the leading contenders. Google and other search engines are putting their social media spin on things too and it’s just a matter of time before their social networks are a large part of the mix.
By now you know that I have a one-track mind. That’s certainly true when it comes to social media. One must ask the question, "How can I use social media sites to improve the ranking of my own websites and blogs?" There are two answers to that question and they are very much aligned to what we’ve been talking about in this section. The answer is "links" and "rankings."
Social media links are created when you develop a profile on a social media website like Facebook. If you have a Facebook account it likely includes links of various kinds-links to books you’re reading, products you recommend, and hopefully links back to your websites or blogs. By the very nature of Facebook, it carries tremendous authority. If you are linking to your own website, it passes that authority back to you. When setting up your profile on Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube, you should always include at least one link back to your website and other digital assets.
Facebook.
Let’s begin with Facebook. Signing up and getting started with Facebook is very easy. Visit the home page and complete the basic information then click, "Sign Up." Once you register, confirm, and set up your profile, you’ll be able to take advantage of everything Facebook has to offer. When registering, complete all aspects of your profile and seek guidance from friends who are currently using Facebook for tips and guidance on the numerous Facebook features. Learning what to do and how to do it from current users is definitely the quickest way to get up to speed.
Keep in mind that your profile name will be visible in Facebook, so choose your naming convention carefully. This is something you’ll want to give some thought to. Don’t worry though. In addition to setting up an account under your name, you’ll also be able to create a company profile (Fan Page). This gives you added visibility and the opportunity to add links that point to your website. Additionally, you can post other links on your "Wall."
The true SEO value of Facebook is in building a network and asking others to post or share your links on their profile pages, Wall, or on their own digital assets, such as blogs and forums. Over time, your profile, and the links distributed by those in your network are what create SEO value.
Twitter.
The concept of Twitter is pretty unique. After registering and setting up a profile, you create short posts of 140 characters or less online or using your cell phone. These posts are visible to everyone who is following you as well as those viewing a particular thread. Threads are visible using a hashtag. Hashtags are identified by the pound sign "#" and appear before a phrase (ex: #SEO). If I’m subscribed to "#SEO" for example, I’ll be able to view anyone’s Tweet that is followed with #SEO thanks to this hashtag feature.
Using Twitter for SEO is also a two-part process. The first part is to include a link to your website from your Twitter profile. After logging in to your profile, click on the "edit your profile link" and "Profile" from the top menu. You will see a location for your web address. Enter your URL there. Once you start building Twitter followers, and they link to your profile, this will improve the authority of this link.
The second way to use Twitter for SEO is to build a list of Twitter followers. You can do this by sharing your handle (example: @mfleischner) on your blog, in your marketing messages, on your website, and so on. You can also use some pretty neat tools that automate the following process for you, building a large list of followers relatively quickly. For a listing of the Twitter software I use to manage my Twitter account, visit my secret page. Many individuals set up automated following. That means if you follow them, they will follow you back. You can start following individuals of interest manually or use automated software to do so. Although I don’t recommend this for everyone, if you are just starting out on Twitter, taking advantage of automated following is a great way to build a list quickly. Once you have a list of targeted followers, you can make them aware of valuable content and features available on your website. Always make your content easy to bookmark and share with others! Using Twitter to drive followers to your website is just the beginning. Once there, your site needs to force an action, moving them into a sales funnel or giving them the option to bookmark or share content.
It’s essential that you consider what type of content you’ll deliver on Twitter. I’ve built a following of more than ten thousand people by providing helpful SEO-related tips and strategies on a regular basis. Focus on your niche and "Tweet" about an area you know a lot about.
YouTube.
Begin by creating an account. Once you register, you’ll have a number of options available to you. Click on your username and select "Account." If you click on "Profile Setup" in the left margin, you’ll see a place to enter your URL. In addition, each time you upload a video, you can enter a description. When writing your descriptions, always start with your URL in the beginning. Doing so makes the link visible and active.
One of the best ways to promote your video and, therefore, your link, is to tell others about it. YouTube has a subscribe option so once you learn more about YouTube and create a "channel," you can drive your visitors directly to your videos. Once there, visitors can take advantage of a number of rating options. You can also customize your channel with various features including comments, subscribers, and so on.
YouTube videos are ranked by the number of subscribers, "Likes," and comments. Whenever you produce a video, send a link to your list, post a link to the video on your site, and encourage users to comment. This can help your ranking in Youtube and may encourage third-party websites to embed the video directly into their content. Sharing and embedding videos means more links to the video itself, which in turn creates more link juice. Over time the number and quality of links pointing to your site, through your Youtube link, gain authority which helps your rankings.
If you’ve never created a YouTube video, don’t despair. There is a great deal of quality video on YouTube and Vimeo that show you simple ways of creating professional looking videos. Spend some time learning the art of video making or just use your webcam. Publishing videos is relatively easy and video production doesn’t need to be complicated. Once you know how to produce a simple video, you can fuel your link-building efforts in a powerful way.
Social media can be a great way to build quality third-party links that add value to your own website or blog by passing link authority to your digital assets. If you aren’t actively engaged with social media, get started today. The sooner you become active with social media the faster you build authority and the more value you create for SEO.
