A question I’ve been hearing a lot these days is, ‘What’s the deal with Facebook and Twitter; should we be doing something about it? Or is it better to just stick with Search Engine Optimization?’.
Well a recent study by the folks at MarketingSherpa grabbed my attention; they surveyed a whopping 2,194 search marketers, about Social Media (Facebook, Twitter, etc) and Search Engine Optimization (SEO) and found that SEO is more effective for increasing sales, leads and traffic, and Social Media is better for improving brand reputation and public relations. So both options have something to offer.
But of course the two are not totally separate! Good public relations and a good reputation is going to help your business increase traffic and sales. People will go straight from your Facebook page to your website, or they will decide to choose your site out of a page of search results because they already like your brand.
And of course, there is a virtuous circle here! The more business you do and the more traffic to your website, the more likely it is that there will be a buzz around any presence you have on Facebook and Twitter. After all, more customers means more people to be talking, friending, retweeting, liking etc…
In this way Search Engine Optimization and Social Media Marketing can increase each other’s effectiveness. What a great feedback loop to set up for your business; it definitely makes me excited.
And add this to the mix: on Dec 8th, execs from Google and Bing confirmed that their algorithm for calculating search result rankings takes into account links to Social Media sites like Facebook and Twitter.
We’ve always known that there is a relationship between Social Media and Search Engine Optimization, and now that relationship is reflected on a technical level. SM is a part of SEO. So instead of ‘which one should I choose?’, smart businesses will be asking, ‘how can I best incorporate both?’.
