SEO, as you may well know, stands for search engine optimization. Social networking is the catch-all term for user-generated content that’s created for and travels through networks on Internet and Web-based technologies. In other words, social networking online promotion has little to do with SEO, right?
Not exactly. SEO and social networking online marketing share an important bond. They’re both all about being found. Successful SEO strategies will get a company’s Website and a company’s brand more easily found online. And the same is true for a successful social networking online strategy. Whether you’re talking about search engines like Google and Bing or social media sites like Yelp or Digg, the goal is the same: you want to be found.
Many companies are weary of social networking online strategies since there’s very little control individual users and businesses can have over what’s written about them on most social media sites. But if they ignore social media outright, then they’re ignoring a valuable research and communication tool. Here are four ways that social networking online marketing, promotion and research can benefit businesses both large and small.
- Social networking online research lets businesses find out what others are saying about your business, and why: A little research into well-traveled social media sites can go a long way when it comes to finding out about what people think of your company or your industry.
- Searches on social networking online Websites are becoming more popular: Often, search engines will fail to return useful results. That’s when more and more people look to sites like Twitter and Yelp, where they may be able to find results that are more closely-related to their inquiries.
- Social networking online is more than just another Webpage: Social media sites gives users methods of interacting in ways that traditional Web pages can’t offer. Already, people are using services like TripAdvisor and FaceBook on their smart phones.
- Social networking online can boost your own Website’s search engine rankings: The more involved a company is in social media, the better rankings their very own Websites can receive on search engines. Of course, using social media to get great search engine results shouldn’t be your primary goal. But it can help, and being involved with social media can also help companies have greater control over their online presence.
