For businesses in Illinois, Indiana, and throughout the country, the only way to remain competitive is to have a great website, and know how to drive traffic to that website. Indeed, gone are the days, unfortunately, when just doing “good business” was what got companies referrals and customers. Instead, today, customers are interested in businesses’ online activities, online reviews, blog content, website user experience, and more. And one thing that can affect search engine optimization (SEO) the most is social media activity. Here’s what you should know–

Ranking Signals Used by Search Engines

A brief synopsis of the complexity of this topic is this: Google uses a number of different factors (and nobody really knows what they all are) in order to determine how a website should rank, i.e where it should be displayed on a search results page – towards the top or towards the bottom. We know that one such factor that Google and other search engines consider is that of shared links on social media sites like Facebook and Twitter. This means that activity on both of these sites is used as a “ranking signal,” and that maintaining a strong presence on either or both could help your company rank higher. Keep in mind that there is a correlation between social media use and ranking, not necessarily causation.

Ranking Signals Aside, Social Media Builds Your Audience

Let’s pretend for a minute that social media use and engagement isn’t a ranking signal and has no correlation between where a company’s website falls on a search results page. Even if we assumed this to be true (which data shows that it isn’t), we know that regardless, social media builds your audience.

Essentially, as a platform with more than two billions users, Facebook is a fantastic place to let those in your community and surrounding areas know about your product, product goals and development, and your company story. You can improve your web presence and quickly build your audience using Facebook and other social media platforms. And because new websites are being created by the hundreds every minute, doing whatever you can to increase your audience and improve your web presence is strongly recommended.

Improve Your Social Media Presence Today

Understanding how social media works and the strong relationship it has with SEO can be confusing as a non-marketing professional. Which is why if you want to drive organic traffic to your website and increase the number of qualified leads you receive, working with a marketing and SEO professional is a must. At NUVEW, we specialize in all aspects of online marketing, including both SEO and social media marketing.

To learn more about our online marketing services and how we can support your business’ growth, please call us today at 219-323-3343 or send us a message telling us more about your online marketing goals. We are a local SEO company that’s passionate about supporting other local businesses in our community.