SEO – search engine optimization – seems to be all people talk about. Now you have a basic understanding of the concept and how to utilize it for the web. Did you know that SEO is also used in social media? Yes! Social media platforms are often used as search engines, so it is important that they are just as optimized as your website! How do you do this? We are going to outline a few simple steps you can take to optimize your social media accounts!
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Use keywords in your name, handle, and bio. This is what people are typically coming across first; if they do not see the keyword they are searching for, they will likely not click your profile. You may even add a location if it is relevant to your business. Social platforms look at all this information when they are generating results for user’s searches.
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Add alt-text to all of your pictures and videos, ensuring you are including keywords here. Alt text is great for those with visual impairments and is often used to pull content when users are searching.
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Utilize hashtags! Someone told me the other day that hashtags don’t matter. I couldn’t believe it! They are and will likely forever be relevant to social media SEO! The key is to utilize them in the caption itself, instead of trying to hide them in the comments. The social platforms caught onto that trick and worked around it. It is important to be sure that your hashtags include relevant keywords.
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Includes links to your profiles! Just like links are important in website SEO, they are important in social media SEO.
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Mirror your website strategy in your social media strategy. After you have taken the time to optimize your website, utilize those same keywords to optimize your social media channels. This ensures your brand has one consistent voice and allows search engines to further understand your business.
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Ensure all your content is quality content; users are more likely to engage with quality content, making your page more popular, than they are if you are just putting out content to put out content. Additionally, make evergreen content. This is content that can constantly be recycled and reused, as it always performs well.
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Encourage engagement! Start conversations or include other calls to action in your captions and content. The more engagement your posts and accounts have, the more likely they are to appear at the top of search results in these social channels.
One of the cool things about optimizing your social media channels is that goes beyond that platform; implementing SEO into your social strategy allows you to improve brand visibility, enhance your reputation, and gives your content longer life spans. At this point, you know SEO is beneficial to your business and we have covered a lot. If you are unsure where to start, give us a call! We would love to help you strategize and see where we can take your business!
