How Social Media Can Improve Your SEO Strategy

Oct 15

When you think about SEO (search engine optimization), your mind might immediately go to keywords, backlinks, and meta descriptions. While those elements are crucial, there’s one powerful tool that often gets overlooked in SEO conversations—social media.

That’s right. Your social media presence isn’t just good for brand awareness and engagement. It can help boost your website’s visibility in search engine results. Here’s how.

1. Increased Content Visibility and Distribution

Every time you share a blog post, landing page, or website update on your social media channels, you’re increasing the chances that more people will see and share it. The more your content is shared, the more traffic you drive to your website.

And while social shares alone don’t directly impact Google’s ranking algorithm, the increased visibility can result in more backlinks, better engagement metrics, and ultimately improved SEO. Share your content multiple times across platforms like Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram, and Twitter/X, tailoring the message for each audience.

2. Social Signals Build Credibility

Although Google has stated that social signals (likes, shares, retweets) are not direct ranking factors, there’s a strong correlation between high-performing content and strong social engagement. Why? Because content that gains traction on social media is more likely to attract key SEO signals, such as:

Backlinks from other websites and blogs

Mentions in industry publications
Increased time spent on your site by new visitors

3. More Opportunities for Backlinks

Social media helps get your content in front of influencers, journalists, and bloggers who may decide to link back to your content. These backlinks are gold when it comes to SEO.

Let’s say you publish a helpful guide and share it on LinkedIn. An industry leader sees it, loves it, and links to it in their own article. That one backlink could significantly boost your content’s ranking potential.

4. Improved Brand Recognition and Search Demand

When users see your brand frequently on social media, they become more likely to search for your business directly. This type of “branded search” sends a strong trust signal to Google. The more people search for your business by name, the more search engines associate your brand with authority and relevance, which can lead to improved rankings over time.

5. Faster Indexing of New Content

Search engines use bots to crawl the web and index content. Sharing new content on social media can prompt bots to find and index your pages more quickly. This means your blog posts, landing pages, and other updates can start appearing in search results sooner, getting your content in front of your audience more quickly.

6. Engagement Boosts Website Metrics

Social media drives people to your website. When they stick around, read your content, or explore multiple pages, it lowers your bounce rate and increases time on site, both of which are positive indicators to search engines.

Engaged visitors are more likely to become clients or subscribers as well. That means your content strategy serves two purposes.

7. Local SEO Gets a Boost

For small businesses and service providers, local SEO is a big deal. Active social media pages (mainly Facebook, Instagram, and Google Business Profiles) can improve your local presence. When people engage with your posts or check in at your location, it adds credibility and visibility in your geographic area, making you more likely to show up in local search results.

8. Cross-Platform Authority

A strong and consistent presence across social media platforms reinforces your brand’s credibility. When someone searches for your business name, they’re likely to see your website and your social profiles. This provides searchers with a well-rounded view of your business and contributes to your online authority, another factor that indirectly enhances SEO.

Let K Markley Virtual Solutions Help Turn Your Social Media Into a Powerful Tool

While social media might not be a direct ranking factor, it plays a powerful supporting role in your SEO strategy. Think of it as the megaphone for your content, amplifying your message, helping build relationships, and increasing the visibility and authority of your brand. If you’re investing in SEO, don’t ignore social media. Make it part of your overall content marketing strategy, and you’ll start to see the benefits in your rankings, traffic, and conversions.

At K Markley Virtual Solutions, we specialize in combining smart social media management with SEO-savvy content strategies that help your business get seen and grow. Whether you're just getting started or looking to refine your approach, we’re here to help you create a cohesive and professional online presence that delivers results.

Kelly Markley