Social signals refer to likes, shares, votes, pins, or views that people place on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, or other social media sites that filter out to various search engines. According to Moz, a leading SEO tool provider, social signals are the second most important factor for SEO after high-quality content.
Several studies have indicated that pages with many likes, shares, and comments rank better in search engines. For instance, a study performed by Cognitive SEO, a digital marketing tool suite, found that there’s a strong correlation between social signals and ranking position. Websites with more social signals appear to have better organic positions in SERPs.
Another research study from Searchmetrics, which analyzed millions of websites, reaffirmed this correlation. Their study likewise claims that websites that rank high on Google have a high number of shares, likes, tweets, and plus ones.
Social media doesn’t directly contribute to SEO ranking, but the links you share across social platforms increase brand exposure. They add up and significantly impact search ranking. So, while Google has made it clear that social shares don’t count as individual links, the increased visibility attained through these platforms can influence page rankings.
For example, take content that receives a high number of tweets than content that doesn’t get tweeted. As a result, the content gets significantly increased visibility, which likely leads to more inbound links and more site traffic – things that do significantly impact SEO.
Social media profiles also rank in search engines. Personalized search is also influenced by social signals, according to a personalized search study by Gabe Donnini at Marketing Land, which means the more people sharing, the higher the chance your audience also sees your post when they’re looking for similar sources.
In addition, social media platforms serve as a search engine themselves. For example, if you enter a business name on Facebook, it will show you results related to that business.
In conclusion, while social signals may not directly impact SEO, they definitely influence factors that affect a page’s ability to rank in SERP. That’s why it’s crucial to have a balanced and well-rounded strategy that takes into account the importance of social media signals and their indirect impact on SEO.
Sources:
1. Searchmetrics (2016) – Ranking factors infographic
2. Moz (2015) – Search engine ranking factors
3. Cognitive SEO (2016) – Study on social signals and ranking
4. Marketing Land (2013) – Study on personalized search
5. Google Official Blog (2014) – Explanation of social signals and ranking
