Effective online search has previously relied upon the positioning of a Web site in the search engine result pages (SERPs), based mainly upon how many links were pointing to the site, thus indicating popularity, and how high of a page rank (PR) the site had been crowned by Google Pole Assassin. Now, with the steady increase of the social media phenomenon, we can foresee this unstoppable force anchoring itself mightily and building a sturdy home. Page rank is quickly being replaced by friend rank.
Social media is not only the here and now; it's also the wave of the future that is here to stay. It will continue to grow and enlarge at rapid speed. Social media is by far a trend. According to Nielsen Online, social media networks and blogs are now the forth most popular online activity ahead of personal email. Member communities are visited by 67 percent of the global online population. The time spent in social media Web sites is growing at three times the overall Internet use rate, accounting for almost 10 percent of all Internet time.
Social Media's Effect on Google, Bing and Yahoo
Although the SEO ship has not sailed and should definitely be a part of your online marketing campaign, social media marketing is the alpha male in the online jungle and he brings many changes. Google used to separate "social" content. Remember the separate Google search bar you had to download for blogs? And another one for video and yet another for images, while nothing from the social media sites showed up at all? Now Google streams ALL platforms into one system called Universal Search. This means blogs, videos, images, news and user profiles and comments from social media sites are now integrated into the natural SERPs, shoving many previously placed Web sites right out of those coveted top spots. Bing and Yahoo both have incorporated very similar systems.
With that said, you now understand how critical SMO is to your online marketing campaign. By using social media sites such as facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter, you can actually capture a greater number of organic search positions. Did you know Facebook alone has about 350,000,000 members from across the globe? Talk about having your audience right at your fingertips! Once you learn how to identify and connect to your target audience, you can definitely take your business to the next level and the next.
Intertwining Social Media Optimization and SEO
When properly executed, social media optimization can seamlessly dovetail SEO efforts. The ongoing, fresh content creation, social bookmarking, engaging and conversing directly with your audience, attracting inbound links by being a resource for your audience, etc. - these methodologies are essential for pushing your Web site higher in the SERPs, increasing Web traffic and reaping the rewards of conversion and overall ROI. SMO leverages an additional, effective set of online tools to accomplish the same goal as SEO: more exposure and better positioning for your Web site on Google, Yahoo, and Bing. The challenge lies in knowing how to use those tools effectively and without spending all of your waking hours in vain.
The bottom line is this: The days of launching a basic SEO campaign alone within such a competitive online space and joyfully watching your site rise to the top of SERPs are long gone. Not only has SEO become far more complex than it was just a few short years ago, but SMO has transformed SEO from a relatively straightforward strategy into an intricate discipline that is confusing and frustrating to most.
While social media optimization is a must for any business seeking to boost exposure in the search engines, most companies are not up for the task at hand. Turning to someone with social media expertise and experience to successfully go head to head with the alpha male of the jungle is the key reaping rewards from your online efforts.
Contact Crystal Frog Marketing today to face the alpha male for you. Also, keep your eyes peeled for our next article: Your Social Media Marketing Campaign: Top 5 Tips for Successful Execution.