Social media SEO in 2024: How to rank higher?
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Social media marketing is not only about staying visible on the network’s feed. This certainly is a priority, but it should not exclude staying relevant within search results.
Even though social platforms are not search engines per se, like Google or Bing, more and more people are using search bars in all the networks when looking for profiles and content they are interested in. And you definitely want to make sure you are visible.
To learn how to improve your rankings with the help of SEO and get more traffic from social networks, just keep reading. We covered all the bases.
What is Social media SEO?
Social SEO comes down to optimizing your social channels to make sure you have a good reach in search results. If it’s done right, your business will pop up when users are browsing social platforms, looking for content like yours.
Basically, Social SEO is about keyword research, placing the right words in your captions, and posting descriptions, subtitles, and alt-text, but also using tags. All that so your social posts are indexed right and so they become present in search results.
To make sure you are on the right path with keyword research – which is the very first step in any platform’s SEO, here is the article you will find useful. We reviewed all relevant SEO tools that could help you with targeting the right keywords.
Note: You don’t need to incorporate the top volume keywords in every caption and every post description. The keyword implementation must not be forced and unnatural. Will Social SEO affect your Google rankings?
This is a million-dollar question since everyone wants to know it, but still, there are opposite, and quite strong opinions that rule out the option of giving a straightforward yes or no answer.
Why is that?
Some experts claim that social media performance is not something Google algorithm takes into account when defining ranking. Others disagree, saying that, even though social signals (followers, shares, engagement rates) do not impact rankings directly, they are indirect SEO boosters.
What do we mean by that?
For example, if a social media post goes viral, it can lead to increased website traffic, and to some new backlinks – which is of huge importance for SEO. Learn more about it in this LinkedIn post.
Also, there was a study, conducted a couple of years ago by Hootsuite that tested SEO results for articles that were launched with and without social media promotion. It proved that articles with social shares had an average of 22% increase in SEO results.
“Historically, platforms like YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and Instagram have been commonly used for social media marketing and have the potential to influence SEO indirectly. Keep in mind that the best social media channel for SEO can depend on various factors, including your target audience, industry, and content type”,
Also, bear in mind that social media channels are listed on Google SERP (Search Engine Result Page). You will even see the previews of brands’ latest posts:
To keep your social media SEO in place in 2024, make sure to follow the guidelines provided by our SEO expert:
“Remember to stay updated with the latest trends and algorithm changes in both social media and search engines. The specifics can vary depending on the platform and industry, so it’s essential to adapt strategies based on your target audience and goals.”
Note: The steps are applicable to all social platforms – Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and LinkedIn.
#1 Content quality and relevance
Creating high-quality, relevant content remains a key factor. Search engines often prioritize content that adds value to users. So don’t focus on quantity but instead invest time and effort into the posts you are creating.
#2 Engagement metrics
This aspect is closely tied to the one we mentioned above, because social media platforms and search engines may consider engagement metrics (likes, shares, comments) as signals of content quality. And higher engagement can positively impact SEO.
#3 Optimizing profiles
Ensure that your social media profiles are optimized with accurate and up-to-date information, including keywords relevant to your brand or business. Learn more about optimizing your social media profiles in the following subheadings.
#4 Video content
Video content continues to be a powerful tool for engagement. Platforms like YouTube are search engines in their own right, and optimizing video content is a must if you want to stay on the surface within your niche. Bear in mind that there are around 3 billion searches on YouTube each month.
#5 Hashtags
You might think hashtags are a thing of the past. But you would be wrong. Proper usage of hashtags on platforms like Instagram and Twitter can greatly increase the discoverability of your content. Research and use only relevant and trending hashtags.
#6 Local SEO
For businesses with a local presence, optimizing social media profiles for local search is crucial. Around 77% of people in the United Kingdom, Germany, France, and the United States use Google to find information on local businesses. The essential things to include are location-specific keywords and information.
#7 Influencer collaborations
Collaborating with influencers can bring many benefits to your social media presence. In the first place, it can broaden your reach and potentially improve your SEO. Influencers often have engaged audiences, and their endorsements can positively impact your brand.
#8 Social signals
Social signals, such as the number of social media mentions and links to your content, may continue to be considered by search engines as indicators of a page’s popularity and relevance. This is why you should invest more in content quality, and encourage audience engagement.
#9 Mobile optimization
Ensure that your social media content is optimized for mobile users. Mobile-friendly content is likely to have a positive impact on SEO. Use simple words, high-quality images and videos, but make sure it doesn’t take too much time for them to load.
- Select a relevant username/handle – your identifier should be unique and it should reflect your brand or personal identity; ideally, you should use keywords tied to your niche or expertise
- Optimize your bio/description – include relevant keywords in your bio or description; clearly state your expertise, services, or products; add as many details as possible; and as an additional bonus – use hashtags to increase discoverability
- Profile picture – place a high-quality and recognizable profile picture, and optimize the image file name with relevant keywords
- Add a link to your website – it is highly recommended to include a link to your website or landing page in your profile
- Social media cross-promotion – link your social media profiles together; promote your social profiles on your website and other online platforms
YouTube SEO tips
We will now provide some suggestions on how to improve your SEO for YouTube, given this platform represents the second-largest search engine and has tremendous potential when it comes to reaching your social media users.
According to our SEO specialist, “optimizing your YouTube channel and videos for search engines is crucial to increase visibility and reach a broader audience”.
- Keyword research
As always, you must start with identifying the relevant keywords for your niche using tools like Google Keyword Planner, Ubersuggest, or YouTube’s own search suggestion feature.
Tip: Include primary and secondary keywords in your video titles, descriptions, and tags.
- Compelling titles
The second step, and one of the most crucial ones, is creating attention-grabbing, descriptive titles that include your main keyword. They should be a short explanation of what the video is about.
Tip: Keep titles concise but compelling to encourage clicks.
- Optimized descriptions
Write detailed video descriptions (at least 200 words) that provide context about the video’s content. Make sure the description is not dull and that it’s readable (use short sentences, bullet points, etc). It’s again important to include relevant keywords.
Tip: Add links to your website or social media profiles.
- Tags
Use relevant tags that reflect the content of your video.
Tip: Include both broad and specific tags related to your video.
- Thumbnail optimization
The very next step in your YouTube SEO mission is creating eye-catching thumbnails that accurately represent your video content.
Tip: Thumbnails should be clear, high-quality, and visually appealing.
- Video transcripts
This is often a neglected step, but it can be very fruitful. You should think of providing accurate and complete transcripts for your videos in order to improve search visibility. With transcripts, search engines can crawl the text.
Tip: Make sure the transcript is well spelled.
- Engagement metrics
Encourage likes, comments, and shares in your videos, as they contribute to higher rankings.
Tip: Respond to comments to foster a sense of community around your video content.
- Playlists
Organize your videos into playlists to increase watch time.
Tip: Use keyword-rich titles and descriptions for playlists as well.
- Consistent branding
For the sake of attracting your loyal audience’s attention, maintain a consistent brand image across your YouTube channel.
Tip: Use a recognizable profile picture, banner, and consistent messaging.
- Promote on social media
Share your videos on other social media platforms to increase visibility and drive traffic.
Tip: Don’t forget about the hashtags. Remember what we said about them increasing the discoverability of your content, especially on Instagram and Twitter.
- Create compelling content
Once again, focus on creating high-quality, engaging content that keeps viewers watching.
Tip: Longer watch times positively impact search rankings.
- YouTube Analytics
Our suggestion is to review YouTube Analytics on a regular basis to understand your audience and the performance of your videos. This can help you improve your content and better optimize it.
Tip: Adjust your strategy based on insights from analytics.
- Closed captions
Add closed captions to your videos. This will not only make your content accessible but it can also improve search rankings. Accurate closed captions send positive ranking indicators to YouTube, making it easier for this platform to show your content to the right audience.
Tip: Check the automatically added captions to make sure there are no mistakes. This often happens and can affect your search position.
- Video end screens and cards
Use end screens and cards to encourage viewers to watch more of your videos.
Tip: Promote your subscribe button and other videos.
- Consistent upload schedule
Establish a consistent upload schedule to keep your audience engaged. If you wonder how often a new video should be released, we suggest doing it at least once a week. But this depends greatly on your niche and on the type of content you are preparing, as well as the amount of time needed to prepare the video.
Tip: Launch a new video on the same day of the week or month, and at the same time.
“By implementing these strategies, you can improve your YouTube SEO and increase the likelihood of your videos being discovered by a wider audience. Keep in mind that YouTube’s algorithm is complex, and it takes time to see significant results, so be patient and persistent with your efforts”, our SEO specialist says.
Facebook SEO tips
Despite current belief, the number of active Facebook users is on a constant rise. At the end of 2023, there were more than 3 million monthly users that were actively engaged on this platform.
So investing in Facebook SEO to reach new audiences is definitely the thing to do. Especially if you’re looking for ways to monetize your business (you will find more about ways to monetize your social traffic down below).
So here are some advice on how to improve your presence on the biggest social media platform:
#1 Choose the right profile name – try including the main keyword relevant to your niche in your profile name, but make sure it matches your business name across all social media and your website. Bear in mind the first word is the most important one, and that the whole name should not be too generic.
#2 Get a vanity URL – by claiming a vanity URL, you will get a chance to personalize your URL. This move can boost your visibility and improve your rankings, but also allow users to find you more easily. But don’t overdo it and don’t shorten it too much – it’s still important for users to understand what your business is about.
#3 Provide all the information on the “About” page – search engines will use this data to match your page to location-based search queries. Also, using the most relevant keywords on this page will help you boost rankings a bit more, even though the “About” page does not drive much traffic.
#4 Use keywords in all posts – this doesn’t mean to stuff your Facebook content with as many keywords as possible. But by placing a couple of the most relevant keywords you will increase the chances of your posts appearing in search results.
#5 Include ALT text – written text that describes the image will not appear on a post, it’s implemented in the image HTML code. However, it will help search engines “understand” the content of an image. This helps with reaching targeted audiences.
#6 Don’t forget about backlinks – having backlinks from high-authority sources is a way to please Google. They will provide a signal that your content is worth reading and relevant. Try reaching influencers and bloggers to get guest posts and collaborations.
Finally, it’s time to see how to profit from all these efforts of investing in SEO. At the end of the road, after implementing all the suggestions we provided, you should have better reach, more followers, and clearly more traffic.
And what to do with all that traffic if not monetize it. Right?
Social media traffic is one of the best-performing traffic sources, and advertisers are more than ready to pay for it. So there’s your chance to harvest the fruits of your hard work.
We are talking about getting hundreds, sometimes even thousands of dollars on a daily level through the right monetization strategy, suitable for the social media platform of your choice.
Here are some examples:
→ Nigerian publishers case study – more than $2000 in a month on Facebook traffic
→ Zambian publisher case study – more than $700 on the Telegram channel
→ A case study about a publisher that generated an overall $60.000 on Facebook traffic
No matter if you are working with channels, social groups, Reels, or Shorts, you will achieve great earnings if you have created a base of a large and engaged audience.
And how exactly can you achieve great profits with Monetag?
We suggest you try out Monetag’s high-converting SmartLink – it will send your visitors to the most relevant offers and bring you high revenue. You can add it to your landing page (attach it to UI elements like links and buttons), or incorporate it in the post if the social network allows it, and just watch your profits rise.
- It comes with really high CPM rates
- It provides access to thousands of offers from 2000+ direct advertisers worldwide
- And it’s easy to get – you just need to register at Monetag
SmartLink works like a charm. It faces the users with offers selected by GEO, device preference, and their personal inclinations. So, the users will be more likely to perform the targeted action (purchase, installation, registration, etc.), and you will earn more money.
Note: For making additional profits, you can also rely on Monetag’s other effective formats: Popunder, Vignette Banner, Interstitial, Push Notifications, and In-Page Push. Or you can simply go with MultiTag - install just one tag and get all 5 formats at once.Final words
Staying on top of social media SEO is not easy. It demands investing time, staying up-to-date with all the changes and new trends, and dedicating yourself to each little detail whenever you’re preparing a new post or video. It’s hard work. But we assure you it’s worth it.
We encourage you to take the knowledge we collected from the very top SEO experts just for you and start implementing it all today. And let us know when you’re ready to make some money out of your enlarged social traffic.
