Social SEO Strategies: Mastering the Art of Social SEO Sneak Peak

Interested in learning more about Social SEO? Here is the first chapter of our latest eBook Social SEO Strategies: Mastering the Art of Social SEO.

Chapter 1: What Is Social SEO?

Social SEO is the application of social signals to the search engine results. But what does that mean? What exactly is a social signal? And how does it impact the search results?

Social signals are produced by individuals’ online activity. Each time you share some content, +1 an article, Like an image on Facebook, etc., it creates a social signal. The search engines use these signals to help them determine the quality/depth of an online relationship between individuals.

But how do social signals actually impact the search results?

Understanding the quality of an online relationship between individuals helps the search engines deliver better/more personalized results. Based upon their assessment of an online relationship, the search engines then determine if a particular piece of content would be more relevant to an individual. If so, they give it priority in the search results.

Let’s take a look at a simple example to illustrate:

Widgets R Us (WRU), sells widgets. The WRU website is a leading authority on widgets and is already ranking well. They have social profiles on Facebook, Twitter, and Google+. Their connections on these social profiles (fans, Likes, circles, etc.) include other trusted companies dealing in widgets, industry experts on widgets, brand advocates, and widget fans.

The company grows, and in addition to their existing widgets, they release a brand new red widget. They post content about the new and improved red widgets on their website, and want it to rank well in the search results. So what do they do? They push links to social profiles to leverage their connections and expand the reach of their content.

Since WRU is selling widgets, and is already a leading authority, their push to social profiles builds a cascade of online commentary from other reputable folks connected to the widget industry. All that activity sends a signal to the search engines. It basically says to them, “Hey, you may want to check-out all this new widget-buzz, and consider indexing and ranking it in the search results, particularly for people who are logged into Google and are connected to these brands, experts, fans, and/or advocates via Google+, Facebook, or Twitter.”

That, in a nutshell, is a social signal. And social SEO is about optimizing for those social signals.

Interested in diving deeper into Social SEO? Then download our free eBook, Social SEO Strategies: Mastering the Art of Social SEO, for tips and techniques you need to gain an competitive edge today!