SMO (Social Media Optimization) is an important factor in your internet search rankings. This strategy is often overlooked by many companies, even though it can help increase your position within the search rankings.

In social media, there are two important search engines you have to optimize for:

1. The search function within each social network
2. Google search

When you optimize for either search environment, there are some direct and indirect benefits. The direct benefit is simply more people finding your profile and connecting with you and visiting your website. The indirect benefit is from an extra link pointing to your website from your profile.

Here are some quick tips on how to make the most of your SMO efforts.

1. Integrate Social into your Website

Social sharing tools should be integrated in your site architecture. Include direct web links to your social media channels from your website and from your social profiles back to your website. You can also add social media sharing buttons to individual blog posts.

Links on social media are often considered higher-quality links because social sites have a high web authority. Even if your Facebook page is brand new, it’s likely to rank well in the SERP’s because of Facebook’s overall high authority.

2. Consistency is Key to SMO

Creating your social profile seems like a simple task, yet it’s one of the first areas where businesses tend to fall short. Fill out the profile information 100%. Search engines tend to favor profiles with complete information available. It also creates a more professional cohesive experience for others in your network, so all the contact information in your social profiles should be exactly the same as they are on your website.

3. Align SEO keywords and Social Media

If you want to maximize exposure of your social media profiles, keywords play a very strong role. In fact, if you’re not optimizing your profiles correctly, you’re leaving money on the table for your competitors. Structure your keywords and target key phrases into your social profiles in a natural, non-spammy way. If you can effectively use your keyword or phrase in your profile or page name, it will help it rank better in keyword searches on Google and within the social network search itself.

4. Use Keywords in Your Posts

Keywords are important for your website, blog content, and ad campaigns, so it should come as no surprise that keywords matter with your social content, too. This also helps keep your content relevant to your target audience.

5. Be Social on Social Media

It’s called SOCIAL media for reason, duh! Social signals are an important factor in SEO because search engines look at social signals and factor in how often you’re posting, how many people interact with you, and if there are social sharing elements available to website visitors. Brands often forget that the purpose of these platforms is to build relationships. It’s not a set and forget type of medium. Get out there and participate in conversations, follow your customer base, and share helpful content from both your website and other relevant sites.

6. Use Branded Cover Images.

I can’t stress the importance of always putting your best foot forward and staying on brand. The cover image is typically the first thing a user sees when he or she visits your page, and you want to give them a good impression. Use this opportunity to convey your brand messaging to your current and prospective followers/customers. Use recommended size guides for each platform to ensure that your cover image is formatted and displayed correctly, and always use professional images that are relevant and memorable.

7. Stay in Control

Lastly, never allow employees to use a personal e-mail address to create or manage your brand social media accounts. Always use a company controlled e-mail account. You can’t optimize an account you no longer have access to due to employee turnover.

Social media can be one of your greatest assets for improving your site’s organic search results if properly utilized. Following these 7 steps will help you make the most of your optimization efforts.

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