Time for a Redesign of your Web Site?
Does Social Media Effect Your SEO?
Whether it is a new car or a new web site, a fresh look every few years is not just needed but highly suggested. Integrating videos, making fast changes to content yourself, cleaning up some old content are all important aspects of a new site. Some people will try to place a year (every 5 years, every 7 years, etc.) but let’s consider these items:
First Impressions – Like everything else in life, first impressions count. Nowadays, if users don’t find what they are expecting to find they’ll leave and more than likely never come back. First impressions are so important when it comes to web design and often this realization comes at a cost for most website owners.
State of the Art – Having an updated website sends a message: Your company is healthy, forward-thinking, and ready to take on new customers. Good companies evolve and grow over the years and your website is the best way to showcase who you are.
Your competition – Check out the websites of your key competitors and compare them to your own site. If you’re considered a leader in your industry yet your site is the last to upgrade, it might be time to redesign.
Converting Into Sales – When a user visits your website, this is your chance to grab them by the hand and give them a tour of your brand, products and services, much like you would if they walked into your brick and mortar location. If your website doesn’t invite them to look around or give them opportunities to interact, you may be missing opportunities to filter users into your sales funnel.
Business Goals have Changed – If your marketing strategy has changed, it may be time to change your website to match the new plan. For example, at the time that you built your website, your goal may have been to sell products. Now, your goal may be to increase repeat business.
Other questions to ask yourself –
- What do you like / dislike about your current site? Let’s keep what you like and change what you do not like.
- Do you use social media sites ENOUGH? (Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, YouTube, etc.) Some companies need many; Some need just a few social media sites. Some people think just HAVING a social media channel is enough – You have to USE it!
- Do you want / require admin access so that you can make changes? Some people want the ability to make changes; Some prefer not to have their own access. It’s usually a matter of time and whether you have the time to make changes. Some owners do not want the extra responsibility, if something goes wrong.
- What conversions do you currently have / require? (Contact form, online purchase, phone calls, etc.)
These questions should be considered and discussed with your web designer / marketing professional so that all the needed items are included in a new site, PRIOR to the process beginning.
Does Social Media Effect Your SEO?
Handling your social media is a necessary part of any marketing strategy, but it’s also a vital part of any good SEO strategy. The popularity of social media has risen and probably will keep doing so. That means Google and other search engines can’t ignore them, and you probably shouldn’t either. You even see recent tweets popping up in search results now! So let’s discuss: how does social media influence SEO?
Customers are looking for you
SEO is about being found, so let’s start with the basics. If people are looking for you, make sure they find you! Customers that have heard about your brand might look for you on social media, or even through Google. As a professional company or brand, they expect you to be there. You don’t want them to come up empty, or worse: stumble on another business with a similar name while thinking it’s you. For that reason, it’s a good idea to claim your profiles. Even if you’re not planning on using the platform right now, you might want to in the future.
If you do register on a social platform and are not planning to actively maintain the profile, let your visitors know. If in the future you do decide to start using a platform, you’re ready to go. Social media is ever-changing, so you never know if you might.
Social accounts showing in search results
Did you know that your social accounts can show up when people search for your brand name in search engines? For example, in Google’s Knowledge Panel. Here’s an example of what that looks like:
Claim your space in the search results
What’s also important: content like tweet carousels take up (way) more place in the search results! The same goes for your actual social accounts: they show up too. The more space you claim in the top search results, the more you push down other results. It definitely increases the chances of people clicking through to any of your places on the web!
More traffic to your website
Now you understand the actual benefits of claiming (and preferably regularly updating, but more on that in a later blog post) your social media accounts, how does that tie into your SEO strategy? The idea is quite simple: if people are talking about you, online or offline, you’re relevant. As you might know by now, that is what search engines are looking for: Google wants to present users with the most relevant results. They love serving up search results that they know others find interesting.
So if you offer awesome content on your website, why not spread it even further by referring to it in other places, like on Facebook? It’s your content so it’s yours to share. Help people discover you! By convincing people to click to find out more, read on, etc., your social media posts could seriously increase traffic to your website.
Brand awareness through social media
Having success in social media also increases brand awareness. If you’re sharing great content, people will connect that positive experience to your brand name and experience. They might share your content or even just ‘like’ it. Either way, they’re helping you reach a new audience. Social media algorithms like content that other people like, they’ll help spread it further. Now, if these new people see and enjoy your content, they might start following you! They’ll get to know you and your products, services, or whatever it is you want them to know about.
Social media and SEO
Wrapping up: we wouldn’t say that just the fact that you are on social media has a direct impact on rankings. But, as with many ranking factors, it can help indirectly. An increased brand awareness, more traffic, people enjoying your content, all of those could help your website’s success.
So you know that it can pay off to use social media for your brand. But one of the hardest, if not the hardest, things of social media is: what do you ‘do’ on them? What kind of content are you supposed to share? How do you make a social media plan for your business or blog? How much time will it take? Is it worth it?