You have a problem, and you need an answer. Do you Google it? Or, like many searchers these days, do you turn to social media search instead?
Consider how we use our favorite social media sites. We connect with friends, learn new things, and get entertained. Close to 5 billion people currently use social media worldwide, with the average user engaging on 7 media platforms regularly.
We scroll. We click. But even that is changing. Because we know and trust our favorite platforms, we’re finding new ways to use them. It’s only natural we turn to them for search.
A Closer Look at Social Media Search
Social media search is easy to understand. It’s the act of using your favorite social media platform to perform a search. Simply head to the search box and start typing a query.
This provides a more active retrieval system than simply allowing algorithms to deliver based on your interests. It allows you to navigate the vast amounts of information and narrow it down for the results you’re looking for.
Of course, social media search is just getting started. Younger generations are figuring out how to navigate social sooner than older ones.
While 84 percent of people use search engines for brand name searches, there’s a 30 percent difference in who uses them: 94 percent Baby Boomers compared to 64 percent Generation Z. This younger generation already plays on social media channels daily; why not search there too?
The younger generations may be finding social media search now, but you can bet older generations are following and learning. As social platforms become search engines, it’s up to marketers to engage in social SEO.
Why Social Search Is Important for Your Brand
No matter how long you’ve been in business, chances are you’ve connected with at least a few clients via social media. Ignoring social media’s potential is hard when billions use it daily. The impact is far and wide. Brands use it for many reasons:
- To build a stronger brand reputation and loyalty
- To track the competition and build more competitive positioning
- To gain a better understanding of customers
- To manage public relations more effectively
It’s only natural that with that much activity within social platforms, they eventually became great places to search.
Think about your relationship with Google search over the past few years. Slowly, it’s changed from text-based to visual-based results. If you search for anything in Google today, you’ll likely find videos, images, and reviews with photos instead of a wall of text.
If Google’s doing it, is there any wonder we’ve progressed to using social media search?
How To Implement a Social Media Search Strategy
Social media searchers can’t find you if you’re not optimized for search. This means now is the time to pay attention to your social media SEO tactics to put you in front of an audience who is ready to buy.
Will social media search replace search engines? No. Both will continue to exist because they each serve a purpose. It’s up to you to make sure you are optimized for both.
Keywords
Keywords matter in both search engines and social media search. But the way people search is different. Even if you think you know your keywords from previous research, it’s time to create a list exclusively for social.
Different social platforms are searched differently. For example, TikTok’s most searched keywords started with “how to” and “what is.”
With that in mind, you can use these as you craft your social media posts. Be aware of how you write your messages. Minor tweaks in how you word your content affect how often you’re found.
Creating Links
There is some misguidance about the importance of social media links. When you use links in Facebook updates or tweets, they are traditionally nofollow links. This means they won’t impact the SEO authority of the sites they are linking to.
They may not boost traditional search SEO, but they can help by giving you a traffic boost. If you have a post go viral, the link can be an important driver back to your products or services. People will follow links if they are interested.
Make sure you’re taking advantage of this opportunity to send people to relevant landing pages. Change profile links as necessary to capture this attention.
Incorporate Links Into Video
You probably don’t need a reminder of how important video is becoming on social platforms. Reels and short-form videos are increasing. Yet attention spans are shorter, and there’s always more competition vying for it.
This means users won’t go hunting for ways to connect. Incorporating links into video gives people a reason to click without the process of having to find it.
You can do this with short-form, reels, or even carousel posts. Embed them directly into the video or slides. Or place the links in the description below or above the video or slides. Experiment to find what works best for you in each platform.
Optimize Your Social Profile
You would never create an unbranded website; why wouldn’t your social media profile pages follow suit? Your profile pages should mirror your website’s optimization strategy, helping search engines further understand your brand based on your chosen keywords. That means:
- Use high-quality images to establish credibility and capture attention.
- Update your cover photo to reflect new releases or announce events.
- Use SEO-friendly keywords in your About section. Make every character count in your first 140 characters, as this is all that shows up in some results.
- Connect your social platforms with your website and landing pages. Include social on every post and update you make.
- Link your website in the bio section and make sure your website is mobile-friendly.
- Verify the account and get a verification badge. This adds to your credibility and helps build trust with visitors.
Get Started With Social Media Search
Whether social media is new in your marketing strategy or it’s been a part of it for a while, now is the time to gain strength in how it helps build traffic and profits. Wherever you’re at today, this is one strategy that will take you to the next level.
Need help getting there? We can help. How would it feel knowing your next big customer comes from a search on social media? Isn’t it time to put that into action?
