How does social media influence SEO?

Are the SEO and social media connected?

The influence of Social Media and the way it spreads across the domain of Search Engine Optimization is probably one of the most controversial questions. I mean the mysteries like that: how does social media influence SEO? Do these two concepts work synergetically, not at all or not at all?

Here comes a spoiler – the shortest answer is yes, it does. But it would be more correct to consider the second, more broad and comprehensive interpretation. Let’s face it – social media certainly have a relationship with SEO, but can it be mutual? Unfortunately, I am sure only a small thing – social media has no, at least positive, impact on SEO. It simply does not help in optimizing the search results as most people think.

Below I will combine my own suggestions with valuable insights from the team members of Google itself. First of all, let’s take it for granted: the world of the search industry has never received a confirmation for social media for a direct ranking. I mean, yes, social media is still one of the most reasonable ways to get better online visibility of the content. And yes, after all, it’s all about SEO. What can we know for sure about how social media influences SEO? Regardless of what a correct answer may be, it is clear that social media can actually help your Search Engine Optimization in general. But I still wonder, will the search giant ever bring more social signals to its current ranking algorithm?

At this time, Google search algorithms have never been released. Therefore, the only way to understand the behavioral patterns of Google search engines is to check every possible outcome in a real-life test. Can you imagine how time-consuming and labor-intensive this research can be? Ok, let’s go back to the point. How does social media influence SEO? We may as well use social media for everything, but not as a direct factor in ranking, according to Google officials. Well, it does not mean that social media has no influence on rankings, just because Google confirmed once again that social media itself does not stand for a ranking factor.

I believe that the more or less correct answer can be found somewhere about the word “correlation”. For example, this term was mentioned in the context of White Elements Rebooting Ranking Factors provided by Searchmetrics in 2016. I am sure that boys indeed walk the right path. The only correct answer to how social media influence SEO is clear – yes, that is correct. But there are still no direct or double order relationships. So, keeping an eye on making promotion using various social media resources is still a well-formed decision. At the same time, the search engine optimization needs your exact efforts and time in its own way.