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Why is SEO Important for Business?
Why is SEO Important for Business?
In this blog post, we will explore how Search Engine Optimization (SEO) can benefit your business from a social media marketing standpoint. Discover the importance of SEO, what it means, where it is used, how it works, and why keywords are crucial for enhancing your online presence through social media.
Small business owners who think that SEO is just for websites may not have the full picture. SEO (Search Engine Optimization) can indeed greatly benefit websites by improving their visibility and ranking on search engine results pages. However, SEO strategies can also be applied to various online platforms beyond websites, such as social media profiles, online directories, and e-commerce platforms.
By optimizing these platforms for search engines, small businesses can increase their online presence and attract more potential customers. This article covers Facebook and Instagram, 2 platforms that work perfectly together. You might also want to take a closer look at Pinterest, which is a fantastic platform for SEO.
In the digital world, SEO is important for your social media strategy. SEO helps build trust, boosts traffic, improves user experience, and drives sales and awareness of your product or service. By optimizing your social profiles and content, you can reach more people, engage better, and hopefully increase your sales. SEO is the key to success in today’s online market.
Practical steps to enhance your social media SEO
Make sure your social media profiles are complete and include a link to your other social profiles. This interlinking can help Google search recognise you and your business.
Collaborate with influencers in your industry by mentioning them in your posts, sharing their content, or participating in their campaigns. Influencers may reciprocate by sharing your content and linking back to your social profiles.
Produce high-quality, engaging content that is likely to be shared by your followers. When others share your content, they may include links back to your social profiles.
Avoid sharing sell sell sell content, it is the quickest way to turn off your followers. Try instead to engage in conversation. If your products are fabulous, they can speak for themselves!
Join relevant online groups and participate in discussions. By sharing valuable insights and resources, you can establish credibility and attract followers who may link back to your social profiles.
Incorporate popular and relevant hashtags in your posts to increase their visibility and reach. This can attract users who may link back to your social profiles. Remember, the algorithms change on a regular basis.
The best place I have found, to keep up to date with this is the Hootsuite blog. Becoming a regular reader is one of the best things you can do for your business, as these guys know there stuff!
Include a link to your shop every time you post on Facebook. For goodness sake you are showing up for yourself and your business every day. Make those posts work hard for you, every time you log in!
Instagram has a link feature, but only on story posts. Try to post a story every day.
Using the link feature can be highly beneficial for any business. It helps you to drive traffic directly to your website, online store, or specific product pages, increasing visibility and potentially leading to higher conversions.
The Power of Influence
Check out the impressive exposure Stephen Gent Art received when we boldly tagged the celebrities showcased in his artwork. His work was highlighted on John Lydon’s Instagram during the period when Lydon was hitting the press for giving Prince Harry a right Royal telling off for his bad behaviour! Check out John Lydon telling Harry and Megan to shut up.
In addition to Ozzy Osbourne sharing Stephen’s work, his lovely wife Sharon Osbourne also shared it. Stephen’s portrait of Ozzy reached a combined audience of 6.7 million people worldwide through the couple’s Instagram accounts! The moral of this story is “Dare to Share”
Examples of how to optimise your Social Media for SEO
Facebook:
For a handmade jewellery designer looking to optimise her Facebook profile for better visibility and engagement, here is an example of how she can do it, step by step:
- Profile Picture and Cover Photo:
- Use a high-quality profile picture that represents the brand, such as a logo or a photo of the designer creating jewellery.
- Choose a visually appealing cover photo and make sure the dimensions are right for Facebook. You can find all of the current dimensions on the Hootsuite Image Sizes CHEATSHEET
- About Section:
- Write a compelling and concise description of the business, highlighting the designer’s style, materials used, and any unique selling points.
- Include relevant keywords related to handmade jewellery to improve searchability. Examples of these keywords – Vintage, Minimalist, Gold, Silver, Gemstone
- Include a Bio Link Page. Instagram only allows one link, buy a Bio links page helps customers to find you where ever you are. One of the most popular Bio Link pages in LINKTREE, and did you know that you can also add the same Bio Page to your Facebook page button? Did I mention it’s free?
- Contact Information:
- Ensure that the contact information is up-to-date and easily accessible for potential customers.
- Include a link to the online store and use a Bio Link Page like Linktree
- Photo Albums:
- Create photo albums showcasing different collections, individual pieces, and behind-the-scenes shots of the jewellery making process. Nothing grabs attention more than a work in progress series.
- Use descriptive captions and tags to enhance the visibility of the photos, and always add a link to your shop, every time you post!
- Engagement:
- Regularly post engaging content such as product launches, promotions, and customer testimonials. Check out this blog post on HubSpot, which goes into detail and includes a free social media calendar.
- Encourage followers to interact by asking questions, running contests, or soliciting feedback on new designs. Remember, no one wants to read sales post after sales pot. That is like walking up to a complete stranger in the street and asking them to marry you! Don’t do it.
- Video Content:
- Incorporate video content showing the jewellery-making process, customer testimonials, or styling tips. Canva has some incredible templates, in both the FREE and paid versions. If you are feeling overwhelmed, or not sure where to start, I highly recommend the FREE Canva Design School, which walks you through everything you need to know, step by step
- Reviews and Recommendations:
- Encourage satisfied customers to leave reviews and recommendations on the Facebook page.
- Positive reviews can build credibility and trust among potential customers.
By optimising her Facebook profile this handmade jewellery designer can effectively showcase her brand, attract followers, and drive engagement with her audience.
Example of Instagram Optimisation
Facebook:
For a handmade jewellery designer looking to optimise her Facebook profile for better visibility and engagement, here is an example of how she can do it, step by step:
- Profile Optimisation:
- Update the Instagram username to include the artist’s name or brand. Make sure the username is the same for every social media platform you use.
- Write a compelling bio that includes relevant keywords related to the artist’s style and location.
- Include a call-to-action (CTA) directing visitors to the artist’s website or online store. I’ve already mentioned Linktree, but you may want to consider more in depth PAID alternatives to Linktree
- Content Strategy:
- Create high-quality, visually appealing posts showcasing the artist’s work. Avoid filling your Instagram with the dreaded “Buy me” posts, as this will turn off both Instagram and your audience.
- Utilize relevant hashtags to improve discoverability and reach a wider audience. Take a deeper look into Hashtags on the Talkwalker Blog
- Engagement Techniques:
- Engage with followers by responding to comments and messages promptly.
- Collaborate with other artists or influencers in the UK to cross-promote each other’s work.
- Run contests or giveaways to encourage interaction and increase engagement. This strategy should only be considered if you have an email list of over 1000 subscribers, otherwise you may be disappointed with the results.
- Use any new Instagram Features:
- Take advantage of Instagram Stories, IGTV, and Reels ensuring that the content you create is the right size and format for each feature.
- Keep an eye on Instagram Insights to track performance and make data-driven decisions.
- Take part in the Instagram Challenges, like posting a story every day.
- Engagement:
- Regularly post engaging content such as product launches, promotions, and customer testimonials. Check out this blog post on HubSpot, which goes into detail and includes a free social media calendar.
- Encourage followers to interact by asking questions, running contests, or soliciting feedback on new designs. Remember, no one wants to read sales post after sales pot. That is like walking up to a complete stranger in the street and asking them to marry you! Don’t do it.
- Drive Sales:
- Promote limited-time offers or discounts exclusively for Instagram followers, but only occasionally.
- Encourage user-generated content by reposting customer photos featuring the artist’s work.
- Include a link in the bio to the artist’s online store or specific product pages
By following these steps and consistently implementing them, the artist can effectively optimise his Instagram profile for SEO, boost engagement with followers, and drive sales of his artwork in the UK.
In conclusion, integrating SEO tactics into your social media marketing can greatly help your business. It boosts visibility, enhances engagement, and drives conversions on social platforms. By optimising your profiles, content, and interactions with SEO techniques, you can improve your online presence, attract a larger following, and grow your business using organic search.
Fantastic information, thank you Sara, it was just the thing I needed to revitalise my social engagement