Search engine optimization has effected a lot of things in the world, from marketing angles to internet algorithms. Here is a look at the overall impact SEO has had on social networks and social media in general.
Social Articles Rank Higher
Because content that gets a lot of social traction does better in general online, people target social audiences with their writing. Articles and blogs are written specifically to garner ‘likes,’ shares, upvotes and tweets. It’s almost as if SEO has turned writing into an approval engine, rather than into an engine of information. Savvy companies create quality content for SEO purposes, such as MediaWhiz, while others open up content mills.
Nowadays negative opinions are often left by the wayside in favor of things that will get those approving upvotes and shares. SEO has also lead to keyword stuffing, careful outbound linking, and a serious emphasis on gaining inbound links from credible sources. Rather than writing being the end goal in-and-of-itself, it’s now a means to popularity (because of the higher ranking that follows).
Social Networks Are Getting Smarter
Groups of people on Facebook and Reddit are becoming smarter, slowly. Because content that’s shared often is news breaking or fascinating, people are learning things about the world around them. This is a great thing that’s happened because of SEO: companies and marketers are finding and sharing great information because it does get more approval in social circles.
Monthly Site Visits
Via Flickr by IvanWalsh.com
Companies like MediaWhiz realize the power of Facebook for SEO. Others that are wise are taking notice of Twitter, Pinterest, YouTube and other social sites, too. The thing is this: whether or not those ‘likes’ and shares translate directly into a higher ranking, savvy companies realize that those upvotes certainly can’t hurt a ranking.
In this world where algorithm updates like Panda can quickly crush revenue and shake up the leaders, it never hurts to cover bases that could be future home runs. Furthermore, fans on Twitter and Facebook often lead to more monthly page visits, which does help with ranking.
Interconnectedness of the Web
Search engine optimization has lead to a greater interconnectedness between all social sites. The social sphere has gotten smaller because of all of this connectedness. It used to be that a few great sites were valued above all others, so much so that small social networks had no merits and were often neglected during social promotions.
Today, people take heed of all social networks because they all link to one another. This connectedness brings competitors closer, levels the playing field, and makes it impossible to prevent fans from seeing the same articles and content repeatedly.
The social sphere has become much smaller because of SEO. Articles that once only appeared on Huffington Post are now appearing on Huffington Post, Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, Reddit, Digg, and many other sites. People are more closely connected to their idols and companies they love. SEO has done all of this and much more.
Author Bio:
Michael Erin Purdy studied Creative &Technical Writing at Utah Valley University while working as the Assistant Editor-in-Chief on the newspaper and the Editor-in-Chief of the literary journal, Touchstones. She mastered press releases and speech writing while working for Senator Bennett in his DC office, and studied the delicate art of persuasion in social content as the Social Content Manager at BlueGlass. Michael mastered British English as a British English teacher in Ukraine as a Peace Corps volunteer.
Today Mrs. Purdy lives in Las Vegas, Nevada with her husband who works at Nellis Air Force Base. They love their English bulldog too much to ever have kids. Michael volunteers as an English instructor at local schools, and spends far too much time on Reddit and Pinterest.
