Facebook for SEO

Does A Facebook Profile Boost Visibility

Which of the above images would you pick if you had to choose the effect Facebook has on your SEO? Social media popularity and SEO are very different things. Typically SEO is seen as something that every company has to do. Social media is still trying to justify itself, showing an ROI for the time and effort spent on channels like Twitter, LinkedIn and Facebook. As social media grows in importance, the distance between the two is closing, creating a significant overlap. Despite the fact that Facebook has taken a bit of a beating recently, they’re still the biggest social media player out there. So, let’s look at Facebook for SEO and how it can your website’s visibility in organic search.

Spot the Difference

First thing’s first. The name of your Facebook account should reflect your business while also taking into account SEO. The first word of your Facebook page’s name is given the most importance by Google. But do not use it as an excuse to jam in as many keywords as possible.

Next in importance is the About Us section on your Facebook page. This is, unsurprisingly, the part where you explain what you do to people who are looking at your profile. But the About Us section also acts as a kind of meta description for your Facebook page, meaning that again, you should be using relevant keywords, to help your company show when you want it to.

Third, ensure that all of your NAP (name, address, phone number), business locations and hours, and website information are kept up to date. Facebook is increasingly used as a directory to check where something is. Often searchers look at your Facebook page to see if you’re open or where you’re located. This is especially useful as many companies use Facebook messenger as a kind of live-chat option for their customer service teams. If your details don’t match those on your website, not only does it possibly damage your SEO, but it confuses potential customers.

Facebook Search

Remember that Facebook itself has a search function. All of the optimizations mentioned above will help you improve your Facebook SEO, as well as boosting your website’s visibility. Often you’ll see many companies on Facebook with the same name, or variations on that name. If your company name is already out there in another form, it’s important to make sure your Facebook page has the right keywords to get it showing at the right time.

You can help you Facebook SEO by posting regular status updates (again including keywords as long as they are #relevant). You can cross promote blog content, carry out competitions and many other different things. But remember to keep your main keywords associated with your account and company in mind.

Facebook For SEO Ranking

Facebook is front page material. If you search any big brand, from Coca-Cola to Google, you’re likely to see a Facebook link on the first page of search results (and possibly in the sidebar on the right-hand side). So even if Google doesn’t count links from social media sites (and it seems that’s still up for debate), a well-constructed and tended Facebook page will rank on its own. It can help you claim a larger percentage of the front page results yourself. If you have optimized Twitter, Youtube, Instagram and Facebook pages, along with some brand-related SEO ads, and a fully optimized website, you’re looking at controlling up to six spots on the first page.

Messenger

Facebook Messenger is quickly becoming an important customer service tool. If your profile is well constructed it will attract attention and you may get messages through Facebook messenger. Because of this, you need to make sure you’re checking your company Facebook page regularly. People expect a quick/ instant response when they’re using instant messaging tools, so don’t leave them waiting.

Don’t Do It Just For The Sake Of Doing It

Creating a Facebook profile for your company, and maintaining it has enough value on its own. When you recognize the SEO bump it can give your website, it becomes a no-brainer. However, you know your audience best. If they aren’t engaging on this social channel, don’t invest a ton of time and effort. Keep your Facebook profile updated and accurate. If you can grow your audience via Facebook, the regular posts with an eye toward trending content and keywords make cents (pun intended).

What do you think about Facebook for SEO?

Photo credit – Top: We Are Social
Photo credit – Bottom: We Are Social