SEO & Social Media: Two Strategies with the Same Goal
Your dealership has access to multiple digital tools in addition to your website that can boost your online success.
Even if you don’t currently use these tools in your own business, you’re probably at least somewhat familiar with them – search engine marketing and optimization, email campaigns, social media advertising, reputation management tools and more.
We want to focus on two important tools that can work together to increase your brand’s online visibility online: search engine optimization (SEO) and social media. Why these particular tools? Because they perform a similar function and pair well together.
When you think of digital content that appears on search engines, you probably think of website content and keywords that contribute to organic SEO. But did you know that the content on your social media pages can also appear on search engines? Both tools work to make your dealership prominent online, but they operate in different ways.
Content & Keywords
One of the principles of SEO is to research high-performing keywords that relate to your dealership and industry. It is a good habit to track which industry keywords are trending in online searches so you can create relatable content. However, keywords aren’t just important to your SEO results – they also can guide you in creating social media content that resonates with your audience.
Successful posts drive engagement by generating “likes,” comments and shares among your followers. As posts receive more engagement, they increase in visibility and are seen by more people, which can drive more traffic back to your dealership website. Increased website traffic is the ultimate goal of social media and SEO. This means you can drive more traffic not just through traditional avenues like Google, but also through your social media platforms – which act like search engines themselves.
Search Engines
Today, customers use social media as its own search engine, browsing for businesses and products on platforms like Facebook and Instagram. Additionally, search engines have advanced to recognize social media content, which influences your local search rankings. By employing similar high-performing keywords and content on both your website and social media, you can grow your visibility on search engines.
Streamlined Themes
While your SEO strategy and social media presence are separate entities, they should be treated as a partnership. You can do so by using consistent keywords and content themes between your SEO (website, blog, etc.) and social media content. For example, the information you received through your SEO research (such as hot keywords, buyer interests and shopping trends) can be used as inspiration for your social media post ideas. You could then link your social posts to your website to drive you audience to your long-form content or to specific inventory listings that they may be interested in.
Reputation Management
While shoppers typically don’t provide feedback on a website’s SEO content, they can have a lot to say about your business. And we all know that a business’ online reputation influences its search ranking. Search engines prioritize business listings that are in good standing with their customers. Did you know that your social media behavior has a similar impact on your search rank?
Your social media presence is under great scrutiny by customers and prospects alike. Shoppers are likely to consider your social media presence – especially online reviews and page comments left by other shoppers – during their online search process. Consider how responsive you are to your customers on social media. Do you engage with them on your social posts? Do you respond to comments and direct messages in a timely manner? If not, we encourage you to increase your responsiveness. Your social media presence (or lack thereof) is not only noticeable to potential customers, but also to search engines. Your posts and responses could be featured in relevant search results, allowing even more shoppers to discover your social media pages.
To recap, SEO and social media are two different tools with different functions that share a goal – to build your brand visibility. Achieving optimal results through one tool will ultimately benefit the other as well.
Do you have questions about improving your SEO and/or your social media presence? Feel free to connect with our industry experts to discuss your unique digital strategy.