At National PC Solutions, it is part of our job as Internet marketing experts to inform our clients of big changes that occur in the marketplace. We have been forewarning clients for months that Google would eventually start incorporating Facebook posts and comments into their search algorithm, and this major shift just started showing today. An article about this transition can be found here: http://selnd.com/vpdJtO from SEO Land. Another equally interesting article is this change can is this one, http://tgr.ph/v3fSVZ which is a high level Facebook executive discussing Google’s failing to take social media results properly into account in their algorithm.
This change is important for several reasons. The first reason is Google, a giant in the technology industry, has acknowledged that social networking is important enough to incorporate into real time search results. That is–social networking is a powerful communication tool that will not be going away for the foreseeable future. For all of those business owners who have been dragging their feet on creating a FB business landing page, branding it, and having conversations with clients or potential clients, the time for waiting has now passed. Businesses can no longer afford to ignore this medium to build their client base.
The second reason this change is important has everything to do with Search Engine Optimization (SEO). While many companies are currently showing first page placements because of aggressive, quality link building techniques, if they are not active on social media platforms like Facebook and Twitter, they will lose traction and placements in the market. This is because Google is now allotting a percentage of its search results to social media, and failing to have a presence creates a vacuum that will cause a company’s rankings to fall. How much the placements will fall, however, is impossible to tell. What is certain, however, is that a strong SEO campaign is still vital to placements, and that a strong social media presence will help markedly help the optimization process by contributing to better rankings.
The third reason why Google indexing Facebook comments in its algorithm is important is because it is now easier then ever for potential clients to see how a business interacts with its clients on social media platforms, outside of their brick and mortar stores or how they portray themselves on more static marketing mediums like billboards or print advertising. How, and if, these business interact with clients will now start showing on the first page for searches, and these interactions should be informative, informal, and conversational so that potential clients can see the personality of the company on a much deeper level than simply looking through their website or coming across their static marketing materials.
So what are the next steps for a business owner or company wanting to be proactive now that this switch has happened to stay in front of consumers using the Internet to find services or products? First, contact an Internet marketing company that offers social media management services to help you brand your Facebook, Twitter, and You Tube pages in order to create consistency for your firm’s image. Secondly, look at other social media platforms like FourSquare or Yelp to see if these platforms would be a good fit for your business as well (Yelp in particular is great for restaraunts and bars, as is FourSquare for example). The more visibility your company has online, the more new business you will generate from it. Third, ask the Internet marketing company you are working with to help you either formulate a plan you can excecute and follow on your own for your Facebook/Twitter campaigns, or to take over managing your social media presence on these platforms. This will ensure that your business has all of its bases covered, and is ahead of the competition after this new algorithm shift starts changing how businesses are presented online.