It is understood and well documented that Google likes social signals. These provide evidence that the online community is talking about your brand, sharing your content and engaging with you in a meaningful fashion.
For many, building these is seen as the job of the SEO or the social networking manager. However, I believe that coaching your business to engage in a meaningful way is a better long-term strategy for success.
Broadcasting the latest news about your business isn’t going to work unless your lucky enough to be a super brand like Apple or Nike. That means you need to reach out and engage with your customers, and that engagement needs to be targeted and meaningful. Your business probably works across multiple verticals, each with it’s own interest groups. Your engagement strategy should be personalised and tailored for each of these groups, ideally by a person and not a corporate logo. Don’t try to second guess your audience or assume that Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter are the only places people exchange news and views.
Stop and sense check your thoughts. Are people actually interested in what you’re planning to say? Look for similar groups and people, coach your spokesperson to follow them and engage with them and become a valid member of their communities. It’s here that a well-coached subject matter expert will beat a marketer every time. We are talking about communication. Conversation. This is nothing new and the best people to take part are the most informed.
“Stop and sense check your strategy. Are people actually interested in what you’re planning to say?”
When you understand what makes these communities tick, start creating solid, engaging content for them. This isn’t about trying to game Google, this is about real people and real value. I think it is reasonable to work around a theme focused on your brands keywords, but forget about filling pages with old school SEO style copy. You need an editorial approach to build copy that people will genuinely want to read and link to. Info graphics, videos and industry insights all provide added value, so be prepared to give something away to get something back.
Content can come in many ways and doesn’t necessarily need to be on your website. Consider offering solutions to the many questions posted on linked-in groups for example. Find a good tool to monitor Twitter and look out for phrases or #Tags around your area of interest. Remember, you don’t walk up to strangers in the pub and offer them your products; you talk to them about whippet racing, or whatever. When they realise your not a nutter the chances area they will be happy to discuss your business.
As your online circle of influence builds you will become more trusted and people will be more likely to link to your content though re-tweets, likes or discussion groups.
It’s important to have on-going analytics in place to understand when you are getting it right, and where you can improve. As you grow your network the social signals will grow with you. Google will begin to see you as the authority you are and will rank results from your website accordingly. This isn’t a once only process; this needs to be a state of mind that becomes pervasive in your business. It is an extension of your communications strategy and should be thought of as such.
Building social signals isn’t about smoke and mirrors; it’s about creating communities, sharing great content and taking part in discussions with like-minded people. Like anything digital, if you build a solid, well-researched strategy and take a focused, iterative approach and you should be rewarded with higher search rankings and more engaged customers.
“We are talking about communication. Conversation. This is nothing new and the best people to take part are the most informed.”
Previously on the Critical Path…….
Kick-ass digital engagement strategies, everything you needed to know but were too afraid to ask
Content strategy and linkbuilding: It does what it says on the tin