Top Social Media and Local SEO Strategies in 2024

Posted: October 5, 2024

Table of Contents

Did you know that 88% of users check social media for brand information? Also, 67% of Gen Z people look for products or services on social media. These facts show how social media and local SEO can boost each other.

Social media and SEO are often seen as separate. Social media is for building relationships and engaging with people. SEO focuses on keywords to attract more visitors. But, they can work together to increase your local business’s online presence.

social media and local SEO

Key Takeaways

Social media and SEO can work together to drive more SEO traffic, SEO trends, and SEO traffic trends for local businesses.
Over 90% of consumers use the internet to find local businesses, highlighting the importance of local SEO strategies.
Optimizing social media profiles and posting geotag-enabled content can boost local SEO rankings.
Engaging with the local community on social media can increase brand loyalty and repeat business.
Regularly monitoring social media performance can lead to a 30% improvement in local SEO effectiveness.

Does Social Media Impact Local SEO?

Social media and local SEO are connected, but it’s not straightforward. Yes, social media can help your local SEO efforts. Even though Google doesn’t use social signals directly in local rankings, a good social media plan can still help.

Social media boosts your website traffic and engagement. These are key for search engines. By sharing great content, you draw more visitors, increase page time, and get valuable backlinks. All these help your website show up more in search results.

Also, being active on platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn helps your local SEO. It makes sure your business’s NAP info is the same everywhere. This NAP consistency is crucial for local search rankings.

Social media lets you connect with your local audience. You can build trust and get positive reviews. These can make your business seem more relevant and trustworthy to search engines. This might lead to better rankings.

In short, social media doesn’t directly affect local SEO. But, it offers indirect benefits that boost your online presence. By combining your social media and local SEO strategies, you can attract more customers and grow your business.

How does SEO Relate to Social Media?

As a professional copywriter, I see how SEO and social media work together. Social media is about posting and optimizing content on different platforms. SEO is about making your website or content easier to find online. Together, they help attract more customers through search.

Social Media vs. SEO

The main goal is to find and show your brand to the right people. Social media focuses on building relationships and creating content that people want to share. SEO, however, aims to get your website to rank high in search results for certain keywords.

What is Social Media SEO?

local SEO for mobile — Optimizing for search boosts your discoverability and reach.

Social media SEO combines the best of both worlds. It uses social media and SEO to bring in traffic from search engines, social media, and other websites. This approach helps you reach more people and drive more traffic to your business.

Statistic	Value
42% of social media marketers strongly agree that people now prefer finding brands on social media rather than traditional search engines.	42%
In 2024, 82% of individuals would choose social media over a brand’s website when making purchases, and 84% would opt for social media over third-party sites like Amazon.	82% and 84%
Short-form videos, such as those on TikTok and Instagram Reels, have shown the biggest Return on Investment (ROI) this year, with 36% of respondents indicating their preference for them.	36%
An Artios study revealed a concerning trend of increasing fake followers across platforms such as Instagram, TikTok, and Twitter, highlighting the negative impact of purchasing fake followers or likes on social media engagement and credibility.	N/A
Over 30% of Google desktop SERPs in the U.S. featured a video carousel, video result, or featured video on September 25, 2023.	30%
On September 25, 2023, 4.31% of desktop results in the U.S. featured an X carousel.	4.31%

Understanding the link between social media and SEO helps businesses. They can use both to increase their online presence, engage with their audience, and drive more traffic to their site.

What is The Link Between Search Engines and Social Signals?

Search engines are now looking at social signals more than before. Social signals measure how much people engage with content on social media. While they’re not the top factor, they still have some power.

Bing values social signals more than Google. Google also considers social media when judging content and websites. This shows how important social media is for search rankings.

Having a strong social media presence can boost your SEO. Good social media content can help you show up on Google’s first page. In fact, 43% of people find new products on social media.

Using social media well can also help with local SEO. This includes adding your business details online and getting more local content. With 46% of Google searches looking for local info, social media is key.

What are Social Media and Local SEO Best Practices?

Many think social media doesn’t directly help with Google rankings. But, it can still help your local SEO efforts. Sites like Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook are great for reaching different people. Using social media and SEO together can help businesses target specific areas.

About 26% of people aged 16 to 64 use social media to find products. This shows how big a role social media plays in buying decisions. Social media can also help improve your local SEO by making your business more visible online.

Using social media to target local customers can boost your local SEO. Getting backlinks from social media can increase your brand’s awareness and website traffic. This can also help your SEO performance.

It’s important to make your social media profiles look good and keep your info consistent. Using local hashtags and mentioning local events can help your SEO. Posting regularly and engaging with your audience can also help your local SEO ranking.

You can look into your metrics and SEO performance using SEMrush. Check out this SEMrush review to learn more about the tool.

Metric	Value
Digital Marketing Budget	72% of total marketing budget
Online Customer Journeys Start with Search	68%
Website Traffic from Organic Search	53.3%
Global Social Media Users Seeking Products	26%
Individuals Seeking Brand Content on Social Media	21.5%
Global Internet Users	5.16 billion

How do You Optimize Social Media and Local SEO?

In today’s digital world, SEO traffic and SEO trends are key for local businesses to succeed. One great way to boost local SEO is by making your social media better. Posting regularly on your social media helps share what you offer and gets more likes, comments, and shares.

When you talk back to your audience on social media, it shows search engines and people that you’re active. Also, adding your social media links to your business listings makes your listings look fuller. This can help you rank higher in local search results.

Share Content Consistently

clocks — Timing is everything! Avoid overwhelming consumers by posting content at the right time.

Keeping a regular posting schedule on social media is important for SEO traffic and SEO trends. Posting often with content that matters can draw more people in. This means search engines see your efforts as a good thing for your local SEO.

You can automate your content posting on a fixed schedule using the social media management tool in this Planoly review.

Engage with Customers via Social

When you answer your customers’ comments and questions on social media, it shows you care. This level of service can help your local SEO rankings go up.

pexels cristian dina 1851415 — Engagement is vital in social media marketing.

Link or Claim Social Profiles in Business Listings

Make sure your social media profiles are linked to your local business listings, like Google My Business. This tells search engines about your online and offline presence. It helps your social media and local SEO get better.

By following these tips, local businesses can make their social media work better for SEO traffic and SEO trends. This can help them rank higher in local search results and be more visible online.

Conclusion

Google is the top search engine, but it doesn’t use social signals for rankings. However, Bing and others see the value in social signals. They believe they can help improve rankings, but how much is unclear.

Social media also helps with local SEO in other ways. It can make your business show up in search results. This gives you more visibility.

Social media has indirect benefits too. It can send more people to your website, share your content, and even get you backlinks. These things can help your local SEO and make your business more visible online.

Using social media with local SEO can really boost your online presence. It can bring in more traffic, engagement, and sales. This is especially true for businesses looking to grow in the digital world.

Even without a specific SEO plan, some businesses do well. But combining social media with local SEO can lead to lasting growth. It’s a smart way to increase your visibility online.

FAQ

Does social media impact local SEO?
Yes, social media does impact local SEO, but it’s not straightforward. It’s a key way for people to find brands, with 88% of users checking social media first. While it’s not a direct link, optimizing your social media can help you show up in search results. This is especially true when customers are looking for what you offer.
How does SEO relate to social media?
SEO and social media are connected but different. SEO focuses on making your website easier to find. Social media management is about posting and optimizing content on platforms. By doing both, you can attract more customers and increase your online presence.
What is the link between search engines and social signals?
Search engines are starting to consider social signals. These signals measure how people interact with your content on social media. While they’re not a top ranking factor, they still matter. Bing values them more than Google, and Google’s guidelines mention them as a factor in assessing website reputation.
How does social media impact local SEO?
Social media doesn’t directly affect Google rankings. But, it can help your local SEO efforts in other ways. It’s not a direct ranking factor for Google. Yet, other search engines like Bing see it as important.
How can I optimize social media for local SEO?
Sharing your content on social media can boost engagement. This engagement signals to search engines that your content is popular. Also, responding to comments and shares shows you’re active and engaged. Including your social media links in your business listings can improve your visibility in search results.