Why Social Media Is NOT a Search Ranking Factor [Article]
I’ve been saying what this article is touting for a long time: while social media is a great tool and can be incredibly useful in promoting your content, it is not a ranking factor. I love this quote from the article:
In the case of social signals, it’s likely that large exposure on social media increases the chances that website owners will see the content, thereby increasing the opportunities that they will link to it from their own content.
Basically, what it comes down to is that Google can’t ascertain why you liked a brand on Facebook. Do you really like the brand? Or did you just like the picture they posted? Google doesn’t know so that’s why they have said, explicitly, they don’t use social media as a ranking factor.
Now, all of that being said, I still think social media is an incredibly robust, useful, and informative tool. Use it right, and it can have a tremendous impact on your website. Read more