Using social media has proven to be a critical part of SEO strategies by allowing businesses to capitalize on that is important, boost their SEO rankings and maximize their online presence.

Why is social media so important for Search engine optimization? Social media is the piece that connects your content and branding efforts to people online. You may have the best content in the world, but without social media, hardly anyone will find it.

Social media is the engine that has been built to connect people and ideas around the web. It simplifies the process of sharing content and alerting friends or followers to cool stuff online. More than that, social media is actually a part of how websites are ranked for SEO.

SEO and social media work together to make your site findable online. Since most social media is free, it can also add a solid, low-budget strategy to your SEO game. Here are some ways you can use social media to increase your SEO ranking and find ways to connect your business to potential customers online.

How to use social media for SEO

• Pick your battles

Part of a good social media SEO strategy is not only knowing where to be but to not to spread yourself too thin over too many platforms.  Survey the social media landscape and strategically choose which platforms you will stake a claim in. This allows you to focus your attention on doing a good job with a few platforms, rather than doing a so-so job with all the platforms. Have a strong presence on  major social media platforms like Facebook and Twitter, but after that, think about what is best for your business.

• Use what you do have

You’ve doubtless come upon a Twitter account with one or two lonely tweets from a company before. When you decide to invest in a social media platform, make sure you actually use it! An empty Facebook page or Pinterest board does nothing for you and it will probably put off potential customers who find you through those venues.

• Share high-value content

When you share things via your social media account, link to quality content on your site; don’t simply link to your homepage. Draw users into something relevant and interesting. Sharing links is also an important part of how SEO rankings are calculated.

• Build your brand

Social media outlets are great places for brand building! Many platforms allow you to customize your URL (i.e. Facebook.com/Company Name) and doing so will help you to be visible. Use consistent logos and naming conventions so that users who find you will understand what they are looking at and where to find more.

• Use social sharing buttons

Difficulty is the enemy of social sharing, but adding social media buttons to content and posts encourages people to share and makes it extremely easy for them to do so.

• Fill out profile information

This one seems obvious, but some people do ignore it. Adding as much relevant information and as many links as possible into your profile makes you easier to find. Don’t ignore these options!

• Don’t ignore Google+

Whatever your opinions are of Google+, it needs to be a part of your SEO strategy. Google takes Google+ activity into account when calculating SEO rankings. Your Google+ account is also linked to your business on Google Maps, which helps people find your physical business.

Social media is a way to augment your SEO strategy and your online presence; it is not a replacement for quality content and a robust network of links. However, in concert with content and links, social media holds up your SEO strategy and helps customers connect with your brand online.