![\"\u2192](\"https:\/\/no-cache.hubspot.com\/cta\/default\/53\/1d7211ac-7b1b-4405-b940-54b8acedb26e.png\")
<\/a><\/p>\nAs an SEO consultant with a boutique marketing agency specializing in search and pay-per-click, the biggest challenge I face in search engine and social media marketing is getting traditional search teams and social media teams to collaborate effectively. There seems to be an uncertainty about who manages search marketing on social media.<\/p>\n
In this article, I explore the role of search engines and social media marketing. I aim to help marketers understand the role of social media and SEO, the differences between them, what social media SEO entails, and, most importantly, social media strategies that help form a collaborative approach in a way that\u2019s sustainable and efficient for all involved. For the strategy section, I reached out to some of the best<\/em> social media marketers I know. The strategies section is not to be missed.<\/p>\n Important note:<\/em><\/strong> This is a comprehensive article, and I conducted extensive research early on to provide context for everything. If you want to skip straight to social media SEO strategies, <\/em>click here<\/em>. In this section, I spoke to social media experts who share some top tips.<\/em><\/p>\n Table of Contents<\/p>\n <\/a> <\/p>\n Social media SEO is the process of optimizing your social media profiles and posts to better attract potential customers through search. SEO best practices will vary across platforms, but will involve tactics like the ones below.<\/p>\n Including keywords in:<\/p>\n Other social media SEO tactics include:<\/p>\n The goal of social media SEO is largely the same as that of Google SEO. You find the right audience for your brand and provide them with the value they\u2019re looking for, be it content or products.<\/p>\n Important note: <\/strong>People are buying from social media, so these rankings are helpful. HubSpot\u2019s Consumer Trends report<\/a> states that a quarter of social media users have purchased on social media within the past three months.<\/p>\n It\u2019s becoming increasingly clear: Social media is not only a place to connect with friends anymore. It\u2019s a connection spot between businesses and customers.<\/p>\n But will social search replace search engines?<\/p>\n I don\u2019t think so. Both hold their ground because they serve different purposes<\/strong>.<\/p>\n <\/a> <\/p>\n Most recently, articles like this one in Forbes<\/a> described Google indexing social media as a \u201cgame changer,\u201d but this left me rather confused, because I\u2019ve worked in SEO for over a decade, and social media ranking in Google SERPs is nothing new.<\/p>\n With prolific publications like Forbes covering this news, the \u201cupdate\u201d hit LinkedIn and spread fast.<\/p>\n Forbes said, \u201cFrom July 10, search engines may now index public Instagram posts or profiles. This means your posts could show up in Google search results and be seen by a higher number of potential customers.\u201d<\/p>\n Source<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n The hype about Instagram\u2019s alleged \u201cnew\u201d update got me questioning my sanity. Had I imagined that Instagram profiles were already indexed?<\/p>\n It turned out I had not.<\/p>\n Here\u2019s an example of an Instagram channel ranking for the keyword \u201claunch copywriter\u201d back in 2022:<\/p>\n Source<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n My LinkedIn friend and copywriter, Sally Ofuonyebi<\/a>, achieved this rank. At the time, the target keyword had 90 searches\/month, according to the SEO keyword research tool Keywords Everywhere. Ofuonyebi wrote about the success in this article<\/a>.<\/p>\n I remember Ofuonyebi and I chatting about this social media ranking success on LinkedIn, her chiming in from a copywriting perspective, and me from an SEO perspective.<\/p>\n An Insta profile still maintains rank for this keyword; here\u2019s the latest SERP:<\/p>\n Instagram\u2019s Help Center<\/a> makes its indexation clear:<\/p>\n Source<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n Instagram posts posted from January 1, 2020 are indexable, provided the account holder is over 18, the account is set to public (meaning the account holder agrees for content to be publicly available), and the account is a professional account.<\/p>\n I found that I wasn\u2019t the only person confused. Andrew Hutchinson<\/a>, content and social media manager at Social Media Today<\/a>, covered the update in his article, \u201cInstagram Expands Google Access to Public Posts to More Regions<\/a>.\u201d Hutchinson identified where the confusion happened.<\/p>\n Here\u2019s what he said: \u201cOver the past week, several people have emailed me asking why SMT isn\u2019t covering Instagram\u2019s shift to enabling all posts to be indexed by Google, which some have suggested is a major change in content discoverability.<\/p>\n \u201cAnd the reason is, it\u2019s actually not. This isn\u2019t actually a major shift, because most public IG posts have been indexed by Google for some time. Go do a Google search and you\u2019ll get IG posts in the SERP, this is not new for most regions, though Instagram is rolling this out to more places over time.\u201d<\/p>\n Hutchinson asked Instagram for clarification, and he reports that \u201cthey confirmed that this is being gradually rolled out around the world, but for most regions, this is already the norm, and has been for several years.\u201d<\/p>\n I also spoke to Annie-Mai Hodge<\/a> in some detail about the new Instagram indexability, and Hodge shares her insights. She also contributes significantly throughout this article, as her expertise is incredibly insightful.<\/p>\n Hodge is the founder of Girl Power Marketing<\/a> and a seasoned social media strategist with eight years of experience in the industry. She started Girl Power Marketing in 2020 and has since built a thriving online community with over 460,000 followers across Instagram<\/a> and LinkedIn<\/a>. Hodge helps businesses grow internationally through strategic social media marketing. She regularly speaks at industry events on topics such as personal branding and social media strategy, and her content has become a go-to resource for marketing professionals seeking to stay ahead of industry trends and updates.<\/p>\n You can see why I engaged her!<\/p>\n Hodge offers some insights into what\u2019s going on and what changed. She said, \u201cIndividual posts and reels are ranking in search results.\u201d<\/p>\n Hodge provides an example using the keyword \u201cglazing mist tricks,\u201d which, when searched, returns Instagram content over traditional window solution companies.<\/p>\n Here\u2019s a screenshot of the SERP:<\/p>\n The Instagram content ranking isn\u2019t meeting search intent. It\u2019s a skincare tip that is very jarring on a SERP that covers practical window maintenance everywhere else.<\/p>\n Hodge says, \u201cThis demonstrates the power of social content in search rankings, it also highlights a potential user experience issue \u2014 someone searching for practical window maintenance advice is likely to find skincare content less than helpful. This shift fundamentally changes how search intent is interpreted and served.\u201d<\/p>\n My take on this:<\/strong>\u00a0Google algorithms are constantly evolving, and I\u2019d like to think that as Google refines its ranking of social media content, search intent and social media posts will be better understood.<\/p>\n Hodge continues on social media indexation, \u201cWhile [social media indexation] has been a hot topic recently, indexing of Instagram content isn\u2019t entirely new. Users on Reddit<\/a> suggest that this feature has been available in some regions for quite some time.\u201d<\/p>\n Hodge explains Instagram\u2019s official stance and the Help Center as she understands it: \u201cInstagram\u2019s official stance has generally been to request that search engines like Google and Microsoft Bing avoid indexing users\u2019 content from stories, reels, posts, and highlights. However, the platform now allows search engines to index photos and videos from public reels and posts uploaded from January 1, 2020, onwards. To me, this suggests a strategic shift towards making content from this date forward indexable, rather than historical content. Some sources suggest that this means content has been indexable since 2020.\u201d<\/p>\n My take on this: <\/strong>Honestly, I\u2019m torn! It\u2019s a non-negotiable that profiles <\/em>have been indexed for some time, but whether Instagram\u2019s Help Center has changed for posts or not is unclear. There appears to be evidence that posts have been indexed in other regions from the historic Reddit posts mentioned above, but something has certainly changed, as evidenced by Instagram\u2019s recent update (see the following screenshot). Perhaps the Help Center is now more relevant for a wider range of regions, and indexation of posts is more common, with only some<\/em> regions having had indexation previously.<\/p>\n Source<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n Either way, one thing is sure: Now is the time to pay attention to social SEO<\/strong>.<\/p>\n And Hodge agrees. She says, \u201cRegardless, whether this is new to your region or not, this is your second sign to start taking social SEO seriously \u2014 your first sign being when content on TikTok started being indexed by the likes of Google a couple of years ago.\u201d<\/p>\n I\u2019ve seen LinkedIn, TikTok, Facebook, and Instagram ranking in Google\u2019s search engine results pages (SERPs). Generally, social media profiles and posts rank for brand searches or long-tail keywords that are not fulfilled by other pages.<\/p>\n Here\u2019s an example of a Facebook post ranking:<\/p>\n In this example, my content ranks twice, my website ranks once in position two, and my Facebook post ranks in position three.<\/p>\n Why?<\/p>\n The subject is niche.<\/p>\n Not many people cycle across the Nullarbor Plain, and a smaller percentage of those who do are looking for content for the exact route between Cocklebiddy, a town in Australia, and Mundrabilla. It\u2019s niche,<\/em> so no one else is covering it particularly well. As a result, my Facebook post gets a rank.<\/p>\n You\u2019d be right to question whether or not people search for this. It turns out, they do.<\/p>\n Here\u2019s a screenshot showing results for similar keywords in my Google Search Console:<\/p>\n There are a total of 35 impressions, but no clicks, which isn\u2019t surprising. As seen in the screenshot above, Google Maps takes priority over my ranking content. The search intent is likely for people looking for a map, so the user\u2019s intent is fulfilled.<\/p>\n The lesson?<\/p>\n When attempting to rank content on social media (or on a website, for that matter), you must consider search intent.<\/p>\n So far, social media\u2019s best chance at securing rank is for niche, long-tail searches, which is where you might also have zero clicks, which isn\u2019t what a strategic marketing plan needs.<\/p>\n The launch of TikTok was another memorable moment in social media and search engine marketing, as it marked the first time social media was referred to as a search engine. The conversation sparked some controversy over the topic of what constitutes a search engine and why TikTok isn\u2019t considered one.<\/p>\n My take?<\/p>\n While TikTok and other social media channels aren\u2019t technically search engines, getting lost in the semantics of the official definition of a search engine<\/a> isn\u2019t going to help us. Instead, while people use social media as a search tool, we need to be marketing strategically across platforms.<\/p>\n Currently, I feel obligated to keep the social media marketing and SEO conversation balanced: Google remains the platform on which the majority of searches occur<\/strong>.<\/p>\n But there\u2019s no denying it: People are using social media as a search engine. HubSpot\u2019s research<\/a> found that Gen Z and Millennials have a preference for social media. For them, social media is the primary channel for product discovery. Plus, 31% of consumers use social media to find answers to questions.<\/p>\n So what does this mean for marketers?<\/p>\n If you\u2019re posting on social media, posts might as well have an SEO angle or keyword consideration. Later, I cover the social media strategies for search engine and social media marketing success.<\/p>\n Historically, social media has not performed particularly well in Google search rankings. While Google does rank social media content, as demonstrated by the Facebook example above, it generally does so for long-tail keywords or niche topics where content across the web is not as comprehensive. If nothing else fulfills search intent, then the rankings are awarded to social media.<\/p>\n Could this change? I certainly think so, but we\u2019ll have to wait and see.<\/p>\n Another note: Videos on TikTok have never ranked as well as those on YouTube. Here\u2019s an example for the keyword \u201crecipe video.\u201d<\/p>\n Within this SERP, there are seven opportunities to rank a video on the first page of search results. YouTube secures five rankings, Facebook gets one, and TikTok gets one.<\/p>\n My thoughts on this:<\/strong> Google will always have a bias in favor of its own platform. Google owns YouTube. If social media is starting to threaten Google, is it possible that Google might deprioritize social media in the rankings? I think so, but only time can tell.<\/p>\n Important note:<\/strong> Social media search is not all about ranking social media in Google and for Google search. People search within social media platforms, too, so posts should be optimized regardless.<\/p>\n <\/a> <\/p>\n Social media management involves creating, posting, and optimizing content on various social media platforms, including Facebook, X, Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, and LinkedIn.<\/p>\n SEO management involves improving your website\u2019s content and visibility in search engine results pages, and recently, AI search, such as LLMs like ChatGPT. It\u2019s about optimizing content so that people searching for relevant keywords, questions, or topics can find your site organically.<\/p>\n These days, I want to see less about the \u201cSocial Media versus SEO\u201d debate and more about the intersection of social media and<\/em> SEO.<\/p>\n While SEO and social media management have some nuances and differentiation, mainly in how the platforms themselves work and their functions, social media and SEO work best when they\u2019re aligned, and this is particularly evident now because people use social media as a search engine. In light of Instagram\u2019s new update (the one that got this article going in the first place), social media posts are more indexable than ever before.<\/p>\n Annie-Mai Hodge, introduced previously, provides an example of how social media is taking the ranks for some important search terms:<\/p>\n In the screenshot, both Pinterest and Instagram secure page one rankings for the keyword \u201clip phone case\u201d (FYI: a phone case designed to hold a lipstick) with transactional intent<\/strong>, meaning the person searching for it is ready to make a purchase.<\/p>\n In marketing teams, I see an uncertainty about who manages search marketing on social media. Because search on social media involves keywords, the pressure seems to be mounting on the shoulders of SEO professionals, who already have an ever-growing and broad role encompassing on-page SEO, backlinks, PR, and website optimizations that span technical, content, and user experience. Plus, there\u2019s the fast-growing \u201cSEO\u201d for LLMs.<\/p>\n SEO specialists can\u2019t be expected to take on search optimizations for every single channel<\/strong>.<\/p>\n Collaboration <\/em>with social media teams is essential. The future of SEO<\/a> requires teams to work together if brands want to remain competitive in this evolving search landscape. Simply put, the search landscape is becoming too large for one person to manage alone. There are multiple channels with their own algorithms and nuances, and you can\u2019t expect any one person to master all of them in the detail required to do search well.<\/p>\n In my experience, many brands are aware of the importance of social media and SEO. They ask me about it, and I push for collaborative approaches. As an SEO, I can provide significant value to social media through data. My SEO research identifies the queries audiences want answered and the information they\u2019re looking for when they\u2019re searching. With this data, social media teams can curate a social media strategy that aligns with SEO and meets audience needs.<\/p>\n For traditional search, social media brings real-time insights on trends and interests. Social media search tools like TikTok\u2019s Keyword Insights<\/a> do what SEO tools can\u2019t: They bring data on trending searches right now. <\/em>Most keyword research tools for SEO are somewhat flawed because they can only use historical data to forecast future trends.<\/p>\n For years, I\u2019ve been advocating for more holistic marketing and stronger collaboration between SEO and social teams. But in many cases, it still feels like there\u2019s a disconnect. What can happen is that social media teams often ask for keywords and ideas, yet rarely integrate them in a way that supports shared goals. I\u2019d love to see this change because the most forward-thinking social media managers already understand the value of integrating search and social. When these teams collaborate well, the results are truly powerful.<\/p>\n In my opinion, this disconnect is occurring because everyone is already busy<\/em> with their marketing channels, and the scope of what needs to be done is growing faster than recruitment; team members are spinning more plates than ever before without adequate support.<\/p>\n <\/a> <\/p>\n To write this section, I reached out to some really amazing social media managers. All of these social media SEO strategies are a must-do!<\/p>\n Annie-Mai Hodge from earlier suggests that you start treating your captions on Instagram as you would any other piece of content that could appear in search results.<\/p>\n Hodge says, \u201cUse natural language that addresses user intent, and includes relevant keywords without compromising readability. Keep in mind that the text overlay you use on photos and reels is searchable too, and helps provide context, so consider how your audience might search for the information you\u2019re providing.<\/p>\n \u201cOverall, this move aligns with statements from Adam Mosseri, Head of Instagram, who said earlier this year that the platform is prioritising improvements to in-app search functionality and how content appears in external search engines. And while Instagram may be late to the social search party (with TikTok pioneering in this space for years and Pinterest and YouTube leading the charge), this development signals where social media platforms are heading, and social media SEO isn\u2019t a nice-to-have; it\u2019s a must.\u201d<\/p>\n To demonstrate how this works, I looked at the Rhode\u2019s Skin post mentioned earlier (the lipstick holding phone case, which ranks number one).<\/p>\n Here\u2019s their caption:<\/p>\n The first sentence contains the keyword: \u201cthe lip case,\u201d and you can also see \u201cbubble phone case.\u201d<\/p>\n Danielle Shein strongly agrees with this and adds more, \u201cPeople search how they speak. And with voice-to-text search features, they\u2019re literally in conversation with their ChatGPT. If your content is conversational like that, you\u2019re going to start playing the SEO game.\u201d<\/p>\n To do this, Shein recommends using phrases like \u201cBest way to\u2026\u201d or \u201cWhat to do if\u2026\u201d just like you\u2019d imagine someone talking to their ChatGPT.<\/p>\n On video platforms (YouTube, TikTok), she advises saying your keywords early in your script so the algorithms know straight away who to feed your video to and can categorise accordingly.<\/p>\n \u201cThe result? You\u2019ll start ranking on-platform, and those social posts might even appear in Google results. Two birds. One search-friendly stone.\u201d<\/p>\n I was in a meeting discussing the potential future of Instagram\u2019s indexability with my client, India Filippidis<\/a>, senior brand marketing manager at Social Pantry<\/a>. Filippidis was quick to take action when Instagram announced that Instagram posts might get indexed. She called a meeting, and we began discussing how to optimize our workflows to give Instagram the best chance of ranking.<\/p>\n I expressed my thoughts that social media posts generally don\u2019t do well in search, and that although I thought the update was great, I wasn\u2019t hopeful for seeing significant changes.<\/p>\n Filippidis made a solid suggestion: Image search might be the best place for Instagram\u2019s indexing.<\/p>\n Why hadn\u2019t I thought about this?<\/p>\n Instagram is renowned for beautiful images and eye-catching grids. It would make sense that Google might turn to social media for the best images.<\/p>\n Filippidis said, \u201cI actually think image search is where social media, especially Instagram, has the best shot at visibility. That\u2019s where all the visual content lives, and it\u2019s what Instagram does best. We\u2019re not sure how impactful this update will be, but if Instagram posts do start getting indexed, we want to be ready, not playing catch-up.\u201d<\/p>\n She decided to adapt their workflow on Instagram to focus on:<\/p>\n Here\u2019s how to edit alt text on Instagram (it can be buried!):<\/p>\n As soon as Filippidis mentioned image search, I strongly felt she might be right. We already have some data on how short-form videos perform (YouTube receives significantly more visibility), and we know that Facebook posts rarely rank. However, image search and Instagram are a match made in heaven.<\/p>\n Ensuring that image files and alt text include relevant keywords is a key tactic in ranking images, and it takes just a minute to do so. We should all be adding keywords to these components.<\/p>\n There\u2019s a lot of debate regarding the use of social media sharing buttons. Are they powerful tools or just unnecessary clutter?<\/p>\n Well, social sharing buttons can be effective if you place them strategically \u2014 for instance, on blog posts.<\/p>\n Grammarly does a great job using this method:<\/p>\n Source<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n In other scenarios, social sharing buttons might not yield any results.<\/p>\n For instance, a VWO study suggests that removing those buttons from landing pages can increase click-through rates by 11.9%<\/a>.<\/p>\n Source<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n This indicates that while blog posts benefit from social sharing buttons, pages with clear goals may perform better without them. Conducting A\/B tests can help you determine the best placement for social sharing buttons on your site.<\/p>\n When someone searches for your brand, you want to appear \u2014 not a third-party website trying to generate clicks from your brand.<\/p>\n Social Media will ensure that you (nearly) always have page one dominated.<\/p>\n Here are the results for my brand:<\/p>\n When someone searches for your brand, they\u2019re looking for you. If you have enough social media profiles optimized and in use, your users are sure to find you.<\/p>\n I once worked for a brand that had a very unhappy customer write a piece of PR on the brand, representing their displeasure with their product. Because the client didn\u2019t have a brand dominating search, the PR ranked page one for their brand name.<\/p>\n Ouch.<\/p>\n The brand created social media profiles, but the problem was not resolved overnight. Social media profiles must be regularly updated and maintained to retain rankings. The key is not to overdo social media. Do as many profiles as you can cover well.<\/p>\n As mentioned earlier, the line between search engines and social media platforms is becoming increasingly blurred.<\/p>\n I think this is an amazing opportunity for two types of keyword strategies to come together for ultimate brand visibility.<\/p>\n SEO tools for traditional keyword research, which aim to rank on Google, use historical <\/em>data. SEO specialists then use that data to forecast the likelihood of that keyword trend remaining.<\/p>\n For example, the keyword \u201cparka coat\u201d has fairly consistent search trends according to Google Trends:<\/p>\n Source<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n Each autumn\/winter, between October and January, demand for Parka coats increases and there\u2019s a spike every year. Makes sense.<\/p>\n With this information, social media can \u201cborrow\u201d SEO\u2019s findings. Ecommerce stores selling suitable coats should start posting about them before the spike. This way, social media is proactive <\/em>and provides the audience with what they need before they\u2019ve the time to search for it themselves and potentially find a competitor.<\/p>\n Sharing keywords works in reverse, too.<\/p>\n Look at TikTok\u2019s Keyword Insights<\/a>. Here you can see trending <\/em>keywords on TikTok, a social media platform that lends itself incredibly well to trending content.<\/p>\n You can use this tool to see what\u2019s going on in your industry, and within the country you\u2019re most interested in targeting. The screenshot below is filtered by the United States and the Marketing and Advertising category.<\/p>\n Source<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n In the screenshot above, I\u2019ve also filtered the table by popularity to identify trends with an upward popularity trend, but I\u2019ve sorted it by lowest first, as this indicates the trend might be easier to rank for. Social Media can share this with SEO for timely content production that is likely to also be searched for on Google, helping sites clinch ranks before they become saturated. This content can then be shared on social media channels.<\/p>\n Here\u2019s how to identify the right keywords for each platform:<\/p>\n The links in social media posts are usually no-follow links. It\u2019s thought that nofollow links don\u2019t pass any authority (link juice).<\/p>\n But let me first debunk two myths about nofollow links.<\/p>\n Ensure you are capitalizing on these additional opportunities to draw your audience to your site. Add a link to your social media bios!<\/p>\n While social media links don\u2019t carry huge SEO benefits in terms of authority, it does help your audience navigate to your site, and that matters for marketing!<\/p>\n Another consideration for social media links is authority and trust that might<\/em> come with social shares. Nothing pleases me more than finding a link to my content on Reddit, because it means someone found it so useful<\/em> that they shared it with others.<\/p>\n As previously demonstrated, maintaining a robust social media presence can foster a positive relationship with your audience.<\/p>\n A critical aspect of achieving this is to have online mentions that grow your brand\u2019s visibility and positive awareness.<\/p>\n Here\u2019s a screenshot of my link, shared by a Reddit user:<\/p>\n Using Google Analytics (GA4), I can see the visits Reddit has sent me:<\/p>\n Having a good social listening system can help you understand what customers are saying about you, manage your reputation, monitor competitors, and plan your content more effectively.<\/p>\n Encourage positive mentions through engaging content and customized posts on the platform.<\/p>\n This is especially useful in an AI search world where brand sentiment is analyzed. You can use tools like HubSpot\u2019s AI Search Grader<\/a>. Here\u2019s what it looks like:<\/p>\n About five years ago, I started posting properly on LinkedIn. I had no idea what I was doing. Posting on LinkedIn is a lot and I wanted some help so I was working with the platform efficiently. I posted in a Facebook group and connected with Hope Marshall<\/a> at Marshall Creative<\/a>. Marshall worked on my LinkedIn profile with me for a few months, setting the foundations and teaching me a lot about social media and marketing.<\/p>\n Now, I work alone on my LinkedIn and I love it. I\u2019ve got over 30,000 followers, and my project to use social media more was a success (thanks to Marshall!). Naturally, I had to ask her to share her expertise on social profile optimization.<\/p>\n She provided tips per social media platform, and here they are.<\/p>\n First, let\u2019s look at some overall tips, then Marshall kindly laid out tips per platform.<\/p>\n Start by reviewing each social media platform\u2019s editable sections, which could include your About, Services, Products, or Highlights tabs.<\/p>\n Marshall recommends, \u201cUse this real estate to echo your core messaging and target keywords from your website. Keep in mind that each platform has its own character limits, so lead with the most relevant and high-impact information.\u201d<\/p>\n Important note: <\/strong>Refer to the section above, \u201cCreate an integrated keyword strategy,\u201d to find keywords that work.<\/p>\n Don\u2019t leave your profile faceless. Your profile photo is often the first visual cue someone gets, so make it count.<\/p>\n Marshall says, \u201cBrands can use their logo, reworked into a circle-friendly format so it displays well across devices. On platforms like LinkedIn, a high-quality photo of your face builds trust and recognizability.\u201d<\/p>\n When I wrote this article on LinkedIn hacks<\/a>, I came across a study from Photofeeler<\/a> that found that a teeth-visible smile was the most impactful characteristic for giving the perception of competence, likability, and influence.<\/p>\n Keep your profile picture consistent, but feel free to play with the banner images.<\/p>\n Marshall says, \u201cRegularly updating your banner image, such as on LinkedIn, Facebook, and X, is a smart way to make noise around campaigns, events, or launches without disrupting brand consistency by changing your profile photo. Your profile photo should remain consistent, but banners can be interchangeable to spotlight seasonal messages, campaigns, new services, or milestones.\u201d<\/p>\n Add social icons (aka badges) to your website, email signatures, and email comms with your audience to direct traffic to your profiles \u2014 but only for platforms you\u2019re actively using.<\/p>\n Marshall warns, \u201cLinking to a dormant Instagram or half-empty YouTube channel can do more harm than good.\u201d And I strongly agree! It is tempting for brands to cover all social media platforms, but it\u2019s best not to. Invest time in social media profiles that are most suitable, and do them well.<\/p>\n Social media platforms usually have a place for you to link to your website.<\/p>\n Marshall says, \u201cIt sounds basic, but it\u2019s often missed and it\u2019s one of the easiest ways to drive traffic from social to site. Just make sure the link leads to a mobile-optimised, fast-loading page that matches the tone and messaging of your profile for a seamless experience.<\/p>\n \u201cThat said, don\u2019t overdo it in your day-to-day content. Most social platforms are designed to keep users on-platform; it\u2019s how they maintain engagement. Consistently posting external links (especially in every post) can lead to reduced visibility and reach, as we\u2019ve seen that most algorithms deprioritize content that sends users elsewhere.<\/p>\n \u201cSome platforms like Instagram don\u2019t allow clickable links in captions at all. In those cases, use a \u2018link in bio\u2019 comment in your caption or something like Linktree to house your most important links in one place.\u201d<\/p>\n Where possible, apply for verification.<\/p>\n Marshall says, \u201cA verified badge helps users instantly identify official accounts and can significantly boost trust. Studies show that verified accounts are seen as more credible, and consumers are more likely to engage with and buy from those profiles. This is especially important for brands where impostor or fan accounts might exist.\u201d<\/p>\n Optimization isn\u2019t one-size-fits-all; each platform has its own best practices and algorithm signals. Here\u2019s how to get it right across the major players.<\/p>\n Here\u2019s an example of HubSpot\u2019s LinkedIn profile, which is optimized:<\/p>\n Source<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n On hashtags, Marshall says, \u201cBased on my own testing, the full 30 aren\u2019t necessary anymore. Instead, take a more targeted approach, like on LinkedIn, and use 4\u20136 highly relevant hashtags. They still help the algorithm understand your content and support discoverability, so choose carefully.\u201d<\/p>\n Here\u2019s Marshall\u2019s Instagram showing how she uses her bio, username, handle, and highlights.<\/p>\n\n
What is social media SEO?<\/h2>\n
\n
\n
![\"the](\"http:\/\/www.dietdebunker.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/Operation-Everest-search-engine-and-social-media-marketing-1-20250824-6183525.png\")
<\/p>\nWhy is everyone talking about search engines and social media marketing?<\/h2>\n
![\"the](\"http:\/\/www.dietdebunker.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/the20importance20of20social20media20seo20social20media20is20the2023120product20discovery20channel.jpg\")
<\/p>\n![\"screenshot](\"http:\/\/www.dietdebunker.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/screenshot20shows20an20instagram20profile20ranking20within20google20search20results20years20ago2c20demonstrating20that20search20engine20and20social20media20marketing20have20always20been20important.jpg\")
<\/p>\n![\"screenshot](\"http:\/\/www.dietdebunker.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/screenshot20of20google20serps20showing20an20instagram20account20ranking20in20position20three.jpg\")
<\/p>\n![\"screenshot](\"http:\/\/www.dietdebunker.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/screenshot20from20google20serps20shows20an20instagram20post20ranking.jpg\")
<\/p>\n![\"Screenshot](\"http:\/\/www.dietdebunker.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/Screenshot20from20InstagramE28099s20Help20Center20with20an20article20about20Instagram20on20the20web.jpg\")
<\/p>\n![\"Screenshot](\"http:\/\/www.dietdebunker.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/screenshot20from20the20social20media20indexation20alert20from20instagram.jpg\")
<\/p>\nIt\u2019s not just Instagram. Other social media channels rank, too.<\/h3>\n
![\"screenshot](\"http:\/\/www.dietdebunker.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/screenshot20from20google20search20engine20results20pages20shows20a20facebook20ranking20prominently.jpg\")
<\/p>\n![\"a](\"http:\/\/www.dietdebunker.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/a20screenshot20from20google20search20console20shows20that20the20keywords20a20social20media20post20is20ranking20for20do20have20search20volume.jpg\")
<\/p>\nTikTok kicked off the social media and search narrative.<\/h3>\n
A Word of Warning about Social Media Rankings<\/h3>\n
![\"screenshot](\"http:\/\/www.dietdebunker.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/screenshot20from20google20serps20shows20videos20ranking20from20social20media20channels2c20with20youtube20getting20the20most20rankings.jpg\")
<\/p>\nSocial Media vs. SEO<\/h2>\n
![\"social](\"http:\/\/www.dietdebunker.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/social20media20versus20seo.png\")
<\/p>\n![\"screen](\"http:\/\/www.dietdebunker.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/screen20shot20of20social20media20pages20showing20up20on20the20first20page20of20a20google20search.jpg\")
<\/p>\nThe Challenge of Social Media <\/strong>SEO<\/strong><\/h3>\n
14 Social Media SEO Strategies<\/h2>\n
1. <\/strong>Align your captions.<\/strong><\/h3>\n
![\"social](\"http:\/\/www.dietdebunker.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/Operation-Everest-search-engine-and-social-media-marketing-13-20250824-8455527.jpg\")
<\/p>\n2. <\/strong>Alt Text <\/strong>h<\/strong>as <\/strong>n<\/strong>ever <\/strong>b<\/strong>een <\/strong>m<\/strong>ore <\/strong>i<\/strong>mportant.<\/strong><\/h3>\n
\n
![\"screenshot](\"http:\/\/www.dietdebunker.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/screenshot20from20grammarly20blogs20shows20how20social20media20icons20can20be20shared20on20content.jpg\")
<\/p>\n\n
3. Selectively add s<\/strong>ocial <\/strong>s<\/strong>haring <\/strong>b<\/strong>uttons <\/strong>to<\/strong> y<\/strong>our <\/strong>w<\/strong>ebsite.<\/strong><\/h3>\n
![\"screenshot](\"http:\/\/www.dietdebunker.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/Operation-Everest-search-engine-and-social-media-marketing-15-20250824-8971352.jpg\")
<\/p>\n![\"social](\"http:\/\/www.dietdebunker.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/Operation-Everest-search-engine-and-social-media-marketing-16-20250824-3659954.jpg\")
<\/p>\n4. <\/strong>Dominate <\/strong>b<\/strong>rand <\/strong>s<\/strong>earch<\/strong>.<\/strong><\/h3>\n
![\"screenshot](\"http:\/\/www.dietdebunker.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/screenshot20from20google20serps20shows20how20social20media20marketing20has20helped20the20brand20dominate20serps20for20branded20search.jpg\")
<\/p>\n5. Create an i<\/strong>ntegrated <\/strong>k<\/strong>eyword <\/strong>s<\/strong>trategy.<\/strong><\/h3>\n
![\"search](\"http:\/\/www.dietdebunker.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/Operation-Everest-search-engine-and-social-media-marketing-18-20250824-363166.jpg\")
<\/p>\n![\"screenshot](\"http:\/\/www.dietdebunker.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/screenshot20from20tiktokE28099s20keyword20insights20shows20how20the20tool20can20be20used20to20find20trending20topics20for20search20engine20and20social20media20marketing20success.jpg\")
<\/p>\n\n
6. <\/strong>Include <\/strong>l<\/strong>inks in <\/strong>s<\/strong>ocial <\/strong>p<\/strong>rofiles.<\/strong><\/h3>\n
\n
![\"annotated](\"http:\/\/www.dietdebunker.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/annotated20screenshot20from20hubspotE28099s20instagram20shows20a20link20in20their20instagram20bio.png\")
<\/p>\n7. Increase positive mentions.<\/strong><\/h3>\n
![\"screenshot](\"http:\/\/www.dietdebunker.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/screenshot20from20reddit20shows20that20my20content20has20been20shared20within20subreddits.jpg\")
<\/p>\n![\"screenshot](\"http:\/\/www.dietdebunker.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/screenshot20from20my20ga420shows20traffic20that20comes20from20reddit.jpg\")
<\/p>\n![\"screenshot](\"http:\/\/www.dietdebunker.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/screenshot20from20hubspotE28099s20ai20search20grader20shows20the20role20brand20sentiment20plays.20social20media20mentions20contribute20to20this.jpg\")
<\/p>\n8. <\/strong>Optimize social profiles.<\/strong><\/h3>\n
1. Mirror your SEO strategy.<\/h4>\n
2. Profile photos that establish trust.<\/h4>\n
3. Consistency vs. campaign creativity<\/h4>\n
4. Be selective with social badges.<\/h4>\n
5. Link your website and make sure it\u2019s mobile-friendly.<\/h4>\n
6. Get verified if it\u2019s available.<\/h4>\n
Platform-specific Tips<\/strong><\/h3>\n
LinkedIn<\/h4>\n
\n
![\"screenshot](\"http:\/\/www.dietdebunker.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/screenshot20of20hubspotE28099s20linkedin20profile.jpg\")
<\/p>\nInstagram<\/h4>\n
\n
![\"screenshot](\"http:\/\/www.dietdebunker.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/screenshot20from20marshallE28099s20instagram20showing20how20she20uses20her20bio2c20username2c20handle2c20and20highlights20for20seo20and20social20media20success.jpg\")
<\/p>\nFacebook<\/h4>\n
\n