How Social Search is Changing SEO

Facebook and Bing jointly announced an agreement that would allow Microsoft’s search engine to return results based on the Facebook “Likes” of the searcher’s friends. Additionally, Google recently began including Twitter updates in search results. It’s a natural innovation that fits into the business models of both companies and takes the trend of individualized search results to the next logical level: results tailored to the searcher’s existing social footprint.
SEO insiders have wondered whether this new search innovation would affect placement strategies, and the simple answer is yes. Yes, there will be changes to the way SEO professionals run their clients’ campaigns. Yes, this will affect the industry as a whole. And yes, we believe SEO professionals will have to adapt to meet ever-evolving needs.


Changing the Method, Not the Mission
To think that this development is rocking the SEO world however is to misunderstand the realities of the industry. In roughly 15 years of existence, SEO has grown from being a small wildcat operation run by webmasters and content services to being one of the most dynamic, fast-growing sectors of the tech market. The reason for this rapid growth is because — not in spite –- of the constantly evolving nature of search engines.

While the Bing-Facebook agreement and the recent updates to Google will change elements of how we do our business, the fundamentals will remain the same. As much as innovation shapes the day-to-day processes of optimization, the core foundations of the industry remain unchanged. The goal still is placing clients at the top of results pages, whether this is through organic search, paid search or social media.
Social media is nothing new in the world of online marketing. Facebook alone has 500 million users and Twitter feeds are already making their way into search results. Before long, results may integrate other social networking sites that don’t even exist yet. What the Bing-Facebook agreement is indicative of is the many changes that have taken SEO from a small-time game to a major, innovative industry. SEO is not about counter-punching, and it’s not about simply reacting to the changing search-engine landscape. Instead, it is about growing and evolving alongside search engines.

How Twitter Can Help B2C Companies
Most people think social media marketing just means Facebook marketing. As the 800 pound gorilla of the social networking space, it’s understandable that so many companies have turned Facebook into the hub of their social media marketing campaign. Both B2C and B2B companies have found great success with Facebook, seeing an increase in brand recognition, consumer engagement and more. But Facebook isn’t the only social player on the block that B2C companies would be wise to invest their time in. Twitter helps you connect with your audience in a whole new way and add another level to any social media marketing campaign.

Research indicates that Twitter is a favorite social networking platform among early adopters and influencers. It’s no secret that a small percentage of Twitter users are the authors behind a vast majority of the Tweets. But these are the kinds of consumers a B2C company should want to connect with, as they are more likely to become brand loyal.

Here are some practice ways a B2C company can utilize Twitter:

1. Get more connected with your customers
Recent research has shown that Twitter is the preferred social network among consumers for learning about new product updates. The constant, real time stream of information that fuels Twitter makes it the perfect place to share information about things like software updates and product launches. Most consumers look to a company’s Facebook page as a way to learn about discounts and sign up for promotions. Twitter, on the other hand, is often viewed as a direct line of communication with the company, making it the perfect platform for staying connected with favorite B2C brands.

2. Twitter is mobile
As the amount of smart phones in the market grows, mobile marketing becomes an increasingly important component of any marketing strategy. Twitter may be one of the more simple social networks (it doesn’t get much more basic than a 140 character cap), but that is exactly why it is so mobile friendly. Whether someone is looking at Twitter on a computer or on their phone, the format is very similar—a scrolling list of Tweets. B2C companies don’t have to develop a mobile version of their Twitter account to make sure it is easily accessible/readable by mobile devices. Read more at SearchTerms.com...