It is every web admin’s dream to rank their content high in the search engine results pages, otherwise known as SERPS, but to do so, one must consider that they are playing Google’s ball game and, therefore must play by their rules. While Google wants unique, original, and not plagiarized content, they also wish to content with strong social signals to help them determine where your article should rank in the search engines. Google’s new algorithm factors social movements when choosing where to tag you in the SERPS. This is decided by how popular your content appears on social media sites like Facebook, Twitter, Google Plus, and Instagram.

So after creating unique content, you should focus on sharing it with as many people as possible through social media outlets applicable to your business niche. One straightforward way to accomplish this is to add social media sharing buttons to your websites. Many website platforms such as Blogger and Wordpress have social media sharing plug-ins that can easily be added to your blog site with a switch. These buttons make it easy for you and your readers to share content they like with their favorite social media sites.

How do you get the social media ball rolling? You have to put the ball in the other person’s court. In this case, that court will be in the hands of the followers of your business on sites like Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and so on. What is the fastest way to start the sharing process, you ask? If your site has social media sharing buttons, you share your content as soon as you have published it with all the social sites you are currently a member of. You can also share content with them as you have time to join other social media sites.

But sometimes, sharing alone is not enough; you must do more. Adding the first comment to your blog post to spark reader engagement are also helpful, but don’t drop the ball here. Readers are looking for attention from you when they post comments or ask questions, so stay on top of your game, and in time, you will reap the benefits from this interaction process. One way to get twice the kick from your social media campaigns is to use buttons that require the user to log in to Facebook before posting a comment. These comments will show up on both your and your audience’s timelines. Additionally, they will show up on your website. Search engines like Google take note of this and reward your website accordingly.

So when asked the question, “To Post or Not to Post?” always answer yes. As mentioned, some more popular sites to share content with are Facebook, Twitter, Google Plus, and Instagram. While other social media sites are available that may help boost your SEO, the ones mentioned above are some of the most important ones to consider, so if you are not using them yet, it’s time to get started today.

Now that you see how social media helps your SEO, you may ask what content I should share. Pictures are by far some of the most effective content-sharing tools used. The main reason is that a picture can tell a story all by itself and is only further enhanced when an article is shared on their sites.

Conclusion

If you want to improve search engine rankings, you need to share and share with as many social media sites as possible, but make sure your sharing campaign is effective by focusing on the ones that yield the best results. If your website is plug-in driven, add the social media sharing buttons and start sharing; go ahead and share older content you’ve written a while back, and then focus on sharing as soon as you post a new article to get an immediate boost in the search engines. If your website is not plug-in driven, consult your webmaster and have them add them for you. Be sure to respond to any feedback on your website and social media sites to make your content engaging.