The Direct and Indirect Impact of Social Media Data on SEO

Social media indirectly influence search rankings and the visibility of your brand.

Currently, consumers search for information about brands both in search engines and on social platforms – because, let’s face it, who doesn’t check company reviews on Facebook or Instagram before making a purchase? That’s why companies need to ensure consistency and quality in their presence across both areas. Moreover, you have to focus not just on the number of likes and shares, but also on website traffic, link building, and brand awareness growth, which together can significantly impact your search engine results.

If we’re talking about the most important social media metrics that can indirectly affect SEO, it’s definitely worth highlighting:

1. Social media traffic – the number of users moving from social platforms to your website, which increases overall site traffic and signals to Google that your website is valuable.
2. Social media traffic as a visibility boost – viral content on social media can definitely increase your brand and website visibility. A viral post on TikTok can generate a sudden spike in traffic, which Google interprets as a signal of interest and popularity.
3. Time spent on-site after coming from social media – the longer social media users stay on your site, the better Google assesses the quality of your content, which can positively impact your rankings.
4. Bounce rate – a low bounce rate for users coming from social media indicates well-matched content, which is a positive signal for search engine algorithms.
5. Visibility of your social media content in SERPs – this helps build brand recognition and influences Google’s trust in your website; we’ve already written about how to appear there and how social media affect SEO, so feel free to check it out.
6. Link metrics from social media – although most platforms use the “nofollow” or “ugc” attribute, social media links still have value for SEO. It’s important to monitor:
   • The number of clicks on links leading to your website
   • The CTR of posts containing links
   • Sources of links (which platforms generate the most traffic)
   • The frequency of your content being shared by users (which increases the reach of your links)

We write more about this in the article: Do Social Media Links Help SEO?

Now, let’s move on to what social media data says about your SEO. Earlier, we discussed more direct data – now, let’s look at the indirect insights Some will be strictly related to what you can find in your SM panel, while others will be more under the surface or even within your brand’s website. Check out what’s worth monitoring – both in Pixel and in Google Analytics.

Brand Visibility/Recognition Data = How Well People (and Google) Recognize Your Brand

A strong presence on social media increases brand awareness, which translates into a higher number of searches related to your company’s name. Google considers branded searches as a signal of popularity and credibility.

Brand recognition is an area that combines both measurable and immeasurable aspects that influence SEO:

Measurable brand awareness indicators include:

• Search volume for branded phrases (e.g., “Delante”, “Delante SEO agency”) – their growth is a direct signal of increasing brand awareness;
• Growth in long-tail searches related to the brand (e.g., “Delante reviews”, “Delante pricing for SEO”);
• Direct traffic to the website, which often indicates brand recognition and trust, as well as traffic from social media, which shows that users are more likely to visit the site after becoming familiar with the brand;
• Returning visitor rate, suggesting brand loyalty.

Immeasurable aspects of brand recognition include:

• Overall brand perception in the digital space
• Associations users have with the brand
• Emotional connection of consumers to the brand
• The “halo effect” of the brand influencing purchasing decisions

Sharing valuable content on social media increases the chances of acquiring natural backlinks when other users consider it worth sharing on their websites or blogs – another piece of social media data worth monitoring.

User Engagement Data and Behavioral Signals = What Kind of Community You Are Building

Social media is a place for building an engaged community around the brand. Users who regularly engage with your content on Facebook or Instagram are more likely to visit your website, spend more time on it, and take the desired actions.

According to studies, 76% of users who regularly interact with a brand on social media visit its website at least once a month.*

Although this is website data, it’s still worth mentioning: a low bounce rate or longer time spent on the site are considered by Google’s algorithms when assessing the quality of a website.

Although social media visibility is not a direct ranking factor, its indirect influence – including the impact of the data gathered from SM platforms – on SEO is undeniable. Social media increases brand recognition, generates website traffic, accelerates content indexing, and influences user behavior.

It’s no secret that a cohesive strategy combining SEO and social media can deliver far better results than actions carried out in isolation. If you haven’t yet treated your social media profiles as support for SEO, now is the best time to change that!

After all, if even a viral meme can influence traffic to your website, why not harness that potential for your brand? 😉