Roxanne Roark discusses how social media can impact search engine optimization. She defines SEO as affecting a website's visibility in unpaid search results through on-page optimization and link building. While social signals from sharing correlate with rankings, the important factor is using social media to build relationships and earn links from influential sites, not just shares. Case studies show content marketing and social media campaigns helping websites rank higher through increased visibility.

1. Social Search: The Impacts
of Social Media on Search
Engine Optimization
Roxanne Roark
Heroic Search

2. Who Am I?
Roxanne R. Roark
"Siren of Social",
Heroic Search
-Former owner of R3
Social Media, a
successful Social
Media Marketing
company started in
2011
-Creating and managing
social media accounts
since the 90's
@RoxanneRoark
Roxanne@heroicse

3. In the Beginning..

4. In the Beginning..
Search Engines were
stupid.

5. SEO Stands
for
Search Engine
Optimization
@RoxanneRoark

6. So what is SEO?
One really good definition of Search
Engine Optimization is..
“the process of affecting the
visibility of a website or a web
page in a search engine's unpaid
results—often referred to as
"natural," "organic," or "earned"
results.”

7. So what is SEO?
Socia
l
Media
Link
Acquiring
SEO encompasses a ton of things, now. Main
Cont
ent
Reputati
on
(Authorit
y)

8. So what is SEO?
SEO is what we call it when we work on
website content (coding and what you see
on the site) to make it more appealing for
search engines like Google to rank it
better in results..
@RoxanneRoark

9. So what is SEO?
SEO is what we call it when we work on
website content (coding and what you see
on the site) to make it more appealing for
search engines like Google to rank it
better in results..
But.. Not this..
@RoxanneRoark

10. @RoxanneRoark

11. SEO is also working on getting you links
back to your content to show search
engines that your website is
knowledgeable and reputable.

12. So what is SEO?
It’s content.

13. So what is SEO?
It’s content.
The right content.

14. So what is SEO?
It’s content.
The right content.

15. So what is SEO?

16. Content Tweetable:
Content is anything
you create. And it's
not limited to just
your website.

17. Content

18. Content

19. Content

20. Content

21. Content

22. Content

23. Content

24. Content

25. Content

26. Content

27. Content

28. Content
Tweetable:
Content
should
always
have a

29. Content

30. Content

31. Tweetable:
Reputation is
how people
perceive you
- online AND
off.
Reputatio
n

32. SEO is basically built on ensuring
you have a reputation for knowing
your industry.
Reputatio
n

33. We do this in a variety of ways..
Reputatio
n

34. Reputatio
n
Content
Marketing

35. Reputatio
n
Link
Building

36. Reputatio
n
Social
Signals

37. Reputatio
n
On Page
Optimiza
tion

38. Reputatio
n
Tweetable: If people think
you don't know what you're
talking about, they will run
the other way.

39. Reputatio
n
Provided by and used with permission

40. Link
Acquiring
…is what we call it when someone is
linking to your website from theirs. Some
call it “link building”. A few ways this is
accomplished;
Guest posting
Link Roundups
Link exchange* (careful, here)
Interviews
Speaking or sponsoring gigs

41. Link
Acquiring
Guest Posting

42. Link
AcquiringLink
Roundups

43. Link
AcquiringLink
Roundups

44. Link
Acquiring
Link Exchanges
A Right Way.. And A Wrong
Way.

45. Link
Acquiring
Link Exchanges
The WRONG Way.

46. Link
Acquiring

47. Link
Acquiring
Link Exchanges
The RIGHT Way

48. Link
Acquiring
Link Exchanges
“When it comes to link building, Google want[s]
to see links that you've earned. They want to see
links that you deserve because you have
something of good quality to offer - not because
you're happy to take part in link exchanges.
Having said that, Google has no problem at all
with websites linking to each other for legitimate
reasons.”

49. “We had never
met in person
and I didn't
know his story,
but there was
something
about the way
he carries
himself online
that drew me
in.”
–Amber
Backes,
@startup_famil
y
Interview
s
Link
Acquiring

50. Link
Acquiring
Interview
s

51. Link
Acquiring
Speaking Gigs

52. Link
Acquiring
Safe, solid link back to the
website.
Speaking
Gigs

53. So what is Social Media?

55. So what is Social Media?
Social networking platforms where your
audience can interact with you.
@RoxanneRoark

56. So what is Social Media?
Social networking platforms where your
audience can interact with you.
@RoxanneRoark

57. So what is Social Media?
• Social networking platforms where your
audience can interact with you.
• It brings brands closer to their audiences.
@RoxanneRoark

58. So what is Social Media?
• Social networking platforms where your
audience can interact with you.
• It brings brands closer to their audiences.
• It brings audiences – PEOPLE – closer to
brands.
@RoxanneRoark

59. So what is Social Media?
• Social networking platforms where your
audience can interact with you.
• It brings brands closer to their audiences.
• It brings audiences – PEOPLE – closer to
brands.
• It can also help us spread content and
reach new PEOPLE.
@RoxanneRoark

60. So what is Social Media?
• Social networking platforms where your
audience can interact with you.
• It brings brands closer to their audiences.
• It brings audiences – PEOPLE – closer to
brands.
• It can also help us spread content and
reach new PEOPLE.
So.. Yes. SEO has something to do with
@RoxanneRoark

61. SEO and SoMe
..But does it have as much to do with it as
you think?
@RoxanneRoark

62. SEO and SoMe
@RoxanneRoark

63. SEO and SoMe
@RoxanneRoark
Seems like everyone wants to know if
“doing” social media will help SEO.

64. SEO and SoMe
Social
Signals
@RoxanneRoark

65. SEO and SoMe
@RoxanneRoark
This is
from a
study
from 2011

66. SEO and SoMe
@RoxanneRoark
Searchmetrics study from 2012 shows
correlation between social signals and
Google rankings.

67. SEO and
SoMe
@RoxanneRoark
QuickSpro
ut study
from 2014
shows
correlation
between
social
signals and
Google
rankings.

68. SEO and SoMe
@RoxanneRoark
Tweetable:
Correlation does
not equal
causation.Correlation simply supports the possibility
that something may be related.

69. SEO and SoMe
@RoxanneRoark
SEO works by determining what humans find
most valuable, online.

70. SEO and SoMe
@RoxanneRoark
SEO works by determining what humans find
most valuable, online.
Social Media is one way humans share what is
valuable to them.

71. SEO and SoMe
@RoxanneRoark
SEO works by determining what humans find
most valuable, online.
Social Media is one way humans share what is
valuable to them.
BUT…

72. SEO and SoMe
@RoxanneRoark
SEO works by determining what humans find
most valuable, online.
Social Media is one way humans share what is
valuable to them.
BUT…

73. SEO and SoMe
@RoxanneRoark
SEO works by determining what humans find
most valuable, online.
Social Media is one way humans share what is
valuable to them.
BUT…

74. SEO and SoMe
@RoxanneRoark
SEO works by determining what humans find
most valuable, online.
Social Media is one way humans share what is
valuable to them.
BUT…
It’s not the social sharing that
really matters.

75. SEO and SoMe
@RoxanneRoark
Out of all of my research, this explanation
makes the most sense:
If your content reaches people
that will share it to their websites
and talk about you online, and
those people are influential in
their space, those links earned
are what boost your SEO.

76. SEO and SoMe
@RoxanneRoark
Out of all of my research, this explanation
makes the most sense:
Tweetable: Get more eyes on
your content, to earn more links
(hopefully), and *that* will boost
SEO.

77. SEO and SoMe
@RoxanneRoark
Ultimately, your goal should not
ONLY be to get social media
shares, but to build relationships
with the (reputable) people that
will also share your content and
a (hopefully) link back to your
website on theirs.

78. SEO and SoMe
@RoxanneRoark
Case Study 1: Apartments
Goal: To increase organic traffic by boosting
visibility on Google.
Strategy: Optimized website to ensure search engines could
crawl it with ease. Implemented a strong content marketing
strategy, including their newly created blog and social media
accounts.
Results: The first 6 months saw a 47% increase in organic
traffic, and by the year’s end there was a 115% increase,
leading to more leads and conversions.
https://www.seoplus.ca/blog/seo-case-study-apartment-rentals/

79. SEO and SoMe
@RoxanneRoark
Case Study 2: Law Firm
Goal: Rank at the top of search results for a
variety of key phrases.
Strategy: created a collection of data driven content pieces.
Which lead to wide spread social sharing, backlinks from
bloggers, and pickup by larger news sites including the
Huffington Post.
Results: In just 6 months, the law firm ranked #1 for more
than 6 of their desired keywords and in the top 5 for many
more.
http://gofishdigital.com/case-studies/

80. SEO and SoMe
@RoxanneRoark
Case Study 3: Shrushti.com
Goal: Rank at the top of search results for a
specific key phrase.
Strategy: Use social signals to improve rankings, starting at
400th place in SERP (Search Engine Results Pages).
Results: In only 1 month, the site ranked #1 for their desired
key phrase on Google.co.uk
http://www.shrushti.com/seoblog/case-study-social-signals-to-improve-
search-rankings/

81. SEO and SoMe
@RoxanneRoark
Takeaway:
Social Signals give an indirect signal that
a piece is popular, and depending on who
is talking about it, may give search
engines a signal to say “Hey, this web
page needs to be higher in the rankings.”

82. SEO and SoMe
@RoxanneRoark
Takeaway:
After optimizing your website, including a
strong social media and content
marketing campaign is your best chance
at getting your website ranked higher in
the search engine results.

83. Thank you!
Come see me!
5272 S. Lewis Ave Suite 250 Tulsa, OK
74105
Reach out to me!
Phone Number: (918) 340-6767
Email: Roxanne@HeroicSearch.com
@RoxanneRoark