Guest post contributed by SEO freelancer Ryan Chaffin. This is Part 3 of a three-part series on The Power of Social Media. Read Part 1, The Power of Local Search Marketing, and Part 2, The Power of Long-Tail Keyword Phrases.
Social Media: The Power of Consistent Activity
Photo Credit: Ivan Walsh (flickr)
Blogging is a powerful tool for social media marketing. It is also a relatively easy process that a website of any size can incorporate into its marketing strategy. Blogging has also become increasingly powerful in the last couple of days since Google’s recent SEO changes.
Is a Lively Blog More Interesting to Google?
It has been rumored about that Google has changed their algorithms to favor sites that consistently show activity. This means there is a serious potential for ratings boosts for any websites that provide consistent activity with social media marketing efforts such as blogging. So whether you are a huge company looking to target keywords such as “hire truck drivers“ on a nationwide campaign or you are a small company who only provides local services and want to target something like “home renovations Toronto” (as discussed in part 2 of this series), this change could affect your website’s rankings for good or for bad depending upon your consistency of activity.
These recent changes make link building less effective and give even the smallest websites a fighting chance. Don’t misunderstand, link building is still important.
That’s why other types of social media marketing such as posting articles to article directories with backlinks and placing links on status updates and forums should still be practiced; however, at this point, no one should be underestimating the power of consistent activity on their website.
In fact, since Google does value consistent activity higher than ever before, this means that social media followers can help you to rank even higher by participating on your blog with comments.
Ensuring You Have Consistent Activity on Your Blog
Encourage More Comments
Comments posted on your website’s blog will qualify as activity which means that social media just took another giant step when it comes to its effectiveness on Google’s search engine algorithms. After all, what makes a site more relevant than one that is consistently growing, evolving and increasing in information and customer interaction?
This is why it is incredibly important to encourage as much activity on your websites as possible.
BizChickBlogs Soap Box: Read the 4 Irrefutable Laws of Blog Commenting if you don’t think comments matter. Then, download and install CommentLuv so that people will actually WANT to comment on your blog. All done now.
Encouraging Social Media Interaction
Another way to encourage consistent activity using social media tools is to include “like” buttons from Facebook on your website. All forms of new activity are things that Google likes to see. The power of consistent activity is something that a website of any size can participate in which helps to broaden the abilities of anyone to rank higher on the search engines.
Posting blogs more frequently, encouraging comments, adding social media features and making a presence on sites like Twitter and Facebook will give anyone the opportunity to rank better in the search engines.
Caution: You Should Still Rely on Methods that Work
A word of caution, though – many who hear about new algorithm changes from Google focus only on the new changes and do not stick with past proven methods.
This is unwise.
A huge part of social media marketing is having a variety of components that all carry weight. Continue to build links. Continue to focus on local search marketing. These methods still carry weight and can mean the difference between you and your competitors’ rankings.
The power of consistent activity, though, is taken very seriously which means that a well-rounded marketer who can participate in all of these social media strategies will undoubtedly reap the benefits in the long run.
— Ryan Chaffin
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BlogEngage
{ 37 comments… read them below or add one }
Twitter: dragonblogger
July 30, 2010 at 11:12 am
Wordpress by default will ping these services for every comment is left, some people have disabled those notifications and if they are disabled Google won’t notice comments have updated the post and may not reflect. This is something to consider.
For those who have older articles that they want to “freshen up” update the content and republish to help vitalize some of your older content is probably a good tip too.
Justin Germino´s last blog ..Are You a Victim of KeywordLuv Abuse
Twitter: ryanchaffin
July 30, 2010 at 11:51 am
Great suggestion Justin! I really like the “freshen up” idea.
Ryan Chaffin´s last blog ..4 Steps to the top of Google
Twitter: kikolani
July 30, 2010 at 3:14 pm
I think that activity plays a big part in how Google considers which sites are valuable on particular topics, which is why the bounce rate probably does (somewhere underneath it all) probably tie into SERPs.
If someone is number one and getting a lot of clicks, but then leaving shortly thereafter, that’s a good sign that the website is not providing the content that searchers want. Hence they should be bumped for sites that do provide the right content. Therefore, the longer people stay on your site, and the more they share it socially, the better it looks as an authoritative source.
Kristi@Blogging Tips´s last blog ..SEO Infographic – Link Building Data Visualization
Twitter: ryanchaffin
August 2, 2010 at 9:59 am
Kristi,
You got it right on! Bounce rate definitely plays a large part in your rankings. That is why the layout and the design of your site is so important. You want searchers to be able to find what they are looking for as easily as possible. If they come to your site, get discouraged and leave right away, you better believe search engines look at that!
Ryan Chaffin´s last blog ..4 Steps to the top of Google
Twitter: KathyBlogger
August 2, 2010 at 12:24 pm
Activity definitely does play a role in ranking sites. Sites need to continue to acquire links over a period of time. Google knows that the more popular a website is, the faster that link growth will occur. So as the years pass and a website grows, it should be attracting ever increasing numbers of higher quality links. Content freshness also gets a decent bonus.
I am not sold 100% on bounce rate affecting rankings though. I have a number of Adsense sites that have really high bounce rates that maintain their ranking in spite of it. They rank well for certain targeted keyword phrases. The bounces go to Adwords advertisers who actually get conversions because the traffic is so targeted. I can think of many applications where sites would have really high bounce rates yet still provide the exact information a searcher is looking for. In fact, a high bounce rate could signal high quality -(ex. a user found exactly what they needed to know and closed their browser when looking up a word definition.) Real internet research (not surfing) would actually have this occur quite often. You will probably catch yourself doing this quite often if you pay attention to it.
I think maybe you mean time spent on a page instead of bounce rate. Time spent on the page could be a useful quality factor. Maybe Google could measure this against the amount of textual content on a page. Or, maybe they are tracking mouse pointers or scrolling to determine how much of a page is actually being read.
Kathy@Kathy Blogger´s last blog ..Link building strategy Maximizing the use of the Commentluv plugin
Twitter: ryanchaffin
August 2, 2010 at 1:45 pm
After reading my previous comment, I realize I wasn’t very clear, so I am going to try and clarify. Bounce rate does not play a HUGE part in your rankings, however if many searchers perform a search for a keyword, click on your site from the SERP, and then quickly hit the back button, the search engines are going to take note to this, and it could potentially end up hurting your ranking.
For blogs, high bounce rates are almost expected, and should not really be too much of a concern because people usually come to the blog, read the desired info, and leave.
Ryan Chaffin´s last blog ..4 Steps to the top of Google
Bounce rate has a huge influence on rankings now. People will debate this till the cows come home but the fact remains that is if you search “widgets’ in Google and go to the #4 result “Buy Some Widgets” and the user backs out without going to another page thereby bouncing out it counts as a negative! The user experience is poor because they did not find what they were looking for.
I have also suspected that G analytics plays into rankings. Ever since i set up funnels and conversion goals my rankings have shot up. I can’t help but think that Google is paying attention to this data to influence rankings.
Twitter: keepupweb
August 3, 2010 at 6:02 am
I would love to learn more about using Google Analytics conversion goals but it’s something I’ve totally ignored up to now. Any tips on using them or should I just go to G’s site and figure it out?
Sherryl Perry´s last blog ..Bored Want a Hobby Need extra Cash Is Blogging for You
Twitter: ryanchaffin
August 3, 2010 at 9:49 am
Check out Google’s Conversion University:
http://www.google.com/support/conversionuniversity/bin/static.py?hl=en&page=iq_learning_center.cs&rd=1
It’s all about GA and what you can do. The videos are very informative.
Ryan Chaffin´s last blog ..4 Steps to the top of Google
Twitter: bizchickblogs
August 3, 2010 at 3:04 pm
Thanks for that link! Very cool. Will have to check it out. I’ve been ignoring the conversion stuff, too. Where analytics are concerned, I’m primarily concerned on this blog in particular, I’m focused on two things: incoming links and outgoing links.
Tia Peterson´s last blog ..Eat Pray Love
Twitter: keepupweb
August 3, 2010 at 3:42 pm
Thanks for the link Ryan. I’ve been putting off learning about goals and conversions for too long. It was encouraging to hear that high bounce rates are almost expected with blogs. My bounce rate is improving but your comment makes me feel better about it.
Sherryl Perry´s last blog ..Need More Eyes on Your Website Comment on Blogs
Twitter: ryanchaffin
August 3, 2010 at 3:45 pm
Glad I could help!
Ryan Chaffin´s last blog ..4 Steps to the top of Google
Twitter: cks1988
July 30, 2010 at 5:08 pm
This is a new fresh information for search engine optimization.
@Justin, thanks for reminding me about the comment ping. I think i will enable it again.
Kok Siong @ Cancer Research´s last blog ..How to Check Yourself for Breast Cancer
Twitter: bizchickblogs
August 3, 2010 at 3:05 pm
Glad you liked the post, Kok!
It seems that Google likes to keep us on our toes. I have tried to incorperate all of what I have learned to make mine the best I can. I am still not at the top of my game but, I am getting there. Thanks for this valuable information.
Twitter: ryanchaffin
August 2, 2010 at 9:59 am
Keep it up Donna, you’ll get there!
Ryan Chaffin´s last blog ..4 Steps to the top of Google
Twitter: josepharch
July 31, 2010 at 3:50 am
I’m not entirely convinced about the thought that Google will only reward sites that have activity. Some of my sites that have been sitting doing nothing for the past 10 months are rising in the ranks very nicely, and its not to do with me backlinking either.
However, I am in total agreement Ryan, that a blog should be a real hive of activity, if at all possible. After all, a “dead” blog with little activity is like a house without people. There is little point.
Cheers for another super article!
Regards
Joseph
Joseph Archibald@affordable seo´s last blog ..Internet Marketing – Are You Winning the Online Battle Internet Marketing Insights
Twitter: bizchickblogs
August 1, 2010 at 2:02 pm
Right. It is tough to say that with certainty when there are static html pages that will still continue to rise in ranks when they are truly the most relevant search result. I think ultimately the goal is still to put most relevant stuff first.
Twitter: ryanchaffin
August 2, 2010 at 10:03 am
Thanks Joseph!
Blogs and fresh content are a great way for young sites to get noticed and improve rank. I too have some older sites that I didn’t do any back-linking to, and minimal SEO work on and let them sit. Looking at them months down the road, they had good page rank and ranked high in search engines. So I definitely agree with what you’ve said. I’m not too sure why this happened though. Do you have any ideas?
-Ryan
Ryan Chaffin´s last blog ..4 Steps to the top of Google
Twitter: KathyBlogger
August 2, 2010 at 12:36 pm
Ryan,
My guess would be that the reason your older sites are ranking well is because the competition is weak for those keywords you are ranking for. Something as simple as having the search phrase and your page title being identical can sometimes make the difference. It might be that you have one quality link that is more powerful than all of the other combined links of your competitors. This happens to me all the time.
If you analyzed the on-page SEO and the incoming links of your highly ranked page and its top three competitors, you would probably figure it out pretty quickly.
New people reading this should realize that the one factor that can overcome any other weakness is a substantially more powerful inbound link than your competition.
Kathy@Kathy Blogger´s last blog ..Free Do Follow Links Links Links
Twitter: ryanchaffin
August 2, 2010 at 1:49 pm
Inbound links are definitely important! But that’s the thing, my site didn’t have any inbound links from any “authoritative” sites, in fact, only one back link, from another new site, that I had made.
One other note on this subject, that I know played a huge role in one of the sites success, is keyword rich domains.
Ryan Chaffin´s last blog ..4 Steps to the top of Google
Thanks for this. I’m resigned to not having a lively blog. In fact, I’m not really eager to hear what people who haven’t read any philosophy in their life have to tell me about the tripartite soul in Plato vs. Aristotle’s ideas in “De Anima” or attempt to discuss rules and private language right off the bat. Hearing “thanks, lots to think about” is fine with me 99% of the time. Hearing absolutely nothing is a problem, though.
So it’s back to proven methods, I guess. Although I am wondering about traffic building independent of Google. Weirdly enough, that probably means more attention to social media, but with a different use in mind.
ashok´s last blog ..Maimonides- “Letter to Obadiah the Proselyte”
Twitter: bizchickblogs
August 1, 2010 at 2:06 pm
Hi Ashok – I kinda like proven methods, too. Honestly a lively blog just isn’t a reality for some niches. Blogs can still be useful whether or not conversation and sharing is going on.
How many times have we been to how-to blogs just to get the instructions and leave? Those blogs don’t often have tons of comments; they simply provide very useful information that people consume time after time. They still rank very highly, even with high bounce rates (b/c they usually have longer avg time on site), and because they rank highly in search engines they get the benefit of tons of traffic and higher PR.
Twitter: ryanchaffin
August 2, 2010 at 10:06 am
Instead of having a blog, you could simply just add more pages to the site. The great thing about a blog is that it’s an easy way to get more information on your site and more indexed pages. If a blog isn’t for you, maybe adding a new page every week or two would be? Just a thought.
Ryan Chaffin´s last blog ..4 Steps to the top of Google
Twitter: bizchickblogs
August 3, 2010 at 3:08 pm
I think it’s not so much not having a blog, per se. It’s just that some blogs don’t inspire a lot of conversation. I can’t tell you how many Wordpress development blogs I visit and use the info and don’t comment (I’m wincing as I say that). People who publish how-to’s often benefit from the inbound links people give them but not from a lot of commenting.
Twitter: ryanchaffin
August 3, 2010 at 3:47 pm
That’s a great point Tia. A lot of people on the internet do not think to comment on sites, they simply get their desired information and leave.
Ryan Chaffin´s last blog ..4 Steps to the top of Google
Twitter: keepupweb
August 1, 2010 at 12:06 pm
Great information. Thanks everyone! I checked to make sure my WP was set up to ping comments and it is. I noticed that in my settings “attempt to notify any blogs linked to from the article” is not on. (The default is off.) Does anyone turn this setting on? (It says that it slows down posting.)
Sherryl Perry´s last blog ..Bored Want a Hobby Need extra Cash Is Blogging for You
Twitter: bizchickblogs
August 1, 2010 at 2:09 pm
Yes! Leave it on. It doesn’t slow down posting like you would think.
When you leave it off, bloggers won’t know when you link to them. You have to turn that on so that they can get a ping back and come visit your blog and say thank you!
Twitter: bizchickblogs
August 1, 2010 at 2:10 pm
I guess technically they would eventually find out through analytics or Google alerts, but the ping back is almost instantaneous.
Twitter: ryanchaffin
August 2, 2010 at 10:08 am
Like Tia said, it’s a nice way for other blogs to know you linked to them. When this happens, their usually going to be VERY happy and come check out your site and send others there too!
Ryan Chaffin´s last blog ..4 Steps to the top of Google
Twitter: keepupweb
August 1, 2010 at 2:15 pm
Thanks Tia. I don’t remember turning that off. I wonder what it defaulted to. So, all this time I’ve been linking to other sites, they may not have known. Good thing I read this post!
Sherryl Perry´s last blog ..3 Tips for Building Awareness & Getting Your Website on Track
Twitter: bizchickblogs
August 2, 2010 at 9:06 am
lol Yes! Yeah I remember when you linked to mine, I never got notification. I just looked out for it. It helps because when you log into your dashboard, you’ll get a thing there that says who’s linked to you. Plus, you’ll get a pingback and trackback which I like; helps demonstrate that the blog is getting connected to the blogosphere.
This just goes to show you that you have to be flexible and willing to change all the time. When I think that I have it figured out, they change the rules.
Twitter: ryanchaffin
August 3, 2010 at 9:46 am
Haha, that’s right Mathew! The search engines keep us on our toes!
Ryan Chaffin´s last blog ..4 Steps to the top of Google
This is going to be very hard for me because I have so many blogs. I have been trying to keep up with them but, I think I will have to keep my more important ones and weed out the rest. There is no way I can keep coming up with new content on everyone of them.
Twitter: ryanchaffin
August 4, 2010 at 5:26 pm
Sandra,
I don’t know if you already utilize guest blogging, but that could be one resource. Also, you could maybe try to find people to manage blogs for you. Or even sell them if they are valuable enough.
-Ryan
Ryan Chaffin´s last blog ..4 Steps to the top of Google
Thanks for sharing Your Blogging knowledge bank I like this excellent post.
seospidy@Internet marketing´s last blog ..Search Engine Optimization SEO
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