Updated: May 31, 2011
I know this isn’t what we promised we would have for you, our loyal readers. We’ve been really busy with our projects lately and seem to have lost track of time.
Despite this, we thought some of these tips regarding Twitter would be a good substitute for now.
As you know from prior posts on the matter, Twitter is a powerful social media marketing tool taking the online world by storm.
Everyone from politicians to musicians and athletes to businesses are using this innovative tool to connect with prospective customers. It’s also a great way to engage with those who are already customers, turning them from simply people doing business with you into ‘evangelists’ for your brand.
We hope to eventually provide a synopsis of HubSpot’s webinar on optimizing relationships with social media soon.
But in the mean time, we invite you to examine 4 ways you can use Twitter to improve search rankings. There’s been a lot of discussion on whether Twitter helps boost search engine rankings. It can, provided it’s done properly according to Misti Sandefur and Danny Sullivan, who recently interviewed Google and Bing and confirmed this point.
Continue reading to learn more about how you can use this versatile ‘micro-blogging’ utility to boost your company’s position in Google and other search engines.
1. ‘Follow’ people in your industry who are considered authority figures
Most people you follow on Twitter will not follow you back. But if you’re following people relevant to what you do, the higher likelihood they will follow you back. For those who do, they will likely notice links to new content on your site or blog.
The result?
They very well may ‘re-tweet’ your post and share it with their friends. These links, over time, will provide a big boost to your search engine rankings.
2. ‘Re-tweet’ posts from other authority figures in your industry
It’s a two-way street. If you spot something on Twitter you find interesting, re-tweet it for your followers. Doing so will likely result in a ‘re-tweet’ on the other end for any good content you post on Twitter.
3. Add Twitter and other social media widgets at the end of articles and blog posts
You’ve probably noticed how all of our blog posts include a ‘share’ button where readers can share our articles through Facebook, Twitter and other social media channels. Including this capability not only makes sharing your content easier, it will make it more likely readers will want to share your content with their friends since hey, it’s so easy!
4. Use #hashtags when posting when posting tips and links
Twitter #hashtags are an easy way for people to spot what something is about. Therefore, find popular #hashtags relevant to your industry and use those in the beginning of your Twitter posts. Examples include: #jobs, #retail, #webmarketing and so on. See a more comprehensive list here.
The other important thing to consider when using Twitter is how you become an authority on the micro-blogging platform. Being considered an ‘authority’ figure in your industry will ensure you maintain a high number of followers. Becoming an authority figure takes time but posting relevant content and communicating with others on the network will help build your credibility.
Simply ‘tweeting’ blog content on Twitter isn’t enough. You need to also look at others’ content and comment on it as well.
As we’ve said before, the quality of your followers is more important than quantity.
With that said, keep in mind that things don’t happen overnight. But be patient and persistent…your efforts will eventually pay off.
Related Posts
Large Numbers of Followers Doesn’t Always Mean More Benefits
Social Media Architect Provides Valuable Twitter Advice
Can Twitter Get a Site Indexed in the Search Engines All By Itself?