If you’re posting regularly on social media—great!
But here’s the question:
Is it helping your SEO, or are you just posting for the sake of posting?
You might think of social media and SEO as two separate entities, but here’s the reality:
They’re more connected than you think.
Google cares about social signals—and social media activity can indirectly boost your search rankings.
When you share your website content on social, it creates signals that help Google recognize your business as relevant, active, and trustworthy. This can increase your visibility in organic search and drive more leads.
In this blog, I’m going to break down:
Why Google cares about social signals and how they impact SEO
The connection between engagement, content sharing, and higher rankings
What types of content you should share for SEO benefits
How MSW integrates social media into a full marketing funnel
And how to build a sustainable, effective social SEO strategy for your business
Let’s dive in.
Google’s ultimate goal is to deliver the most relevant, helpful results to a user’s search query. And because social media is where people engage and interact with businesses, it’s become a crucial part of that process.
- Social signals (like likes, shares, and comments) indicate engagement and interest.
- Google uses social signals as a way to validate authority, relevance, and credibility—especially for new content.
But here’s where the confusion often lies:
Social media doesn’t directly affect rankings.
In other words, Google doesn’t take the number of Instagram likes or Facebook shares into consideration as a ranking factor on its own.
But here's the thing:
Social media activity creates indirect signals that Google notices and values. These signals can affect other important ranking factors—like:
Link building
Content visibility
Brand awareness and trust
Dwell time and engagement
Traffic from shared links
If you’re thinking, “But I’m just sharing content on social—how is that impacting my SEO?” let me break it down.
When your content gets shared or liked on social media, it leads to:
When people share your content, their followers are likely to click through to your site.
That’s referral traffic—and Google loves seeing that.
The more people engage with your content on social, the more likely they are to visit your website, stay on your site longer, and engage with your other content—all of which signals to Google that your content is valuable.
When people engage with your social posts, you build brand authority. Google sees your business as more trustworthy and relevant. In fact, Google gives more weight to content that has high user engagement (likes, shares, comments).
This creates a feedback loop:
People find your business through social shares
People engage with your site
Google ranks your content higher because it’s relevant and authoritative
When you share your content on social, it has the potential to be shared by others, including influential figures in your industry, bloggers, or media outlets.
Example:
A blogger might see your post on LinkedIn, find it useful, and then link to your site from their own blog or social profile. These inbound links—especially from reputable sites—are crucial for improving your rankings.
Google views these links as “votes of confidence” in your business.
The more authoritative websites that link to you, the higher your chance of ranking.
When people interact with your social media content, it shows them you’re actively engaged with your community. This helps build trust—and trust is a major factor in both conversion and ranking.
When people trust your business, they’ll return to your site. They’ll recommend you to others. They’ll link to your content. Google notices when people spend more time on your site because of your brand’s reputation and trustworthiness.
Now that we know how social media impacts SEO, let’s talk about the content you should be sharing to maximize your SEO impact.
Your blog content is one of the best things you can share on social media.
Why?
Because it provides value and encourages visitors to spend more time on your site, which Google loves.
Share these types of blog posts:
How-to guides
Listicles (like this one!)
Case studies or success stories
Tips or resources for your audience
When you share these on social, it drives traffic, engagement, and more organic links.
Share your free resources (like guides, checklists, templates) on social media—because not only do they offer value to your followers, but they also help grow your email list.
Your lead magnet will bring people to your site, where you can capture their contact information for nurturing.
Social proof works wonders on social media—and it’s powerful for SEO.
When you share testimonials, reviews, or user-generated content, you build trust with your audience. If someone shares your post, even better. These positive signals get picked up by both your social network and Google, showing that your business is reputable and trusted.
People connect with people. Sharing behind-the-scenes moments or showcasing your team on social media builds human connection and trust, both of which help your SEO.
Share:
Team member spotlights
Behind-the-scenes looks at your work
Client interactions or projects in progress
This kind of content encourages more engagement and interactions, which signals to Google that your content is both relevant and engaging.
Don’t be afraid to share updates about new services, products, or offers.
Make sure your audience knows when you have something new. When people engage with that content and click to learn more, it sends positive signals to Google about your site’s relevance and activity.
One of our clients—a local landscaping company—was getting some traffic but was struggling to rank in their competitive market.
We helped them share their blog posts, client testimonials, and before-and-after project photos on social media. We also ran paid social ads to promote specific service pages.
Within 60 days, they saw:
A 28% increase in organic traffic
A 36% increase in calls from local leads
Higher visibility in search results, including map results for their location
Their social activity didn’t just drive traffic—it helped build the kind of engagement Google loves to see.
At MSW, we don’t just post on social media for the sake of posting.
We integrate social media into your full marketing funnel to drive traffic, build trust, and convert.
Here’s how we do it:
Social Content Strategy: We create a content calendar for clients, ensuring that social media is aligned with SEO goals and promotions.
Lead Magnets & Blog Posts: We drive social traffic to content that grows your email list and positions your business as an expert.
Retargeting Ads: We use social ads to re-engage visitors who’ve interacted with your site but didn’t convert.
Engagement: We help clients interact with their audience, answer questions, and build relationships on platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn.
Social media isn’t just a place to share posts. It’s an integral part of a larger strategy that works for both SEO and conversions.
If you’re still thinking of social media as something that’s “nice to have” but not integral to your SEO, think again.
Social signals play an important role in:
Increasing traffic to your website
Building brand authority
Improving your rankings over time
When you treat social media as part of your full-funnel strategy, it becomes an SEO powerhouse that feeds back into your business growth.
It’s time to stop posting for the sake of posting and start posting with purpose—purpose that drives real results.
We’ll show you how to use social media to grow your traffic, build your brand, and boost your SEO—all while converting more leads.
📞 Call us at 573-552-8403
Or book your free strategy session at:
https://mswinteractivedesigns.com/pages/request-a-quote
Let’s make social media work for you—and your SEO.
Related Reading:
→ Duplicate Content Warning: Why Copy-Paste Kills Your SEO
Learn how duplicate content can hurt your rankings—and what to do to fix it.
Sandy Wardenburg Waggett is the Founder & CEO of MSW Interactive Designs, a premier digital marketing agency specializing in SEO, AI-powered content strategies, and website optimization. With over a quarter century of experience (eek!), Sandy has helped thousands of business owners increase visibility, generate leads, and dominate their local markets through strategic online marketing.
As a Certified High-Performance Coach, Certified Maxwell Leadership Coach, and LXCouncil Moderator, Sandy is not just a marketing expert—she’s a trusted mentor and business strategist who equips entrepreneurs with data-driven insights and future-proof tactics. She leads AI & Marketing Mastery Training and exclusive CEO mastermind groups, helping business leaders stay ahead in the rapidly evolving digital landscape.
Sandy is also the author of the upcoming book, The Future-Proof SEO Blueprint: AI, AEO, and SEO Tactics for Small Business Dominance—a must-read for business owners looking to outsmart competitors and win in the new era of search marketing. The book provides cutting-edge strategies on AI-driven SEO, Answer Engine Optimization (AEO), and how to leverage AI tools to future-proof your digital presence.
When she’s not crafting game-changing marketing strategies, Sandy enjoys coaching entrepreneurs, speaking at business conferences, and empowering leaders to make bold moves in their industries.
🚀 Want to take your digital marketing to the next level? Connect with Sandy at MSWInteractiveDesigns.com or call 573-552-8403.
