Social Search, Social Signals

Same thing just different(!)

Search algorithms

• Now evolving in response to the social media revolution, with ‘human authority’ now very much a part of the mix in SERPs.

Traditional SEO – 20 second review

• On Page Factors– URL– Title– Keywords– etc

• Off Page Factors– Anchor text– PR (page rank)

Social Signals

Social Signals Impacting Social Search

• You already know what it is – right(?)

Social Search - suggestions

Influencing Factors

• Not all likes, tweets, +1s are equal

Organisation / People Search

Edit your public facing links

Make it easy for people to find you

• https://plus.google.com/100034828195835575273

• http://gplus.to/leesmallwood

e.g. Mumuration – approx 4k searches per month for that term alone

Site now ranks 3rd in Google for ‘murmuration’ – how?

Tweeted…

Retweeted

Retweeted again…

Posted to Facebook

Posted to Google+ - appears under most recent … but importantly…

Appears under ‘best of’ results

2 days later – it’s still getting mentions

Increase the number of social signals linking back to your content

ASK !!!

Google is no longer a search engine

• It’s become(…ing) a recommendation engine and facilitated turning WoM to WoW

Points to take away

• The key point is that social signals are:– Powerful force in determining user behavior– Internet users are being influenced more and

more by the recommendations and social signals of their friends

– These recommendations are influencing Search Results

Social Search, Social Signals

Same thing just different(!)