Can Facebook's "Like" Influence SEO?

A report from SEOmoz named “2011 Search Engine Ranking Factors.” Talks about the influence of shares from top social media site Facebook on SEO.

In the report, SEOmoz detailed the connection between Google SERP and Facebook and tackled the issue as to if Facebook shares does impacts Google’s search results or if it is just plain coincidence.

The verdict was that they could not 100% prove that Facebook shares does impact the SERP of a website. The closest answer they could come up with is that of a strong connection between better search rankings and Facebook shares. So as you can see, we mere netizens are still in the dark as to what the real score is.

What is certain though in that social media report is the old mantra “content is king”.

But the question that is bugging me is this; “if a Facebook page gets shared often, and if said page appears high on the SERP, is it an affirmation that Google does see said pages as URL’s which has quality content? And if so, should we just ditch regular websites such as blogs for Facebook pages?”

As I don’t consider myself as an expert, but rather a social media analyst, I do think that Google does credit Facebook Fanpages that are often visited and shared. I’ve always lived by the idea that traffic is traffic, and a link is a link regardless of the medium.

But then again, I’m just a regular guy who does not have free access to the chambers of Facebook nor Google, so my guess is as good as yours.

This is how SEOmoz summed up their social media report on Facebook shares:

• Facebook shares are likely to be seen by Google as a super metric of sorts.

• Continue sharing pages and drive traffic to them since doing so can surely help in establishing your brand.

• Facebook shares do not directly impacts SEO but it may have minute positive results.

As SEOmoz is a trusted name when it comes to the SEO game, the report they released will surely be talked about for months. And its impact on you and me will surely add more confusion and fun in searching for methods in using top social media sites to get the top spot on Google’s search results.



About the author:

Johann is a content writer and the social media analyst for Filipino Article Writer and Alova Media. He also makes chill out podcasts on his blog Aftersyx and throws himself down a hill during weekends on his longboard.

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