With the addition of social search features on Google; and the use of 'social signals' for ranking regular search results, it’s time that you used the tremendous potential of social media sites to improve your organic search engine results. 

The level of contribution by social sites for determining search engine rankings is up for debate, but there is no doubt that social media does influence these rankings in some way or form. So this gives rise to the question – How does social media play a role in search engine rankings? A clearer picture can help you optimize its potential to enhance your search results.

It's important to understand that your social content goes a long way in complementing your search results.

"Shares and Likes"

With the massive market penetration of social media sites such as Facebook; it was, but time that the Google Algorithm factored in some core elements of these sites.  So, Google has now integrated 'shares' and 'likes' into its algorithm. Recent studies indicate that the ‘shares’ feature on Facebook, carries more weight than the 'Likes' feature. But then again, this can be debated till the cows come home. So how do you, as a business, make use of this development?

All you need to do is make sure that the link to your site, or your site content, gets a fair amount of 'shares' and 'likes'.

"Going all a – Twitter"

Tweets count. Yes, when it comes to search engine rankings, tweets matter. But not just any tweets. There is a catch. Search engines give due importance to the 'social authority' factor.  To put it simply, if the tweets are from a person who is well regarded, they count more, than tweets from a less authoritative person.  The key here is 'quality'. If the tweet is relevant and makes sense, it’s going to contribute effectively in terms of search results.

If you want your business to make use of this social media site, it’s important that you make sure only the right people 'tweet' about it. Such tweets are more likely to be 'retweeted'.

Showing Respect

The key to making the best use of social media with respect to organic search results, is not underestimating the intelligence of the search engines. Don’t make use of low brow tactics to improve rankings through Twitter and Facebook.  All the 'shares', 'likes' and 'tweets' need to be done by the public rather than the business.  Let’s just say that more 'shares' from different people are likely to get better results, as compared, to a large amount of ‘shares’ from the same people.

As the sphere of organic search results gets even more competitive, you need to find newer and better ways of improving your rankings. The impact of using social media on rankings cannot be denied, but you need to keep working on your social network marketing strategies for optimum benefits. For now, understanding and using the influence of social media on Google Search results can be termed a ‘work in progress’.