7 Search & Social Synergies

1) Video content & Personalised SERPs

When creating a video or TV ad, reference your web site – and not just with the URL but also with “Search for …”. Not only with this aid in the viewer of the video remembering more easily how to navigate to your site, or even a specific web page, but also it can help influence viewers personalised searches within Google.

Through understanding Social Media platforms and understanding the networks your target audience live in you can seed these videos effectively for maximum exposure.

With personalised search now by default within Google, brands need to think how they can maximise on their audiences search history. Instead of suggesting at the end of the video or TV ad to search for just the brand name, consider incorporating non-brand terms into the call to action as well, i.e. “Search for brand product/service“. This can then build you brands relation to these non-brand terms and influence your rankings for these terms as well.

Of course this has huge potential if the videos created are useful, engaging, easy to share and of course have that ‘je ne sais quoi’ element that makes videos go viral.

Photo credit: CC Flickr user dan_taylor

But be aware, if executed poorly like the Orange ‘I am’ campaign you open yourself up to a lot of criticism. Orange promoted “I am” through their commercials & billboards, initially it  was a fail (it still is.. they rank #3 currently) as their site wasn’t ranking for the keyword in Google natural search and industry experts criticised them for their poor implementation.

2) Network Analysis & Link Equity

Through performing a Network Analysis Audit of the Web it is possible to identify where your target audience have their own sites, or where there are communities that are having conversations around your brand, products or topics related to your brand. This analysis allows you to narrow down the vastness of the Internet and ensure your strategy and efforts are as focused as possible.

Not only will this audit and analysis identify ways to engage with your target audience through the means of Social Media but it will also identify opportunities to develop relationships with topically relevant sites. These relationships can lead to your brand creating useful content that can be hosted on these sites, which can have relevant links incorporated where necessary resulting in targeted, optimised links from topically relevant sites.

3) Brand Advocates & Social Search

By understanding your target audience and being active within the communities that they live in you can extend your reach beyond your brands immediate “friends/fans”. This is through looking for opportunities to be visibility to the friends of your brands friends.

As Google’s Social Search becomes more ingrained into everyday SERPs your brand can start to become visible for core, competitive terms through Social Circle listings – even if you haven’t gained a Web listing yet.

Through building your online reputation and influence your brand’s own community will grow and from this it’s extended community will increase massively.

4) Conversation & Link Worthy Content

Link Worthy Content is any content that is created where one of its main purposes is the gaining of natural links. Blogs, forums, news sites and many other sites will frequently link to content that is useful or interesting to their users. Creating content that site owners will willingly link to is difficult, but highly rewarding. This can be content such as infographics, unique vouchers, guides, reviews, exclusive content, etc.

There are various Social Media platforms that are great for developing awareness of new, useful content. These are platforms such as twitter, facebook, Digg and Reddit as well as blogs and forums of brand advocates that have been identified through your Network Analysis Audit. As this awareness increases and traffic is driven to your site people will start to link to your content if it is useful or interesting.

5) Social Profile & Localisation

Localised listing hasn’t really been developed into Social Media platforms but is incorporated in search results for destination related searches. However it is only a matter of time before this cross-over happens.

For example if someone tweets that they are going away for a weekend to London then they can then be shown a list of bars, restaurants and shops with exclusive offers that are on during that approximate time period. All of this pulling in maps and local business listings – whether this is on their laptop or desktop or even via their mobile phone.

As a brand you need to ensure, where applicable, that you own your local listings – even if at the moment this is only through getting all your branches listed in Google Local Business for both Paid and Natural Search.

6) The Platform & The Tail of Search

Now creating a blog or forum may not be appropriate for all brands. Some brands may find the best way to engage with their audience is through other people’s forums or platforms such as twitter and facebook. But if it is right for your brand then it is imperative that SEO is built into this platform and that it is accessible to search engine spiders to ensure the possibility of visibility within search engines.

If your platform is accessible it allows you to mine the tail of search for your products and services. Allowing you brand to gain visibility for niche terms and related terms that may not have a place on your main site. This platform will allow you to build on your customer service as the community you build asks and answers questions about your products and service or related topics. But don’t forget if you do decide to build a platform with the aim of building a community, you do need to give your audience a reason to visit, engage and come back – otherwise you may end up with a ghost town!

7) Topic of conversation & search behaviour

Through monitoring trending topics with tools such as Google Insights and understanding your target audience’s search behaviour you can develop an understanding of their needs. This can help inform the types of conversations you have or engage in around your brand, products and services or related topics.

Now these are some ideas that could be used for your brand, and this is by no means everything, for example I haven’t mentioned the recent incorporation of live twitter results into SERPs and the Google’s convergence of Search and Social. However it is not about rushing in and trying everything, or even any of these ideas. That could even have a negative impact on your brand and its growth online. It’s about the research and the execution of the strategy that will allow your brand to flourish through the means of Search and Social Media.