Search & Social focuses on how search engines are weighting social media influences, share signals and user rating data to provide users with a more ‘personalized’ set of results. In addition to exploring the growing intersection of search and social networks, columnists provide insight on how to integrate search marketing and social activities for optimal results and more targeted traffic from these channels working together.

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How To Tweet What You Want, Because Content Matters

May 22, 2012 at 12:27pm ET by Aaron Friedman

With the trends that we are seeing in the search engines as they become more and more social, I think it is fair to assume that social sharing will be a major part (or at the very least, be a piece) of consideration in any future updates. This is exactly why it’s more important than ever for marketers to understand what aspects of Social Media and which social signals actually help us and our clients get maximum visibility in the search engines. To be clear, I have always been, and (unless proven other wise) will continue to be a proponent of quality. Having said that, I did at one poi [...]

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The Social Funnel: What You Lose When You Ignore It

May 15, 2012 at 1:06pm ET by Jordan Kasteler

I’ve written often about the dangers of ignoring social media in SEO (and vice versa), but I’m here today to write about another danger: ignoring social benefits in the traditional sales funnel. It’s frustrating that people continue to treat social media as an individual entity, a separate department, instead of a versatile tool. We shutter up our Social Media teams in their own rooms and leave them to their tweets and Instagram photos while the marketing pros hunker down on the big guns: conversions. Landing Pages. Leads, Costs, ROI. Sure, most pros acknowledge the power of soc [...]

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How To Prioritize The Long Tail With Twitter

Apr 24, 2012 at 9:45am ET by Aaron Friedman

Lately, Twitter has been on my mind. Not only because I am speaking about it at SMX Toronto, but also because I have been trying to come up with new strategic ways to use it for clients in order to enhance their SEO efforts. For me, and I suspect for others as well, one of the biggest challenges with Twitter has always been “all the noise”. Sure, Twitter is great for connecting with people, brands monitoring their competition and sharing information in spurts, but what about systematically layering information from Twitter with other data sets to better understand your audience and crea [...]

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Social Search: Dead On Arrival? Or On Life Support?

Apr 17, 2012 at 1:54pm ET by Trond Lyngbø

It's the uber-powerful search marketing signal... and marketers sabotaging it even before it's had a chance to find a toe-hold. I'm talking about 'Social Search', the rising trend of social media-driven local search signals and the callous, narrow-minded and (in some eyes) borderline unethical way in which this potentially useful tool is being perverted by unknowing and uncaring people who spam the signal with noise in the name of "effective SEO". Before explaining further, let me ask you a few quick questions: Have you ever bought '+1s' on Google for your (client's) content? Hav [...]

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Why Pinterest Is NOT Your SEO Miracle Worker

Apr 10, 2012 at 9:20am ET by Jordan Kasteler

If you caught yourself groaning when you saw this was yet another Pinterest post, I don’t blame you. The Web’s latest social media darling has taken both the Internet and the industry blogosphere by storm, and the network’s popularity shows no sign of slowing: the site is now the third most popular social network in the United States (according to Mashable). As a result, our RSS feeds have been absolutely bombarded with Pinterest guides, praise, and how-to’s -- including about eighty variations on using Pinterest for SEO. Get links! Increase your site traffic! Boost your social si [...]

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