There are no two ways about it: an active social media marketing campaign is crucial to your overall brand wellbeing and performance.
There are numerous benefits to a robust social media presence, including brand awareness and customer engagement.
Well, how about increased website traffic?
Social media should be just one element of an otherwise robust digital marketing strategy. That means that your presence on social media platforms may be one factor, among many, that contributes to increased traffic on your website.
In this post, we’ll discuss the ways social media may contribute to increased traffic on your website. We’ll share our own data on the topic with a particular focus on organic traffic. This will give you greater insight into how to drive traffic to your website using social media.
How Does Social Media Help Drive Traffic?
Social media is an important piece of any digital marketing puzzle.
A brand’s presence on social media is almost a requirement in this day and age. When up to 50% of social media users use social networks to research a brand’s products and services, you can’t afford not to have a presence.
Beyond that, a presence on social media can increase backlinks to your website. It can also spark interaction with your customer base – on social media and off. This engagement is critical for driving traffic to your website in the long run.
What Our Data Shows About Driving Traffic to Your Site Through Social Media
Our data consists of the 10 top-ranking pages on Search Engine Journal (SEJ).
Search Engine Journal (SEJ) is a digital publication “dedicated to producing the latest search news, the best guides and how-tos for the SEO and marketer community.”
It is a website that sees millions of visitors every month and, as such, was an excellent platform for our research.
In analyzing our data, we used two digital marketing tools: Semrush and BuzzSumo.
With Semrush, we were able to collect basic web page analytics like organic traffic visits and keyword universe. With BuzzSumo, we collected the engagement values (i.e., shares, comments, interactions) for each page across various social media platforms.
The goal: To determine if there is a correlation between organic traffic and the number of social engagements a page had.
If you want to see a breakdown of each of the different sites, keep reading on. If you want to skip right to what we learned about social media and traffic, skip to the insights at this link.
1. Google Local Guides Program: How To Earn Points & Badges
This post was originally published on June 14, 2017.
This article is a solid resource for those looking to join the Google Local Guides program, including an in-depth look at how to earn points and badges.
According to BuzzSumo, this post earned the following social media engagements:
- 209 Facebook engagements
- 246 Twitter shares
- 2 Reddit engagements
- 10 Pinterest shares
- 7 linking domains
This post has a total of 467 social media engagements.
According to Semrush, this page saw 555,984 for total organic traffic in December 2022.
This post ranked for a total of 225 keywords with 37 of those keywords being in positions one through three on SERPs in December of 2022.
2. Mobile Web & Search from Google and Opera
This post was originally published on December 30, 2005.
This article offers a historical look at the initial relationship between Google and Opera Web Browser, one of the oldest desktop web browsers that is still actively being developed.
According to BuzzSumo, this post earned the following social media engagements:
- 7.4K Facebook engagements
- 437 Twitter shares
- 2 Reddit engagements
- 121 Pinterest shares
- 199 Linking domains
This post has a total of 8K social media engagements.
According to SEMRush, this page had 53,421 organic traffic visits in December of 2022.
This page ranked for a total of 2.7K keywords with 647 of those keywords in positions one through three on SERPs in December of 2022.
3. The Best Times To Post On Instagram
This post was published on Aug 31, 2022.
If you’re looking to revamp your Instagram campaigns, look no further than this article that helps you to optimize your Instagram posting times.
According to BuzzSumo, this post earned the following social media engagements:
- 99 Facebook engagements
- 100 Twitter shares
- 0 Reddit engagements
- 9 Pinterest engagements
- 10 linking domains
This post has a total of 208 social media engagements.
According to Semrush, this page had 31.9K organic visits in December of 2022.
This page ranked for a total of 2.8K keywords with 448 of those keywords in positions one through three on SERPs in December of 2022.
4. What Is DuckDuckGo & Who Uses This Alternative Search Engine?
This post was published on April 7, 2022.
Are you looking for an alternative to Google? So are other privacy-minded individuals. This article provides an in-depth look at DuckDuckGo and its benefits over the usual search engines.
According to BuzzSumo, this post earned the following social media engagements:
- 135 Facebook engagements
- 84 Twitter shares
- 1 Reddit engagement
- 3 Pinterest shares
- 7 linking domains
This post has a total of 223 social media engagements.
According to Semrush, this page had 20K for organic traffic visits in December of 2022.
This page owned 709 total keywords with 10 of those keywords in positions one through three on SERPs in December of 2022.
5. The Top 10 Social Media Sites & Platforms 2022
This post was published on May 30, 2022.
This article is a deep dive into ten of the top social media sites, including a look at the benefits and downfalls of each platform for your business.
According to BuzzSumo, this post earned the following social media engagements:
- 1.1K Facebook engagements
- 467 Twitter shares
- 2 Reddit engagements
- 38 Pinterest shares
- 397 linking domains
This post has a total of 1.6K social media engagements.
According to SEMRush, this page saw 16.8K organic traffic visits for December of 2022.
This page ranked for 4.9K total keywords with 394 of those keywords ranking in positions one through three on SERPs in December of 2022.
6. 25 Best Examples Of Effective FAQ Pages
This post was published on September 14, 2018.
This article is a resource for those looking to create a top-of-the-line FAQ page for their website.
According to BuzzSumo, this post earned the following social media engagements:
- 685 Facebook engagements
- 253 Twitter shares
- 3 Reddit engagements
- 61 Pinterest shares
- 107 linking domains
This post has a total of 1K social media engagements.
According to Semrush, this page saw 10.5K organic traffic visits in December of 2022.
This page ranked for 370 total keywords with 86 of those keywords ranking in positions one through three on SERPs in December of 2022.
7. What Is Quora & How It Works
This post was published on September 11, 2020.
This SEJ article offers information on Quora, a popular online questions and answers platform. This includes a look at using Quora as part of your marketing strategy.
According to BuzzSumo, this post earned the following social media engagements:
- 206 Facebook engagements
- 286 Twitter shares
- 1 Reddit engagement
- 5 Pinterest shares
- 21 linking domains
This post has a total of 498 social media engagements.
According to Semrush, this page saw 7.6K for organic traffic visits in December of 2022.
This page ranked for a total of 268 keywords with 22 of those keywords ranking in positions one through three on SERPs in December of 2022.
8. 7 Ways To Use Google Trends For SEO & Content Marketing
This post was published on August 24, 2018.
This article is an introduction and how-to guide on Google Trends, a search query analyzer.
According to BuzzSumo, this post earned the following social media engagements:
- 615 Facebook engagements
- 299 Twitter shares
- 2 Reddit engagements
- 20 Pinterest shares
- 47 linking domains
This post has a total of 936 social media engagements.
According to Semrush, this page saw 9.8K in organic traffic visits in December of 2022.
This page owned 528 total keywords with 97 of those keywords ranking in positions one through three on SERPs in December of 2022.
9. The Great Big List of 50+ Google Easter Eggs & How to Access Them
This post was published on April 14, 2021.
You don’t always have to take your work seriously. Google doesn’t. The proof is in this article which highlights more than 50 of Google’s fun, hidden Easter eggs.
According to BuzzSumo, this post earned the following social media engagements:
- 959 Facebook engagements
- 134 Twitter shares
- 2 Reddit engagements
- 1 Pinterest share
- 11 linking domains
This post has a total of 1.1K social media engagements.
According to Semrush, this page saw 6.4K in organic traffic visits in December of 2022.
This page owned 4.7K keywords with 43 of those keywords ranking in positions one through three on SERPs in December of 2022.
10. Reverse Image Search: Everything You Need To Know
This post was published on June 28, 2020.
This article introduces reverse image search, a beneficial tool for marketers of all kinds. This includes a tutorial on how to do a reverse image search.
According to BuzzSumo, this post earned the following social media engagements:
- 650 Facebook engagements
- 334 Twitter shares
- 2 Reddit engagements
- 13 Pinterest shares
- 16 linking domains
This post has a total of 999 social media engagements.
According to Semrush, this page saw 8.3K in organic traffic visits in December of 2022.
This page owned 1.2K keywords with 6 of those keywords ranking in positions one through three on SERPs in December of 2022.
What We Learned From Our Data
When we look at the traffic and social metrics, there doesn’t appear to be a correlation between the total number of social media engagements a Search Engine Journal article got and the organic traffic metrics. This goes to show that while social media is a crucial tool to help raise brand awareness, it does not directly impact organic traffic numbers, at least in this case.
Without access to SEJ analytics, we can’t say for sure that social media engagements don’t impact other traffic metrics, such as direct traffic. This includes users that found and engaged with SEJ on social media who then went to their site directly either then or at a later point.
Going further, there is also no correlation between engagement on one platform and organic traffic metrics overall. This means that no one platform – e.g., Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest – is more valuable for organic traffic than another.
That makes sense, considering each channel serves its own purpose when it comes to creating a holistic marketing campaign. So, while these social platforms may not drive organic traffic, we do know they contribute to your brand’s overall presence and help you to compete within the competitive SERP landscape.
Can Social Media Support Other Traffic Growth?
As our data above clearly shows, there is no direct correlation between the total number of social media engagements and organic traffic visits on a website. This indicates that social media may not be a good route if your only goal is to increase organic traffic.
That is not to say that social media doesn’t have an impact on website metrics, including traffic.
A strong social media presence will increase brand awareness and boost your overall digital brand presence. While this may not lead to organic traffic hits in the moment, it can increase the odds of direct traffic to your website in the future.
Just think about the websites you’re more likely to hit up when you’re in the market for a product or service. I’d wager that you’re more likely to visit those websites you’ve seen previously, whether on social media or sponsored advertisements.
The statistics seem to back that up, too, considering 90% of people buy from brands they follow on social media.
With that said, let’s say that as an SEO professional, you notice that overall demand for your products is down. Social media can help you here, albeit indirectly. A successful social media strategy will help boost your brand demand through more awareness and engagement.
In turn, this helps indirectly impact your organic SEO. How so?
More brand demand means more people looking for products and services, improving your overall traffic.
FAQs
Do you have more questions about how to increase traffic to your website through social media? We have the answers to the most frequently asked questions.
How can social media boost my website performance?
Social media may not always drive organic traffic to your website, but it’s beneficial as part of your larger marketing strategy. It is helpful in building your overall brand presence online which can be beneficial in improving consumer trust and search performance.
Should I include links on my social posts back to my website?
You can, and should, include links on your social posts that link back to your website. Links on your social media posts will increase the odds of organic traffic visits, and it can also help to build your backlink profile.
Conclusion
It’s true that social media is not an efficient way of driving organic traffic to your website. It doesn’t mean that social media isn’t important to your overall marketing strategy, though.
In fact, a poorly performing social media campaign can hurt SEO. This is why you must invest time in social media if you want to increase traffic in general.
Beyond the immediate traffic numbers, we recommend you see social media as a driver for other performance metrics. For one, a strong social media presence can lead to increased customer satisfaction. It may also increase conversion rates and improve search engine rankings via backlinks.
The most important thing is to choose practices with the most direct impact on your chosen primary KPI, whatever that may be for your business. So even if you’re focusing on another marketing avenue for driving organic traffic, you can still lean into social media to boost other KPIs.
Which metrics do you find most insightful when measuring the success of your social media marketing efforts?
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