Are the SEO and social media connected?

The influence of Social Media and the way it is spilling over the realm of Search Engine Optimization is probably one of the most disputable questions. I mean the mysteries like that: how social media affects SEO? Are these two concepts acting in synergy, not at all, or even nothing to it?

Here comes a spoiler - the shortest answer is yes, it does. But it would be more correct to consider the second, more broad and comprehensive interpretation. Let’s face it - social media definitely has a relation towards SEO, but can it be mutual after all? Unfortunately, I’m feeling sure of just one little thing - social media has no, at least positive, impact on SEO. It simply doesn’t help the search optimization the way most of the people believe it does.

Below I’m going to combine my own suggestions with some valuable insights given by the team members of Google itself. First of all, let’s take it for granted - the world’s search industry giant has never had any confirmation for social media for a direct ranking factor. I mean, yes, social media is still among entirely reasonable ways to get better online visibility for the content. And yes, finally, it’s all about SEO. What can we know for sure about how social media affects SEO? Regardless of what correct answer can possibly be, it’s evident that social media can actually help your Search Engine Optimization works on the whole. But I am still wondering, will the search giant ever bring more social signals to its current ranking algorithm?

For the time being, Google search algorithms have never been disclosed. That’s why the only way to understand the behavioral patterns of Google’s search bots is checking each and every potential outcome in a real-life test. Can you imagine, how time-consuming and labor-intensive these research works could be? Ok, let’s get back to the point. How social media affects SEO? We might as well take social media for merely anything, but not a direct factor in ranking, according to Google’s officials. Well, even so, it doesn’t mean at all that social media has no impact on rankings at all, just because it was reconfirmed by Google that social media itself doesn’t stand for a ranking factor.

I believe that the more or less correct answer can be seen somewhere about the word “correlation.” As namely this term was mentioned in the context of Rebooting Ranking Factors White Paper delivered by Searchmetrics in 2016. I’m sure that guys are indeed moving the right track. Thus, the only correct answer on how social media affects SEO  becomes clear - yes, it does. But there are still no direct or double-sequence relations there. So, keeping an eye on making promotion by using different means of social media is still a well-formed decision. At the same time, the Search Engine Optimization needs your precise efforts and time in its own way.