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Does Social Media Strategy Trump SEO?

December 7, 2012 by 90 Comments
Wade Harman

Wade Harman

I'm a full time blogger. As of last month, I have helped over 10,000 people get fast traffic with my free ebook Boost Your Social Media Traffic Overnight! I love helping people make money blogging! let me know if I can help you!
Wade Harman

@makemyblogmoney

Social Media Professional and Full-Time Blogger. I Dedicate My Blog To Helping You Get Traffic From Social Media. Follow My Tweets At #BlogTips
Resurrecting Why I Will Never Share Your Blog Posts http://t.co/OYJw79BQcy #socialmedia - 1 hour ago
Wade Harman

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Recently, I have had the great opportunity to have the honor to be asked to start speaking at blogging conferences. So far, I have been asked to speak at 3 this year, and already have been booked for 5 for next year. Seems as though my social media strategy has gotten the attention of some people, and they have asked me to share my ideas.

Anyway, I said that to say this. So far, every time I go to these conferences, there is always people that come to me and ask me the question of social media verses SEO. I guess since I am starting to be known for social media strategies, then people automatically assume that I am some kind of authority on the subject and therefore abandon SEO completely.

This is just not the case…and I don’t abandon SEO either!

But the song remains the same. Can social media strategy trump and SEO efforts that you can do online?

Social Media Strategy

Now this is not a post where I am trying to fool you into thinking that social media is any better than SEO. Not even a little bit! Each one has it’s importance in your strategy bag, and to assume that one is more important than the other is ridiculous and even laughable!

Social media does have it’s perks!

One can start a blog today, and I mean dust off the “new” on the domain name, and get traffic from social media that very same day. Now my social media strategies may be different than what you are used to hearing about, but they work for me. So much so that I have had great success in teaching people how to get thousands of social media visits every day to a new blog with my free ebook Boost Your Social Media Traffic.

Now let me warn you…

You can’t just waltz into a social networking site expecting to get results. There is actually a plan that you have to implement.

When dealing with SEO efforts, you are basically talking to a machine, or the Google bot. You tell it your keyword and you build links to your post frantically in the attempt to get ranked on the first position on that coveted page in Google’s search engine.

No emotion necessary. No trust needed. What you see is what you get. No more, and no less.

With social media you are dealing with real live people, as if you didn’t already know, but sometimes you get so excited about that new post that you have just written that you tend to forget how to get social media traffic, and you just blast links at people thinking this is the way to go.

In social media platforms you have to connect. You have to build relationships and establish trust with your friends and/or followers if you expect them to hop on that “link train” to your site.

Social Media Interaction

One of my favorite bloggers, Marcus Sheridan, proves this point when he explains how to build trust with your blog readers, and this is really the key to social media and getting traffic that converts well on your site.

Social media interaction comes from having a social media strategy that happens every day. Even if you are only on these sites for ten minutes a day, you need to be on there establishing a reputation that is positive with your friends or followers, sharing their updates, and liking their posts.

Scheduling is very important in having a social media strategy that can trump SEO. When you are visible, people remember you. When people remember you, they will read your updates and then visit your site.

Interaction is you reaching out to others, talking to them personally, and even *gasp, visiting their site! Remember, when you interact with someone, they communicate too.

Is Social Media Better Than SEO?

No, not in any way, and SEO is no better than social media. However, having a social media strategy that is set on a schedule where you interact and communicate with others CAN trump your SEO strategy any day of the week.

Why?

Because it’s instant. It’s not too hard to learn how to get blog traffic, but as you will see, if you stay consistent in any strategy that you implement, you will be successful!

In Conclusion

What is your favorite strategy to implement? Do you have a cool social media trick that you want to share with everyone else here, or even a great tip about SEO? Let us know! 

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Filed Under: Blogging, Guest Bloggers, Marketing, Social Media, traffic Tagged With: , , , ,

Comments

  1. sarika deshmukh says:
    December 7, 2012 at 9:13 am

    Hello Dear

    its very interesting points really i think social media is very interesting and useful way for blog promotions Thanks for the sharing me

    Reply
  2. anndiana says:
    December 7, 2012 at 9:18 am


    Twitter:
    mr.wade you are absolutely right, I am a newcomer blogger did not understand about SEO, my blog traffic is terrible. After a little study of the book 15 ways to generate traffic for free, increase my traffic with the help of social media here. Thank you, this is very useful for beginner blogger like me.

    Reply
  3. Googma Sansar says:
    December 7, 2012 at 9:45 am


    Twitter:
    Hi Wade Harman !
    Thank you for your nice post. Blogger, web publisher and small business can take major benefits from social media. The main problem of small publisher is low traffic and low page rank. But solution is there if you actively participate in social media. There are many ways to share stories in social bookmarking and networking sites.

    Facebook like, Stumbleupon, Twitter link sharing, Google plus sharing and other major bookmarking and networking sites performance also evaluate by Google while ranking up your sites. You may already joined on social media for personal purpose but now you have to joined with social media for grow your business. i have also use social media site for promotional approach for my blog http://googma.blogspot.com. In conclusion, social media strategy can play the crucial role to boost of your PageRank. Therefore social media is the popular way and cheapest tools for promotion to your site. It can be the right place to meet your unique visitors and higher visibility to your sites on SEPR.
    i would like to encourage people for who are engaging on blogging, use social media site for social media campaign to boost up your page traffics and boost up Google PageRank
    Best up luck.
    Googma Sansar recently posted..7 Best Ways to Monetize Your BlogMy Profile

    Reply
  4. Qaisar Ashfaq says:
    December 7, 2012 at 9:52 am

    Hi Wade Harman, i agree with you i recently promoting my website through social websites like facebook, twitter, pintrest etc and i saw differance, it works very well and i am true witness of that.

    Reply
  5. sallu says:
    December 7, 2012 at 10:18 am


    Twitter:
    Fantastic article. At the end of the day, Search engines are going to have to modify its alogrithum so that inbound links (which are so quickly gamed) become less and less essential. When it comes to discovering excellent content, you need People. Social Media IS people.

    Reply
  6. Sanjay says:
    December 7, 2012 at 11:18 am


    Twitter:
    That was very informative post! I really dig it :) Sometimes social media is harder than SEO, and sometimes it the other way around. I’d rather keep both since they do help a lot with traffic and conversion, btw I subscribe to your list and looking forward to your future post!
    Sanjay recently posted..What will Happen to Cloud Computing in 2013?My Profile

    Reply
  7. Robert says:
    December 7, 2012 at 12:43 pm


    Twitter:
    Interesting insight Wade… I suppose it is important to interact with your friends and followers. I actually have good results with google plus by joining circles and interacting with them. Something as simple as wishing someone a happy birthday when the social networks says it’s time can mean a lot to some. You’re right, they definitely remember you with that little bit of interaction.

    Showing interest in others is a sure fire way to let people know there really is a person behind that social page, not just an advertisement. Thanks for the inspiration!
    Robert recently posted..Blogging, Working Toward the American DreamMy Profile

    Reply
  8. Jeff says:
    December 7, 2012 at 12:44 pm

    I would say that you cannot compare the two, because a social media strategy would (and should) be a part of your overall SEO strategy.
    Jeff recently posted..A list of Kickass Writing Tips for BloggersMy Profile

    Reply
    • Brian Rock says:
      December 8, 2012 at 3:07 pm


      Twitter:
      In common usage, sure. But in a strict sense, I’d say the two are very different. They aim at completely different traffic sources.

      SEO is Search Engine Optimization. Sure, we use it today to talk about any way to optimize a site and drive traffic. But at its core it’s about getting traffic from a Search Engine (and really, it should be Google Optimization, since most people only really care about Google).

      Proper Social Media usage, on the other hand, aims to get a whole different source of referral traffic. It can have the extra benefit of producing links back to your work (thus enhancing SEO), but at its core it’s about developing a different stream of traffic.

      Which is the other reason it’s really important. It’s diversification. If your whole business relies on Google, and Google changes it’s algorithm… you could get wiped out. If part of your traffic comes from Google and part from social media, then you’ll get hurt if Google changes things in a negative way, but you can still rely on social media to keep you alive.

      Reply
    • Wade Harman says:
      December 9, 2012 at 4:31 pm


      Twitter:
      You can’t compare them. But the post is about one being better than the other. If you actually read the post you would have saw that I was not comparing the two. Thanks for you glance and your comment.
      Wade Harman recently posted..Google Authorship Markup and How It Affects Your BlogMy Profile

      Reply
  9. Rahul says:
    December 7, 2012 at 1:43 pm

    i think both are important for blog because without social media we can not gain hug traffic and without SEO we can not reach up on search engine
    thanks
    Rahul recently posted..How to Make Online Money from Forum PostingMy Profile

    Reply
  10. Jimmy Mackintosh says:
    December 7, 2012 at 3:48 pm

    Social media and search engine is starting to become one of the same thing after the Panda update. Panda has a social media filter that takes into account likes etc!

    Reply
  11. Shasha says:
    December 7, 2012 at 3:50 pm


    Twitter:
    Interesting post, social media is very important to gain high traffic and there is no comparison between SEO and Social Media.

    Thanks for the article.
    Shasha recently posted..Top 7 best classifieds websites to post free AdsMy Profile

    Reply
  12. Paul Lee says:
    December 7, 2012 at 4:36 pm

    Nowadays, social media techniques are A PART OF search engine optimization. Google and Bing and Yahoo are looking for users that are utilizing the full array of their services, including things like Twitter, Facebook, Google+, and all that. Good SEO practices include social media techniques today, which I think it a good thing. Search engines are rewarding people who put in the time and take a holistic approach to their online presence.

    Reply
  13. Dara Khajavi says:
    December 7, 2012 at 4:38 pm

    I believe that social media is very important for businesses. However, I do not necessarily believe that every social media is fit for every single industry. It really depends on the target market. However, the correct social media strategy for a business can really push the business forward.

    Reply
  14. Luis Valadez says:
    December 7, 2012 at 4:49 pm


    Twitter:
    I am still gaining knowledge about SEO. I know there a lot of people who spend a lot of time doing SEO for their site. I have been sharing my posts in social media. Once I get better with SEO it will be much easier. Great article Wade. I learned some valuable insight.

    Reply
  15. Ali zia says:
    December 7, 2012 at 5:20 pm

    HI Wade,
    I am in the favour of social media because it is best way to get traffic but also you can come closer to your audience and came to know that what they want?
    Ali zia recently posted..Quick tip to make your post tail strongMy Profile

    Reply
  16. Donny says:
    December 7, 2012 at 5:24 pm

    Good write up. I’ve always struggled with social media for my site, but that’s primarily because it’s mainly search driven, and my traffic is just looking for their question answered and then they’re on their way. I’d like to dabble in it more in the future though with different sites.

    Reply
  17. Rich Donahue says:
    December 7, 2012 at 7:43 pm


    Twitter:
    Hey Wade,

    Nice article. I’m in the process of building my web presence and I’m using FB and Twitter mostly. I do have WordPress SEO and utilize it, but that’s about it for now. I haven’t been at it long enough (<30 days) to really be concerned about rankings. I'm putting together content, sharing my content and learning along the way. I like your advice to get involved with others on social media, not just to send out links. Good stuff Wade! I don't have any tricks, but if I run across something that really works, I'll be sure to come back and guest blog about it :-) Thanks!

    Reply
  18. Shannon Ryan says:
    December 7, 2012 at 11:11 pm


    Twitter:
    Great article. I think comparing the two is like apples and oranges, they are two different channels, though social is becoming a bigger part of seo, at least with Google. I think the one thing that seo has on social is intent. Especially with high commercial intent searches, seo can be a very powerful tool. I think it depends on the person and the business on which platform you’ll find more success. Ideally, use them both!
    Shannon Ryan recently posted..Is White Mold Dangerous In My Home?My Profile

    Reply
  19. Lola Stoney A says:
    December 8, 2012 at 12:54 am


    Twitter:
    Hi Wade,
    I believe that every blogger or business that wants to have a solid online presence should have a social media strategy and a SEO strategy in place. However, as you have pointed out, for social media to be effective, the user should be ready to build trust and really engage with others, this of course can be time consuming. For me, I will say that every social medial strategy should include a time management plan.
    Lola Stoney A recently posted..5 Simple Blogging Tips for NewbiesMy Profile

    Reply
  20. sandidas chakma says:
    December 8, 2012 at 7:11 am

    i’ am agree with donny he say like that I’ve always struggled with social media for my site, but that’s primarily because it’s mainly search driven, and my traffic is just looking for their question answered and then they’re on their way. I’d like to dabble in it more in the future though with different sites.
    sandidas chakma recently posted..Great career opportunities with CCNP Certification!My Profile

    Reply
  21. Krishna Parmar says:
    December 8, 2012 at 9:33 am


    Twitter:
    According to me, Social Media Strategy will work in this new era of SEO as its also the base of it.
    Krishna Parmar recently posted..IRCTC PNR Status Inquiry & Online CheckingMy Profile

    Reply
  22. Caius Ward says:
    December 8, 2012 at 10:02 am

    At The Freaky we are big fans of social media. We get a lot of traffic from facebook and twitter. When a particular story gets facebook posted we can really high spikes in traffic as it is passed amongst friends.
    Caius Ward recently posted..Fat Prisoner Gets Stuck Trying to Escape JailMy Profile

    Reply
  23. agen bola says:
    December 8, 2012 at 11:35 am

    SEO bring targeted visitors, while social media is very good for a promotion. with social media, you have the opportunity to reach wider. from friends to other friends.
    agen bola recently posted..Selamat Datang di http://www.KedaiBola.comMy Profile

    Reply
  24. adrian mendoza says:
    December 8, 2012 at 11:37 am

    I couldn’t agree more! This is a very informative article not only for blog owners but for us online freelance contractors as well. I learned a lot of things from you. thanks!
    adrian mendoza recently posted..Easy Steps for Re-Painting your Action FiguresMy Profile

    Reply
  25. Rusty says:
    December 9, 2012 at 2:17 am


    Twitter:
    You are right that social media sites play an important role to get your site or blog notice by google. I am not good on SEO but if you engage yourself on those networking sites, interact with your friends and followers, you can absolutely get traffic and may lead them into a potential customers.
    Rusty recently posted..Platinum Square Opening videoMy Profile

    Reply
  26. Rebecca says:
    December 9, 2012 at 7:35 am

    Great article. I believe since the Panda and Penguin updates, SEO, social media and online marketing all go hand in hand.
    Rebecca recently posted..5 Tips to Make Your Email Marketing SocialMy Profile

    Reply
  27. Astro Gremlin says:
    December 9, 2012 at 5:35 pm


    Twitter:
    Wade, I’m seeing wild successes and dismal failures with both SEO and social media. What will hit with Google or go viral with people seems almost random. One thing is certain: You have to try EVERYTHING to get traffic!
    Astro Gremlin recently posted..Give the Gift of e-Drums updated Wed Dec 5 2012 9:26 pm ESTMy Profile

    Reply
  28. Beth Hewitt says:
    December 9, 2012 at 9:52 pm

    Hi Wade,

    I love both as much. I see them as brother and sister. Than when they get on they get on and when they don’t they are trying to prove to Mother Google which is the best one.

    I love social media for the ‘social’ instant aspect and I love SEO for it’s loyalty over the years.

    I certainly always start a blog post with SEO in mind, but the I spend time with the networks I love and breathe in.

    Thanks for a great post,

    Beth :)
    Beth Hewitt recently posted..Captain Comment and His Blog Commenting StrategyMy Profile

    Reply
  29. Aasma says:
    December 10, 2012 at 6:28 am


    Twitter:
    No doubt social media is a useful tool but you need to use it correctly or else you would easily become spammer. It’s important to know when your most followers are online and listening what you’re saying, that’s where scheduling become quite handy.
    Aasma recently posted..Mobile Recharge SoftwareMy Profile

    Reply
  30. Jamie Rand says:
    December 10, 2012 at 11:30 am

    I have never really tried to go down the social media road and always favored SEO. Maye I will try now… Great post, thanks.

    Reply
  31. Lana says:
    December 10, 2012 at 12:12 pm


    Twitter:
    Hi,

    Nice post. SEO is the best strategy. Social Media marketing produces good results that are instant too, but it is temporary. Thanks for this article.
    Lana recently posted..How To Get A Man To Commit To A Relationship updated Wed Aug 29 2012 9:39 am EDTMy Profile

    Reply
  32. Hadley says:
    December 11, 2012 at 11:22 am


    Twitter:
    I’ve checked out the Link Liberation course for social media marketing which is fantastic. Social media is def’ extremely important now but traditional SEO should not be neglected.

    Reply
  33. Adam says:
    December 11, 2012 at 5:18 pm

    Unfortunatelly you can’t have results these days without social media. But it’s a great way to build your presence.
    Adam recently posted..To Succeed or To Fail?My Profile

    Reply
  34. Justin Mott says:
    December 12, 2012 at 10:10 pm

    The whole part about working with people to build my social network seems a little intimidating but honestly its alot more settling than dealing with Google. People are easier to understand. I haven’t started my social media campaign yet but I do believe I’ll follow your thought on both.
    Justin Mott recently posted..Looking for Winter Blue CatfishMy Profile

    Reply
  35. Robert Koenig says:
    December 13, 2012 at 12:14 am

    So the conclusion is that nothing is better than the other and there is no magic bullet? Shocking! In all seriousness, SEO and social media aren’t necessarily mutually exclusive.
    Robert Koenig recently posted..Honda Recalls 800,000 Vehicles for Roll-Away RiskMy Profile

    Reply
  36. Darryl says:
    December 13, 2012 at 6:15 am

    Hi Wade Harman,

    Yes I agree with your point social media is the one which gives instant traffic to your blog. Nice post.
    Darryl recently posted..Hello world!My Profile

    Reply
  37. Kevin says:
    December 13, 2012 at 6:23 am

    Hi Wade,

    Yes we can’t just decide which is great among social media and SEO, they are great in their own way and both are very useful in bringing traffic or popularity to our blog. We just cant neglect one and keep with one.
    Kevin recently posted..Techniques to Drive Traffic from Google PlusMy Profile

    Reply
  38. Enstine Muki says:
    December 13, 2012 at 9:34 am


    Twitter:
    Hi Wade,
    You are very correct and I absolutely agree with you on this. First, kudos for your growth. 3 conferences in 2012 and 5 already in 2013. That’s pointing to more. Keep it up bro.

    Then, I must say depending on ones strategies, both traffic sources are imperative. What’s good about SEO is that it’s long time traffic (almost working on its own if well done). To be frank, SEO is more simple that we are made to think. Search Engines are not extra terrestrial brains. They are human brains translated to scripts. You just have to be informed to discover it’s easy.

    Waiting to read your post here again
    Enstine Muki recently posted..Infography ~ The History of the use of Christmas Tree!My Profile

    Reply
  39. Koundeenya says:
    December 13, 2012 at 12:08 pm


    Twitter:
    Very Interesting points. I too strongly agree, SEO is a way more important than social media. Of course, social media is also important in promotion and traffic generation. But SEO does a lot more than social media
    Koundeenya recently posted..How To Root Samsung Galaxy Ace S5830My Profile

    Reply
  40. bert says:
    December 13, 2012 at 12:27 pm

    Nice honest post. No colored picture. And I believe a good strategy includes both.
    bert recently posted..Ronde tafel Business Club bijeenkomsten Arnhem/NijmegenMy Profile

    Reply
  41. Willie says:
    December 14, 2012 at 5:30 am

    I think both SEO and social media have their place. Social media can really drive traffic if used correctly but SEO will help in the long run. I think it’s important to find the perfect balance for your site.
    Willie recently posted..Search Engine DirectoryMy Profile

    Reply
  42. Jason Brown says:
    December 15, 2012 at 2:18 am

    I think that social media does trump seo because it produces quick traffic for a new blog. Twitter, Facebook ect. are fast if you have a lot of followers. That can trump seo because starting a new site and doing SEO can take a while. But if you get to page one on google.com in search results or above the fold even better I think that trumps all. I am just getting going with my site and blog so I may be wrong too, you can see it by clicking on my name! I am a San Antonio wedding photographer and would still require both SEO and Social media to get best exposure.

    Reply
  43. Martin Cooney says:
    December 17, 2012 at 3:56 am


    Twitter:
    Good to see you back at Comluv, Wade.
    What’s your favourite or top Social Media tip in getting traffic? I get that people need to think about the strategy and I firmly think it should be called SSEO since Google is seeing Social signals as a firm part of their ranking i.e Social Search Engine Optimisation.
    Martin Cooney recently posted..Advertising On Your Website – Easy and AutomatedMy Profile

    Reply
  44. Michael Dillinger says:
    December 17, 2012 at 8:32 pm

    SEO & Social Media go hand in hand. We recommend using Social Media in some regards with any SEO campagin as it can directly relate to the success of either one.
    Michael Dillinger recently posted..AngularJs Calendar | Directive for the Arshaw JQuery fullcalendarMy Profile

    Reply
  45. Mark says:
    December 19, 2012 at 2:00 pm

    I agree with you completely. I have watched as social media has crept into SEO. It is important to interact with people in social environments. This is where the ideas are spread and shared. Likewise, SEO can be the opposite. Querying a search engine does not spread social awareness. My search for motorcycle burnouts may be completely relevant to my friends, yet I am much less likely to share. Regardless, both should be used in conjunction to deliver the best content.
    Mark recently posted..Thermostat Wiring: A Comprehensive GuideMy Profile

    Reply
  46. nelson says:
    December 24, 2012 at 2:33 pm

    Yes I’m agree with your post. I have a lot of blog and nowadays I try to boost the traffic with social media. Esspecially vingler.com. it’s a mass rapid grow traffic booster social media
    nelson recently posted..Meningkatkan popularitas blog dan follower akun facebook twitterMy Profile

    Reply
  47. Keenan Dijon says:
    December 29, 2012 at 8:44 pm

    Hey Wade, I agree with you. It was the picture that captured my attention and said it all. It’s the team work of social and search that makes the dream work. Thanks man, I’m gonna check out your book too. ^_^
    Keenan Dijon recently posted..Considering a Payday Advance?My Profile

    Reply
  48. Jared Adams says:
    January 2, 2013 at 11:44 pm

    I think it depends on what field you are in. As a lawyer, I find that SEO is still more powerful than social media. However, I still have a strong social media presence. This definately varies from field to field.
    Jared Adams recently posted..How to Get a Confession Thrown Out of CourtMy Profile

    Reply
  49. Michael Bartlett says:
    January 19, 2013 at 1:00 am


    Twitter:
    I don’t know about social media being better than SEO. To me, they are one. They are the same thing. I mean, social media should be a part of your SEO strategy rather than choosing one or the other. Social media is great, if you can do it properly, but so is SEO. To be successful, you need to blend the two and have them work together as one. Idk. This is just my opinion.
    Michael Bartlett recently posted..Scalable SEO Strategies: Exponential Growth Thanks to GoogleMy Profile

    Reply
  50. Justin Musiker says:
    February 13, 2013 at 3:54 pm


    Twitter:
    I think they have completely dif purposes. One gets you ranking one gets you traffic. Its all about balance, and if you do one better, then you should have a pro do the one your not great at.
    Justin Musiker recently posted..The Truth About PageRankMy Profile

    Reply
  51. Rich Amor says:
    March 24, 2013 at 11:26 pm


    Twitter:
    Is Social Media Better Than SEO?
    I love both, and I do both
    Rich Amor recently posted..Perawatan Kulit Harian untuk Berbagai UsiaMy Profile

    Reply
  52. Greg says:
    May 6, 2013 at 4:39 pm


    Twitter:
    Nice article explaining SEO and Social Media. There are many things to consider when applying SEO with your social media accounts. For example, when blogging, it is extremely important to change the permalink settings from the default setting to “Post Name”. This setting allows the actual name of your post title to display as opposed to a generated code. With this, search engines and internet users will know more about your content in the link and will result in better online marketing of your blog articles.
    Greg recently posted..DoFollow BlogMy Profile

    Reply
  53. Prakash says:
    May 17, 2013 at 11:54 am


    Twitter:
    Social media is essential for getting good results in SEO. thanks for sharing this info.
    Prakash recently posted..Subway Surfers for PC, Android Free Download APK OnlineMy Profile

    Reply

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