A WebmasterWorld Forum Admin shared on their Google Forum that they noticed a connection between social media and high rankings following the August Broad Core update. The admin clarified that social media is not a ranking factor, but there appeared to be a correlation, which was then explained further.
### Social Media is Not a Ranking Factor
In the past, some individuals suggested a correlation between social media presence and high search rankings. However, this notion was denied by prominent figures from Google, including Matt Cutts, John Muller, and Gary Illyes, who clearly stated that social media is not a ranking factor.
But the WebmasterWorld admin emphasized a different point. They suggested that highly-ranked sites often generate significant social media engagement due to their inherent quality.
The admin posted the following insight:
> “If your site isn’t generating strong social media engagement, then your site might not be as great as you think it is. If your site isn’t strong enough to generate strong social signals, then it probably isn’t generating enough of the other ranking signals that Google wants.”
They elaborated:
> “If a… site isn’t generating social media success, then it is very likely that their site can be improved and isn’t perfect.”
### Is Social Media a Popularity Metric?
Social media can serve as a measure of a site’s popularity. In the past, popularity was gauged through links, but now people are more inclined to share links. It is known that people are more likely to share positive experiences.
A study titled “What Makes Online Content Viral” supported this:
> “…content is more likely to become viral the more positive it is…”
The researchers also found that content triggering emotions increased its chances of going viral, with positive emotions leading over negative ones:
> “…while more positive or more negative content is more viral than content that does not evoke emotion, positive content is more viral than negative content.”
### No Connection Between August Update and Social Media
There is currently no direct evidence linking social media performance to this update. The discussion at WebmasterWorld delves into this topic, which is worth exploring. However, no concrete evidence of a connection exists at this time.
While social media can indicate content engagement and usefulness, a key definition of quality in this update seems to be usefulness.
In a 2015 article, “How to Rank Better With User Experience Marketing,” the idea was proposed that focusing on User Experience is an effective way to align on-page SEO with user needs. This article remains relevant today.
Publishers should ask what site visitors aim to achieve and aspire to be. The right keywords and content topics will emerge from answering these questions.
A common mistake is basing content solely on high-traffic keywords, which can separate user intent from those keywords, resulting in content that doesn’t align with user needs. It’s better to start with user intent and develop article topics from there.
Images by Shutterstock, Modified by Author.
