In the world of SEO, backlinks are widely considered to be one of the most important ranking factors. So, it’s no surprise that webmasters spend a lot of time and energy trying to acquire as many high-quality backlinks as possible. However, not all backlinks are created equal.
Some backlinks, such as those from social media networks, are nofollow. This means that they carry no weight when it comes to search engine optimization (SEO). As a result, many webmasters believe that social media backlinks are of little use for SEO purposes. But that couldn’t be further from the truth!
In this article, you will learn about the benefits of social media backlinks and why they should be incorporated into their SEO strategy.
What are Nofollow Backlinks?
Before we dive into the benefits of social media backlinks, it’s important to first understand what nofollow backlinks are. A nofollow link is an HTML attribute that can be added to a hyperlink.
When a nofollow link is present, it tells search engine crawlers that they should not count the link when determining the rank of the linked-to website. In other words, nofollow links carry no SEO value.
The major benefit of adding the nofollow attribute to a hyperlink is that it helps prevent spammy websites from acquiring SEO value by linking to other websites indiscriminately.
For example, if I were to start a website and add links to other websites without adding the nofollow attribute, I could potentially boost those other websites’ rankings in SERPs (search engine results pages).
In order for a link to pass SEO value, it must be followed.
That is, the linked-to website must not have added the nofollow attribute to the link. By contrast, if a linked-to website has added the nofollow attribute, then the link will not pass any SEO value.
In general, links from high-authority websites are more likely to be followed than links from low-authority websites. This is because high-authority websites have less to gain by adding the nofollow attribute (since their links already carry a lot of weight) and more to lose (since their links would carry even more weight if they weren’t nofollow).
Social Media Backlinks: The Benefits
Now that we’ve answered the question “what are social media backlinks?” let’s take a look at some of the benefits they offer:
Increased Traffic
Although social media backlinks don’t carry any SEO value, they can still lead to increased traffic for your website. This is because people who see your content on social media may click through to your website if they find it interesting or useful.
Here’s an example: let’s say that you own a website about pet care. If you post an article on social media about how to take care of a new puppy, and someone who sees it clicks through to your website, that’s an increase in traffic for you. And, if that person likes what they see on your site, they may tell their friends about it, leading to even more traffic.
Improved Brand Recognition and Authority
When people see your content on social media and click through to your website, you have an opportunity to improve your brand recognition and authority. If your website is well-designed and provides valuable information, you’ll start to build trust with those who visit your site. Over time, this can lead to improved brand recognition and authority.
For example, let’s say that you run a website about gardening. If you post an article on social media about how to grow roses, and someone who sees it clicks through to your website, they’ll start to develop a positive impression of your brand. If they have a good experience on your site and find the information they’re looking for, they’re likely to
Improved Rankings in SERPs
Although social media backlinks don’t directly improve your rankings in SERPs, they can indirectly impact your rankings by leading to increased traffic and improved brand recognition/authority.
One way to think about it is this: if your website is getting a lot of traffic and people are talking about it, that’s a good sign to search engines that your site is popular and relevant. And, as we know, popularity and relevance are two factors that search engines take into account when determining rankings.
In other words, although social media backlinks don’t have a direct impact on your SEO, they can still indirectly improve your rankings.
Greater Social Media Engagement
Social media backlinks can also lead to greater social media engagement. This is because people who see your content on social media may be more likely to share it or engage with it if they find it interesting or useful.
Let’s say, for example, that you have a blog post about tips for increasing social media engagement. If someone reads this blog post and then shares it on their own social media account, their followers will see it and may be more likely to click on the link and read the blog post themselves.
Or, let’s say that you have a video about social media engagement on your website. If someone watches the video and then comments on it, their comment will be seen by other people who visit the page. And, if those people find the comment interesting, they may be more likely to watch the video themselves.
So, social media backlinks can lead to greater social media engagement, which can then lead to more traffic to your website.
Increased Sales
Ultimately, the goal of any business is to increase sales. And social media backlinks can help you achieve this goal by leading to increased traffic and improved brand recognition/authority. If your website is designed well and provides valuable information, you’ll be more likely to convert visitors into customers.
As you can see, social media backlinks offer a number of benefits that can be extremely helpful for businesses of all sizes. So if you’re
Conclusion: Webmasters should not ignore social media backlinks just because they’re nofollow! Social media backlinks offer several benefits that can indirectly impact your SEO efforts. These benefits include increased traffic, improved brand recognition/authority, and improved rankings in SERPs!
