Social Media Optimisation:
The Complete Guide

Using social media platforms helps drive website traffic and improve organic search rankings. Discover how to effectively implement your SMO strategy.

Contact Us
social media optimization le guide pour mettre en place votre stratégie smo
DEFINITION

How does SMO work?

What is SMO?

SMO stands for Social Media Optimisation. It encompasses techniques and actions aimed at improving a brand’s visibility and reputation on social media platforms. Creating a Facebook page, Instagram profile, or posting on LinkedIn is not sufficient; you need to devise a comprehensive strategy to optimise your content on social media, make it go viral, and encourage sharing on forums or other blogs.

This marketing technique works in conjunction with SEO (Search Engine Optimisation) and forms an integral part of Search Engine Marketing.

What are the objectives of SMO?

Your SMO strategy will address multiple objectives. You’ll be able to:

  • Enhance brand recognition

  • Foster customer loyalty

  • Obtain valuable backlinks

  • Improve your website’s search ranking

  • Promote your content (content marketing) on social media

  • Generate website traffic

To achieve these objectives, you need to determine the right content to create and share, as well as the most relevant keywords for your target audience. It’s advisable to tailor your content to each social media platform based on your target audience. For instance, sharing a blog article would be more appropriate on LinkedIn.

Why is SMO relevant to SEO?

A well-executed SMO strategy can have several benefits, such as helping you obtain valuable backlinks and securing a prominent position in search results with a YouTube video. When you develop your SMO strategy, its outcomes can positively influence your search engine rankings.

  • 58,4 %

    of the global population

    uses social media.
  • 2h27

    – the average time spent

    on social media.
  • 2,91Mds

    – the number

    of Facebook users.
BENEFITS

What can SMO do for you?

What advantages can you gain from SMO?

While SMO can certainly boost traffic to your website, it offers so much more! Through shared content on social media, you can enhance your SEO strategy. When your articles are shared by other websites, it helps create backlinks and improves the visibility and reputation of your site.

portraits consultants eskimoz

The benefits of SMO

Here are the main advantages of implementing an SMO strategy:

  • Visibility

    By establishing a presence on one or more social media platforms, you allow your brand to reach a wider audience.

  • SEO

    The more your content is shared on high-quality websites, the more search engines, including Google, will value and rank your site.

  • Traffic

    Your active presence on social media platforms makes it easier for internet users to discover and visit your site.

  • Customer engagement

    By consistently sharing content on social media, you can foster communities and build strong connections with your customers.

APPLICATION

How to implement an SMO strategy

What are the key elements of SMO?

SMO revolves around social media platforms. Therefore, the key elements are none other than the following popular social media platforms:

  • Facebook

    The leading social media platform, widely embraced by the media and e-commerce companies.

  • Instagram

    The platform dedicated to sharing photos and videos, gradually transforming into a social commerce hub.

  • LinkedIn

    The go-to professional social network, particularly valuable in B2B strategies.

  • TikTok

    The app that skyrocketed during the pandemic, offering entertaining, educational, and easily shareable video content with immense viral potential.

  • Snapchat

    The app favoured by younger generations, leveraging the power of augmented reality.

  • Twitter

    The microblogging platform where individuals can freely express themselves.

  • Pinterest

    The inspirational social network that sets trends and simplifies the exploration of brands and products.

  • YouTube

    The video-centric search engine, allowing users to publish both short and long video content.

Creating your SMO strategy: step-by-step

Implementing an effective SMO strategy requires careful preparation. Here are the key steps to guide you in creating your SMO strategy:

  • STEP 1

    Define your objectives

    In your SMO approach, clearly define the objectives you want to achieve, such as increasing your social media followers, boosting engagement rates, or achieving specific conversion targets.

  • STEP 2

    Create target personas

    Before diving into content creation, identify your target audience by creating detailed personas. This will help you understand the typical profiles of your prospects and customers.

  • STEP 3

    Establish an editorial guideline

    Decide on the type of content you want to share on social media and highlight key website content. Develop a consistent tone of voice tailored to each platform.

  • STEP 4

    Conduct research

    To find inspiration, analyse competitors’ accounts and stay updated with industry trends and developments.

  • STEP 5

    Create compelling content

    Create optimised social media pages or enhance existing ones. Ensure that your pages provide comprehensive information.

  • STEP 6

    Develop an editorial calendar

    Plan and schedule your content using an editorial calendar. This allows you to have a clear overview of your content and its publishing schedule. Remain flexible to accommodate current events or unexpected changes.

  • STEP 7

    Share your content across social media

    Once your content is ready, schedule its automated publication on social media platforms. Optimise your posts to maximise their potential for viral reach.

  • STEP 8

    Analyse performance

    Once your posts are live, moderate user interactions and take the time to analyse the results and KPIs of each post. This will help you replicate successful content and improve your overall strategy.

SMO strategy: best practices

To make the most of your SMO strategy, there are several key practices you should follow:
les bonnes pratiques d'une stratégie smo
  • Create high-quality content

    The foundation of your SMO strategy lies in producing valuable content. Just like in SEO, you need to consider relevant keywords and address your community’s questions. Your content should be informative and of top-notch quality. The more value it offers, the greater the likelihood of it being shared and picked up by reputable websites.

  • Encourage interactions

    Social media platforms thrive on virality. The more your content is shared, the more visibility it gains, ultimately boosting your brand’s reputation. It’s important to make sharing on social media as easy as possible. For instance, consider implementing social media sharing buttons on your website.

  • Optimise images

    Image optimisation is crucial for SEO, and it holds equal importance in your SMO strategy. Alongside search engine optimisation, ensure that your images are optimised by adding descriptive alt text.

  • Engage with your community

    The essence of social media lies in interacting with others, particularly your community. To enhance your reputation and foster community growth, it’s vital to actively participate in conversations, promptly respond to questions, and engage in meaningful discussions.

SEO vs SMO: What are the differences?

While SEO and SMO share the common goal of driving traffic to your website, they employ different tools and optimisation techniques to achieve this objective.

SMO

  • Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, Instagram, Snapchat, TikTok, YouTube
  • Running ad campaigns
  • Fast execution
  • Optimisation for user engagement
  • Off-site optimisation
  • Creation of viral content

VS

SEO

  • Google, Yahoo, Bing
  • Content creation
  • Time-consuming
  • Optimisation for search engines
  • On-site optimisation
  • Creation of structured content
Eskimoz

Our Commitment

  • Expertise

    Since 2010, we have worked with over 2000 clients across 90 countries.

  • Passion

    We are a team of passionate, industry-focused individuals who are committed to your success.

  • Performance

    We’re committed to implementing a data-driven strategy, making a real impact on your bottom line by providing avenues for growth.

faq

Any questions?

SMO stands for Social Media Optimisation, which refers to the techniques and actions used to enhance the visibility of a brand and its website on social media platforms. It involves optimising YouTube videos, creating viral content, managing e-reputation, and running advertising campaigns.

While SEO helps users easily access your website, SMO provides greater visibility and facilitates easy access to key information about your company, such as products, prices, and more. SMO is a complementary technique to SEO and involves the creation of diverse and engaging content.

Implementing an SMO strategy enables you to connect with a wider audience through various social media platforms. Increased visibility on these platforms helps more people become aware of your brand. By being more visible, you can attract potential customers and maximise brand exposure through content sharing. Enhancing your company’s visibility through SMO also drives more traffic to your website.