Using the Hashtag to Optimize Your Social Media Posts
One of the more unique concepts to stem from social networking is hashtagging. The hashtag was first born on Twitter, where it’s used to faciliate Twitter’s search algorithm. As a result of the hashtag’s popularity, it has been adopted by other social media sites, such as the growing Google+.
Optimize your Google+ posts with search-relevant hashtags. This can lead to desirable search engine exposure.
The benefit of using the hashtag on social media sites is that it helps your post become found by other users when they perform a related search. In a sense, hashtagging is simply keyword optimizing your posts for greater relevancy and search visibility.
Where Hashtagging Applies
Before we dive into tips on using the hashtag, it’s important to know the social networking sites where the hashtag truly applies. These are:
- Google+
You can essentially use the hashtag in the same fashion for all three of these social media sites. Although you might see hashtags used on Facebook, they offer no value or function. This is mostly a result of people using an automated program that syncs their Facebook and Twitter accounts, or just some people using the hashtag to be humorous or creative in their statements.
Using Hashtags Intelligently
Whether in a personal or professional context, you can intelligently use hashtags to help magnifiy your social media presence.
In essence, hashtagging is way to attract the attention and interests of a specific group of people. It is a simple yet fantastic channel of linking you or your brand with other parties who have common interests, aspirations, or needs that are relevant to you.
So how to you hashtag like a champ?
First, you need understand keyword relevancy and which words best reflect the nature of your post.
For instance, perhaps you are Tweeting a recent blog post about “how to clean marble countertops.” Think about the most relevant words or phrases that would best describe your post about cleaning marble countertops. Also think about what your target audience would search to best find your post.
Some ideas for hashtags may be “#CleaningMarble” or “#MarbleCountertops” – pretty logical, no?
If your post offers tips or strategies, including these terms with a hashtag is often times helpful (e.g. “SEOstrategies” or “Writing_Tips”).
In a nutshell, get creative with how you use hashtags in your social media posts. It’s an effect optimization tool that helps expand your social media presence and grows your following.
This blog post was contributed by Tyler Tafelsky, SEO and website optimization specailist here at Web Presence Group.
Connect with Tyler on Google+.
