Organic reach has been declining on social media platforms as they enforce a pay-per-click model. That’s why it is becoming important for social media marketers to find ways to increase the organic reach of their content. Is there a way to increase the organic reach of your Facebook content without spending money on ads?
The answer to that is yes but it is not so easy. You need to understand the secret of organic growth in detail before you can apply them. The answer is SEO.
Many people get confused and think of SEO as something that only applies if you want to get your site ranked on Google and other search engines. However, each social network has its own SEO algorithm. If you are playing according to their algorithm, your content will perform well.
What is Facebook SEO?
It is a technique of optimizing your content to increase the organic reach of your content on Facebook.
When you work hard on search engine optimization your goal is for your website to rank on search engines like Google. If your website can rank on the top ten SERPS, then you have achieved your goal.
Facebook search engine optimization or any other social SEO runs with the same idea but within the confines of the social platform. If you want to rank your content on Facebook, you need to understand its algorithm.
Why is it important?
The simple answer is that following the rules of Facebook search engine optimization will help your content rank better, increase followers, and drive conversions.
However, it is not that simple! If you can optimize your content correctly, it can rank not only on Facebook but on Google too.
Google is always looking for rich content and if your page is posting that, your page can be found on Google.
Imagine if you rank well for a keyword that can get your page thousands of visitors monthly. Google is the most visited website in the world. Who doesn’t want to rank there?
So following a guide for Facebook SEO will help you rank your content on Facebook and other search engines like Google.
12 tactics that will improve your reach
If you want to successfully rank on Facebook, you have to come up with a strategic plan. You can’t create a random page name and then randomly generate content.
Consider these 12 tactics that will definitely help you improve your organic reach.
1. Choose your page name carefully
Your Facebook page name is your brand’s name. It should be able to answer what your brand does without being spammy. Search engines like Google focus a lot on important keywords. If you can add keywords related to your industry in your page name, then you are prepared for success.
This increases the chances of your page being ranked on Google. It is also important to note that you should choose a page name that sounds natural. Algorithms give more value to pages that write for human beings. If your brand name sounds unnatural, then it may not do well on Facebook.
Source: https://www.facebook.com/Blossomsflorals
2. Transform the generic URL into a vanity URL
When you first create a Facebook page, you will be assigned a random URL but you have to transform this into a vanity URL. To do this you simply have to change your Facebook username which is under the About section.
Once you change it into a vanity URL, it has the potential to do better. Plus, it will look more professional when others visit your page.
3. Let your About section speak about your brand
The About section of your page should be written by keeping your brand in mind and your long-term goals. You should also do some keyword research before you write this section.
If you can include well-performing keywords in this section, you may rank well on Google. The About section of your page should give readers a fair idea of what your brand does.
4. Assimilate potent keywords on your page
Try to find keywords in your niche. These keywords should have low competition and the potential to get traffic should be good. After performing your part of the keyword research, you will get a list of keywords.
Now you can fill your page with these keywords. You can add them in your About section, headlines, description, captions, and recent posts. You should consistently use these keywords on your Facebook page to see some results. This is a key part of your Facebook SEO strategy.
While you want to use keywords on your page but you want to craft the content as naturally as possible. You should ignore keyword stuffing as that can do more harm than good.
You can use tools like SEMRush, UberSuggest, and Google Keyword Planner to come up with keywords for your Facebook page.
The demand for keywords keeps changing so be sure to use these tools regularly to update your keyword strategy.
5. Build backlinks
Backlinks are like a vote of confidence that builds the authority of your page. Google views you as a reputable brand in the industry if you get a lot of websites to link your page. However, these websites need to have a high Domain Authority.
You can build backlinks by posting valuable resources on your page. That’s the easiest way to get backlinks. There are other ways which include collaborating with influencers and other strategic partners.
6. Post keyword-rich content
You need to think about your target audience and the type of content they want to see. Then you need to divide the overall content into different content pillars. After that, perform keyword research according to each content pillar.
Next, you need to create content in branches instead of each piece each day. This will ensure that you are staying consistent on your page. Staying consistent on Facebook is important just like any other social media platform. Once you do this for a month or two, you will see the magic!
7. Keep the engagement going on!
Social media is all about building a community. If your followers are commenting on your posts but you are not replying, then Facebook will notice. Your engagement for the next post will drop.
That’s why it is extremely important to build a sense of community around your social media presence and engage with every participant.
8. See if your contact information is accurate
You should add crucial information like business address, business hours, and phone number on your Facebook page. If you have a physical business presence, you can allow visitors to check-in.
This increases the visibility of your business which increases the reach of your page. If you see your friend checking into a local cafe, you will probably check it out later too.
9. Focus on resolving negative reviews
Your Facebook page provides you with an opportunity to provide amazing customer service. If you receive a bad customer review, do not get annoyed but ask them about the problem that they faced. When everything becomes clear, you can work to solve their problem.
Once their problem has been resolved, you can ask them to remove their negative customer review. You can build a big brand by turning bad customer experiences into good ones.
However, you should also know that some negative reviews cannot be resolved. In that case, you should try to understand if you are doing something wrong. In the end, your product or service may not be for that customer.
If your brand has an average rating of more than 4, it is more likely to do well on Facebook and other search engines. Low ratings will cause a problem that not even the best SEO expert will be able to solve.
10. Choose the right time for posting
You need to understand your audience. Who are they? What are their job titles? Passions? When you are able to figure all that out, you will also find out their free time. This is the time that you can hook them with your content.
If your content is good, but you are posting when your target audience is not active, then you will not get engagement. However, once you are able to understand the right time then you should stick to it.
Thankfully, now we have tools like Hootsuite that can suggest an optimal time for you to post. However, if you do not have the budget for using this tool. You simply have to think about the demographics of your target audience.
11. Use alt text
Alt text is added to images which helps the platform understand and index your content. If you keep adding alt text on your images, the algorithm will push your content more. Even without the SEO benefits it is a good idea to make your content more accessible for everyone.
This expands your audience and now people who have visual impairments can also engage with your content. So you are indirectly expanding your audience by adding alt text.
12. Create location-specific page
This may sound weird at first. You are looking to optimize your brand’s page and the last tip is to create more than one?
The secret tip is that Facebook actually gives a lot of importance to location. If your business has branches in multiple locations, then it makes sense to create more than one page.
This makes a lot of sense for big brands that want to make a global presence. However, you cannot create a global presence if you create relevant content. Each page should have its presence according to the culture of the locality.
This will help you in localized marketing. Content that works in the US may not work in India. That is why creating location-based pages can work well.
There are also keywords that are location specific but you cannot use them if you only have one Facebook page. This is the final tip for your Facebook SEO strategy.
Conclusion
While Facebook is getting more competitive by the day. There are still some basic rules that you can follow to improve your organic reach. If you can rank well within the confines of the social network it is great but by using these SEO tactics you can also rank on Google.
If your page is on the SERP of Google, you have hit a jackpot of never-ending leads. The key to Facebook SEO is to have an organized plan in place from the beginning.
However, if you feel that you have not done everything on the list, you can start from today. It will take you some time to see results but you will definitely see them some day! Things have changed on Facebook since last year but hopefully, by using these tips you can start getting a following.
