Search Engine Optimization has been used more than plenty for websites to be more visible to search engines. Social media on the other hand, targets the visitors with viral approaches.
The goal of any internet marketing campaign through SEO methods is to increase web visibility organically through search engines. While working on multiple phrases, the specific website may not directly increase its traffic exponentially for one certain keyword, but the overall presence of the site will increase dramatically.
SEO has been focused on optimizing content and attracting links for the purpose of achieving an advantage in search results. The focus was more on search engine placements than optimizing the customer search experience.
Today’s best practices SEO focuses on connecting brand content with people that are looking through the optimization of the things that have the most influence on the customer journey. Content is the reason that search engines exist and content is also the most common outcome as a result of social sharing. Search engines are looking beyond and over basic text and links from other websites as the determining factors for serving up the best search results.
On the other side of the game, social media today has entered much further into people's life as their services improved with distinguishable and notable features. As their services become popular, social media is becoming another great player in the internet marketing campaign and natural link building. Facebook, Twitter and Google+ are seen as powerful link building tools. Social media networks are not only important for link building campaigns, but also they are known for driving organic traffic to a site by viral approach.
Social media and content are influences that drive search queries. the question is less about whether people will rely more on search or social for information, but more about what situations call for search and social visibility and how can we get them integrated to create an experience that guides the consumer along the sales cycle.
An example of how viral marketing on social media meets content is like when someone asks a friend on Facebook about a restaurant recommendations. After getting a few recommendations, the person will Google the restaurant to find its location, menu and review. The search results might show the local listings as well as the restaurant website. From there, the person can browse the restaurants' website for further information. Later on, the person might check in to the restaurant on Foursquare, then share photos of her meal and how good/bad it was on Facebook or Twitter.
The customer experience involves multiple influences that likely include both search and social networks. Companies need to consider both search and social networks as complementary drivers to their content to attract visitors, grow sales and revenue.