Since Google introduced the Panda and Penguin many people believe that link building, and SEO for that matter, are dead. Are they? No, this is certainly not the case. Here is why websites that are currently ranked on the first page of Google are there: they have strong authority links. They wouldn't be there if they had weak, low value links.
However with the shift in Google algorithms switching from page rank to domain authority, there are definitely changes in the SEO world. There is a massive emphasis on content and social signals. With that in mind, here are some useful tips on how social media can help you build a strong backbone for your link building.
1. Create Engaging Content This is key element of your social media and SEO. Remember to write for humans, not robots. Create content on your blog that's useful and engages with your audience. Think to yourself: once you have read your own article, would you share it? If the answer is YES then you will start to see your social signals going up, with your audience sharing on your content on social networks. That's earning you links and traffic!
2. Remember to Share Your Content Once you have created your most engaging post ever, you need to remember to share it with your own network to attract more shares. You can share your article via relevant forums, influencers, newsletters and the usual suspects Facebook, Twitter, Google+ and Linkedin.
3. Guest Blogging We know you have put a lot of time and effort in to your latest article, so why would you be adding it to someone else's blog? Because you are missing out on earning links and traffic if you don't. Don't underestimate the power of guest blogging. It should be a part of every social media and SEO strategy.
4. Participate You have your social media profiles; are they up to date and do you participate on them? Well if not, you need to start! Participating can help you bring traffic back to your website, spark relationships for guest blogging or gain you a guest contributor for your own blog.
5. Setup a Google + Profile If you are not a lover of Google's social network, Google+, you need to put aside your differences; Facebook will still love you. The reason you need to get involved with Google + is that it's becoming a big player in SEO, which has been shown with Google recently introducing "Author Rank". Google is now connecting ranking factors to individual authors, and not just the website where the content is. So if you haven't got a Google+ profile, you need one -- and remember to enable the author rank feature.