The web is constantly changing, transforming to suit the needs of the current audience.  With more web developers mastering the art of SEO (search engine optimization), many of them wonder how social media plays a role in increasing traffic to their site.

It is important to have at least a basic understanding of how SEO functions in order to grasp social media’s role within it. Search engine optimization is achieved through relevance in keywords and concepts and authority through links on sites like Digg or Stumbleupon. Ian from Conversion Marketing makes a case that the singular thing that fuels both relevance and authority is social media. Having a presence in the social media arena provides keywords and concepts as well as links. He goes on to say that building up a social media campaign without the use of SEO is fruitless. “Social media and SEO,” says Ian, “are now inextricably linked. You couldn’t separate ‘em if you tried.”

Cameron Olthuis from Search Engine Land suggests that, since social media sites are ranked high in the eyes of search engines, a web developer will excel far more by ranking their website high within a social media site than on any particular search engine. To do this, he recommends uploading videos to Youtube, or creating a MySpace or Facebook profile.

There are a plethora of additional articles that one could peruse, but the general consensus is the same: social media and SEO cannot function in and of themselves unless they work hand-in-hand. They are complimentary, and when used together are powerful tools for increasing traffic to your website.

Additional reading:

- Social Media and SEO: 5 Essential Steps to Success
- You Can't Separate Social Media and SEO
- The Evolving State Of Social Media & SEO
- Social Media Friendly SEO
- Social Media Optimization: It's Like SEO, For Social Sites