Using Keywords on Facebook to Get More Customers

We previously discussed the importance of utilizing Facebook as a marketing tool. This week we’ll go a bit deeper. Before taking advantage of the many marketing strategies Facebook offers make sure customers can easily find you.

The primary solution for this is search engine optimization (SEO). Facebook search engines are evolving to work similarly to Google. For example, if someone is in need of movers, they can search things like “moving services, packing, and relocating” to find professionals in their area.

This type of search will typically bring up numerous competitors offering the same service, so how do you stand out and ensure your company makes it to the top of the list? Know how to properly use keywords for SEO.

First, find the appropriate keywords for your Facebook page.

A keyword is simple a word or short phrase that people commonly use to search for something.

A couple things to keep in mind:

• Think about a common word that someone would use to describe your business. What would they type into a search bar if they couldn’t remember your company name? Make sure you choose keywords that you want to be associated with.
• Check out the competition. Once you think of a few good keywords, type them into the Facebook search bar and see what comes up. If you see several related companies, try a more specific keyword to help grab that top spot in the search.

Use the keyword(s) in various places on your Facebook page:

About Section: You want this section to effectively describe your company and engage your audience, so you don’t want it to sound forced, but this is a great time to get creative and use as many keywords as possible. Include your website URL to direct more clicks to your site. Content on your website can include a like and share button as well as a page plugin to give your visitors the chance to visit your Facebook page.

Headline: Headlines are on-page drivers for SEO and search engines often pull important content from headlines. Facebook is a trusted domain that tends to rank higher in search engine results than the actual company website sometimes, so it’s helpful to use your target keywords.

Photo captions: Simply posting a photo without a description isn’t enough. For example, if you used “moving services” as a keyword and post a picture of your staff loading a truck, be sure to include “moving services” somewhere in the photo caption or things like “piano movers”, “packing services”, etc.

Status updates: The more often you use your keywords, the more frequently you’ll show up in search results. If you update your status at least twice a week using a target keyword, your company will turn up on the list of relevant pages during a search using that same phrase.

Interested in learning more about SEO? Check out Moz for free resources and guides on SEO.