In one response, Google writes that the number of times an article is shared on Twitter is used as a signal in both organic search rankings and Google News.

Both Bing and Google mention that they calculate some form of social authority for use in live search and limited situations within ordinary web search.

Rand Fishkin of SEOMoz has just published his reaction to the news, describing exactly how social media may impact search engine rankings and SEO strategy.

The SEO metrics of tomorrow may well include social data such as:

• Timing – Is this an automated Tweet or something of more value?
• Diversity – How many people shared this link and are they important?
• Engagement – How many clicks, likes and retweets?
• Social Authority – How many followers and friends?
• Relevance – Sharing randomness or sticking to a topic?

Rand excitedly predicts this may bring about the end of web spam as we know it. How so? Few people will follow or friend a profile that is not authentic or is being used for advertising purposes.

Social media has become an integral part of marketing and is now extending it’s reach into the powerhouses of the web.

For the best chances of success in gaining maximum exposure across Google and Bing, it will become increasingly important to be active on Twitter and Facebook.

Publishers and marketers should make it a goal to grow a large following, add social media buttons to your website and adopt other proven social media strategies.

Have you noticed social media providing a boost to your SEO efforts? Please leave a comment below with your thoughts.

Google and Bing Confirm Social Media Impacts Search Rankings DotSauce Magazine

Just what does Authority Labs really do?

The service allows you to monitor your domain names for search engine rankings of specific keywords or search terms of your choice.

Once you set a domain name and define the search terms you want to track, Authority Labs goes to work monitoring your ranking for those terms. There are options to be updated via email alerts and you can view charts to track your performance over time.

Monitor One Website for Free

You can give this service a go for free through a promotional free trial account. You can monitor one domain and 10 search terms.  Simply visit the Authority Labs website to sign up.

There is also a Personal Plan which is $9 per month to monitor 3 domains, though the beauty of this service may lie in the fact that it’s scalable, allowing paying customers to monitor many many more websites with ease.

Why Bother?

Monitoring search rankings can beneficial for numerous reasons. For one, it can help you visualize the progress you are making, especially if you are just getting started!

Keeping tabs on those rankings can help you discover where your traffic is coming from and try to repeat that success.

Do you track your search rankings? Would love to hear your thoughts.

Monitor Google, Yahoo and Bing Rankings for Free with Authority Labs DotSauce Magazine