Social media has become a priority for marketers (if it isn't now, it should be in at least some way), and the desire to get involved quickly often leads to missed opportunities for integration. The potential when integrating social media versus simply doing it is incredible.

Social and SEO: A Match Made in Heaven

The digital world has caused some changes to the consumer purchase decision process, primarily where the initial research begins—the search engine.

While the conversation around the benefits of social media often leads to consumer engagement, social media’s potential as an essential piece to a brand's SEO strategy can’t be overlooked. Social media marketing’s ability to motivate the creation of fresh content (have to update that blog, right?!) as well as increase the number of inbound links a site receives to raise a brand's position in search results.

When the consumer research process begins, search rank is essential because what is at the top of results often informs the purchase decision, and social media’s ability to improve visibility can help achieve SEO goals, which explains why respondents to a Cavario survey said their primary priority for SEO in 2011 is integration with social media efforts. It also provides a good reason for your social and SEO strategies to be speaking with each other and working together.

Social Media Doesn’t Belong in a Silo

The implications of social media for your company don’t stop at social media. The benefits and the potential benefits of social media span the marketing mix. Tacking social media onto a project without strategically integrating it from the beginning leads to disjointed, unsuccessful executions and, more importantly, missed opportunities.

How are you using social media? Is it a separate entity that stands outside of the marketing mix, or is it integrated with your other efforts? The answer to that question could lead to new opportunities for your brand.