How important are Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and other social sites for your florist website’s Search Engine Optimization? They are critical for your flower business but maybe not for the reason you think. Here are three tips:
1. Social Media Sites are search engines
image via floranext.com
Florist Search Engine Optimization has mostly been about moving your websites up in the Google’s ranking. Since Google makes up almost 70% of the searches in the US, this seems intuitively right.
But people are often skipping Google and searching in using Social Media – your flower shop needs to be active and ranked on these sites themselves to be “findable” because people searches are expanding to include social sites.
Facebook is a great example – people use Facebook to search for florists. Type florist in Manhattan into the search bar and you will find some of the top florists in New York City. Likes, checkins, and Facebook activity will drive your ranking here.
2. Google doesn’t use social media likes to rank your florist website – but they are still important
image via floranext.com
According to Google engineer Matt Cutts Google doesn’t use your Facebook or Twitter followers to more highly rank your florist website. And while we don’t know all of Google’s secrets, we can be pretty sure that having twice the number of likes alone won’t automatically get you to the number one spot on Google.
That said, these likes are incredibly useful when customers are evaluating your business. Wedding and event buyers often look at Facebook to see the quality of your work and how other customers have fared at your business.
3. Pinterest boards can help brides find your shop
image by floranext.com
Brides are often looking on Pinterest for wedding inspiration. They may search for general terms like “spring wedding flowers” but specific searches for weddings at specific venues or locations are common as well.
Creating boards of your work with terms like “Cape Code Wedding Flowers” can help brides find your work related to a specific location. These won’t necessarily drive up your florist website Google ranking, but they can dramatically improve your find-ability for likely wedding customers.
____________
Floranext makes great florist software. Florist websites, floral POS, florist wedding/event proposal software, and florist technology. Let us know if you want a free demo or try our software for free here!