UPDATED 7/18/25
Social Media & SEO in 2025: Building Trust and Visibility in a Post-Google+ World
Although Google+ is long gone, its influence on digital marketing remains. Today, businesses rely on tools like Google Business Profile, YouTube, LinkedIn, Facebook, and Instagram to build trust, reach new audiences, and strengthen their search engine visibility.
Why Social Media Still Supports SEO
Social media doesn’t directly affect Google’s rankings, but it does drive engagement, backlinks, and brand visibility. These are key factors that support better search performance.
1. Google Business Profile Is the New Must-Have
One of the most powerful tools for local SEO today is Google Business Profile (formerly Google My Business). It helps your business appear in local search results, map packs, and mobile searches.
Make sure your profile is:
- Verified and complete
- Optimized with keywords
- Updated regularly with posts, photos, and offers
- Earning reviews (and responding to them)
Create or claim your profile here:
https://www.google.com/business/
2. Social Media Creates More Searchable Content
Every time you share a blog post, case study, or product update on social media, you’re creating indexable content that leads back to your website. That means:
- More pages pointing to your site
- More opportunities for backlinks
- More engagement and visibility in your niche
Maintain branding consistency and always include links to your website in posts and bios.
3. YouTube is Still a Powerful SEO Tool
YouTube remains the second-largest search engine. If you’re creating content like tutorials, behind-the-scenes videos, or testimonials, uploading them to YouTube can help your SEO.
Tips for maximizing results:
- Use clear, keyword-rich titles and descriptions
- Add a link to your website in every video description
- Embed videos on your blog or service pages to boost on-page engagement
4. Social Engagement Leads to Backlink Opportunities
While likes and shares themselves aren’t direct ranking signals, content that gains traction on social media is more likely to be cited, linked to, or mentioned by other websites.
Focus on creating:
- Blog posts with actionable insights
- Shareable visuals or infographics
- Educational videos or webinars
- Client success stories or industry-specific tips
These are the types of content that naturally earn backlinks and support long-term search visibility.
5. A Strong Social Presence Builds Trust
When potential customers Google your business and find active, consistent social profiles, it builds confidence. That can lead to:
- Higher click-through rates on your website
- Longer engagement on your pages
- More conversions and inquiries
Search engines take note of this positive user behavior, reinforcing your authority and relevance in search results.
Final Thoughts
While Google+ may be a thing of the past, the foundation of good digital marketing hasn’t changed. A successful SEO strategy in 2025 still depends on:
- Creating relevant, useful content
- Building high-quality backlinks
- Optimizing on-page elements like meta tags and keywords
- Establishing trust and visibility through active social channels
If your website or marketing strategy could use a refresh, we’re here to help.
Google+ is the social solution to the unification of all Google’s services. From possible rank increases in organic searches to a higher level of community engagement, all businesses should take the steps to create a Google+ account now.
According to Casey Newton of C|Net, Google+ and its 400 million active users are taking the social community by storm. Google+ greatly enhances the user experience by combining multiple accounts (such as gmail, Google+ personal & business pages, YouTube, etc.) and making it easy to share information with users within your circle. Other Google+ users can easily follow you and the information you share publicly, and if they’re searching for something related to your industry, you may be more likely to appear in their searches.
In addition, you can become an author to your website by using a simple rich snippet in the code linking your site to your Google+ profile page. This builds trust in users searching for services or items related to your industry. It also increases your chances in getting found by users who are already in your circles or communities.
So, how does Google+ relate to organic search engine optimization?
-Users can +1 your posts, photos, links you’re sharing. It gives Google signals of what those users’ interests are, and can send relevant paid ads and organic results tailored to them. The more user engagement on Google+, the higher the relevancy and customized experience, which keeps those users coming back to you.
-Google+ helps build personal and brand influence. Create a custom cover to match your Facebook, Twitter & YouTube accounts. It builds a strong online presence that is cross-platform and generates trust and transparency.
-Google+ profiles and pages are considered high-ranking. You should treat your pages as separate entities and optimize the pages for SEO. Fill out the profiles completely, add your URL (it even appears in the cover photo), and post stories, blogs and relevant photos often.
-When someone +1’s content on your website, it creates a backlink to your site. Backlinks are still prominently used by Google in search results and could increase your overall ranking.
For a more in-depth discussion, read Mark Traphagen’s article here, and Casey Newton’s article here. Also, view Maile Ohye’s video about Google+ and the benefits here.
Remember, good organic Search Engine Optimization is something that doesn’t happen overnight. Creating relevant & fresh website content, meta tag optimization, authorship linking and paying attention to your backlinks should always be a part of your SEO campaign. Google is setting the stage to become a powerhouse in social media so it’s time you create your Google+ profile and business page here.
tovo Google+
Sandi O Google+