In recent years, the news feed in Facebook has become a focal point for consumers, other businesses, and search engines in determining the importance of one business over another. Having plenty of high quality, uniform content is key in supporting a good dynamic between poster and user. So, how can you make your news feed the best that it can be, and will it make a difference to your SEO? Check out these tips on news feed organization, and information on how your Facebook page can take you to the top. NFO vs SEO
News feed optimization, a new term used by search engine optimization and web design professionals alike, has to do with increasing the visibility of your Facebook page through your news feed activity. Much like the Google algorithms which work to rank websites in order of relevance and quality, Facebook will make your page more visible to users based on their own algorithm. Unlike Google who explains each update to their algorithm, Facebook has been a bit more closed off regarding their policies. There is a basic outline of what the site expects from its users, but after that business owners just must make their best guess on what’s acceptable and what isn’t.
One of the major points to understand when it comes to your news feed is that only a portion of it is being shown to your audience. This is frustrating to big corporations who spend big money on the content their page displays. What’s the point of spending so much on content that might not be seen? It’s still relevant to your brand, and you can always change the trajectory of a Facebook post’s visibility if you’re willing to put in the leg work. Make Yourself More Visible
One of the things you can do to make your post more visible is pay up. Facebook has a lucrative platform design in which businesses can pay to make their brand and content more visible to users. You can also organically boost your ranking by making your content more discussed by the masses. That’s right, the more Facebook users comment, like, and share your post, the more visibility it gets. This has become an important feature of Facebook business in the past few years as this social media giant has taken a popularity approach to ranking content. Essentially, the most popular content will become more popular because it’s the content Facebook is willing to share. So, by getting users chatting, discussing, and sharing, you can make your page more visible without overspending. Attractive Content
While keeping in line with the idea that content should stay genuine and relevant, the best way to improve conversation and sharing on your business page is to give your viewers something in return. Facebook users love a good contest, and contests generate comments and shares, simply by asking for them. If you have something worth giving away, your Facebook followers are going to be willing to share it.
Similarly, polls and opinion pieces go a long way toward generating conversation amongst Facebook users. Anything that asks your followers what they think about a product or service is going to spark interest. The more controversial the topic, the more likely it is that comments will grow and spread, and new users will find your page and join in. This doesn’t mean you should have negative information or posts on your site; simply that if there’s something relevant to your business that could spark the interest of the general population, posing a poll or asking for opinions could improve your visibility. Location is Important
Among the many algorithm changes Facebook has been making these past few years is location-based importance. Posts from local businesses will be more visible to users in that area than posts from national businesses which have yet to focus their target area. What does this mean for big brands? It means that you need more than one Facebook page, possibly for each branch of your business. For example if you have stores in San Diego, Las Angeles, and San Francisco, it isn’t enough to have a Facebook page dedicated to business in California, at least not if you want your content to be the content seen by users in your target areas. Creating a page for each location helps Facebook share relevant sales, stories, and news about each shop or business with those in that area.
This is problematic for ecommerce businesses looking to boost their rankings, but not impossible. Targeting local regions can still be effective for online businesses, particularly if you have a home base in that area.
When it comes to NFO over SEO algorithms, change and the importance of the type of content becomes less important than the reaction users have to that content. What will this mean for the future of Facebook business? This is yet to be seen, but one thing remains certain, Facebook will play a large role in the business world for years to come.