Simple answer: Social media doesn’t directly affect your website’s search engine rankings. Even if your Facebook page has thousands of followers, that number alone won’t make your website more “popular” in the eyes of search engines.

However, there is a connection between strong social media performance and better website results. Doing well on social platforms can help drive more traffic to your site and increase the chances of other websites linking to you. That’s because your goal on social media is ultimately the same as your goal with your website: to share timely, relevant content that encourages visitors to take action, whether that’s making a purchase, signing up for a service, or reading your blog.

It’s the quality of your content that does the heavy lifting. Great content attracts attention on social media, brings people to your site, and improves your visibility in search results. The number of times your content is shared (“social shares”) is still important because it shows how engaging and valuable your audience finds it.

In this way, success on social media can start a chain reaction that leads to more backlinks for your site. Plus, the visitors you get from social media are often high-quality traffic, people who are genuinely interested in your content and more likely to engage with what your site offers.