Having a Twitter account is much more than a luxury that grants you access into one of the hottest tickets in the social space. It can also be a powerful weapon that gives your presence plenty of SEO value to leverage. Take the Twitter username, for example. As insignificant as this simple piece of property may seem, it holds the same value as a website domain when considering that it indicates ownership, and when used correctly, can be an integral part of a search engine optimization strategy. Here are a few solid tips on how you can optimize your Twitter username and other elements to maximize the SEO value of your overall presence:
Think “Branding” with Your Username
As we mentioned in our introduction, a Twitter username is similar to the domain name you use for yourwebsite, so you want to take the same general approach when it comes to optimizing it. What does this mean? That it should contain the keyword you want to rank for in the search results. So, for example, if you run a business that distributes books for authors, “@bookseller” might be a good username for your account. Above all, the main thing you want to keep in mind is that short and sweet usually works better.
The shorter it is, the easier it is to remember, meaning the easier you are to find in the search results.
Make Your Bio Stand Out
The username is not the only aspect of a Twitter account with tremendous SEO value. Your bio can be just as valuable in the grand scheme of things. Like the username, however, this is another element you want to approach with keyword optimization in mind. You also want to follow the cardinal rule of simple and to the point. While there are probably many great things you can say to describe who you are and what you do, you have to remember that Twitter is all about the straightforward approach, hence why as you only have 160 characters to work with. It would be a shame to waste them on words that are descriptive, yet offer your bio little to no value from a search perspective.
Create SEO-Friendly Tweets
When it comes to using Twitter as an SEO tool, the most valuable component of all just may be in the actual updates you send across the network. That’s right people, we’re talking about the heart and soul of the worldwide phenomenon – the tweets. What’s interesting to note here is that due to a failure to see eye to eye between Twitter and Google, tweets are not displayed in the most prestigious results at “Google.com”.
However, they are prominently featured on Twitter, and with the site growing into a powerhouse of a discovery tool in its own right, increasing visibility there has become almost as important for SEO marketers.
Twitter is undoubtedly one of the most powerful online tools available. By giving the proper attention to elements such as your username, bio, and updates, you can maximize its full SEO potential.
