Facebook Updated Its Algorithm Again, so Make the Most of It

Did Facebook just update its algorithm again? Maybe. Probably. And more changes will come. That’s why a Facebook page should be optimized just like a website. Is yours?

I was looking over one of my old blog posts, “Marketers: Facebook Search Overhauled,” and I had to laugh, thinking about how many times Facebook has been overhauled since!

It’s not as easy as it was in the old days to find your audience on Facebook, but the platform is still a powerhouse for marketing and your business needs to play the game. One way to gain the advantage is to optimize your business Facebook page the same way you optimize your web pages.

Think of Facebook as a search engine, like Google, only self-contained. Search engines serve up the topics or products people are searching for, as well as related topics and products. You optimize your site so it gets served up to the right interested people. Facebook also serves up the topics or products people are searching for within its own platform. If your Facebook business page isn’t properly optimized, how can it be presented to the right interested people?

Start by finding keywords and search terms.

If you are currently optimizing your website for search, you should have a working list of appropriate search terms already. If not, you’ll need to build a list. Agencies you might work with have paid tools for this, but you can also try free services such as Moz Keyword Explorer or KWFinder.

It’s a bit of an art to choose the right mix of popular, competitive words and long-tail, less competitive ones. You’ll need both to get connected to the right audience, so it might take some experimentation. Also, don’t forget to select the appropriate category for your company so that it matches all of your SEO efforts.

Include search terms on your page and in posts.

Thoughtfully fill in as much information as possible on your page. Use all of your marketing skills and weave in your search terms, but don’t overdo it or you will get penalized for keyword stuffing. Remember that if you serve a local customer base, geographical terms make great keywords.

Use those search terms in your posts as well. It’s important to create new content on a regular basis so that Facebook sees that you are an active, viable business and runs you through their algorithm often. New content, of course, appeals to human followers, too!

Use alt tags on your photos.

Pictures are still worth a thousand words – as long as some of those words are in the alt tags. Good graphics grab the attention of your prospective customer, but optimized alt tags on those graphics grab the attention of Facebook’s algorithm.

Here’s how to fill in the alt tag: In the Meta Business Suite, click on Create or Create Post, depending on where you are comfortable scheduling posts. After you Add Photo, you’ll get the option to Edit, which is the pencil icon. Among the Creative Tools you will find on the Edit Photo screen is Alt Text. Click on that and write your optimized text in the box.

Be social!

This is “social” media, after all! The more engagement you get with your audience, the more relevant Facebook will find your page. Like any search engine, Facebook just wants to give the people what they are looking for, so your job is to be the right answer.

Because of privacy issues, Facebook users don’t share as much personal information as they once did, but people leave clues as to what they are interested in through their viewing and engagement history. Facebook’s algorithm will show people more of what they engage with, so providing interesting content that encourages engagement means your business will be presented to them more often.

Engaging your audience also grows your organic reach, which helps with your paid marketing campaigns. Progress within the platform even boosts your website’s Search Engine Optimization outside of Facebook on Google.

Who knows when the next Facebook algorithm update will happen and what will change, but it’s a sure bet that giving the user what they want will continue to be the priority. As always, businesses have to play by the rules to compete in the SEO game, so it makes sense to dot all of your i’s and cross all the t’s. You don’t have to go it alone, though. Our team at Sprocket Websites has the tools and the experience to take care of these tasks for you. Contact us today to learn how we can help.

Photo by Thirdman

This article is an update to “Marketers: Facebook Search Overhauled” dated 10/23/2015.

Breanne BannonBreanne Bannon

Breanne is a Content Writer, Social Media Marketeer, and Sales Associate for Sprocket Websites.

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