Make the Most of Your Business’s Facebook Page

We link to our Facebook page every chance we get. Click the image above to visit our page (and like us, too).

I’m sure you’re used to reading articles about how to engage the followers of your business’s Facebook fan page. Though most articles shy away from clearly defining engagement in terms of social media, they often tell you to post content your audience is interested in, ask questions, watch engagement rates, use images and video, respond to user posts and make sure you’re posting on a regular basis. That is all great advice.

However, there’s more to it. I recently read a Search Engine Watch article about a study that found 34% of the referrals to Facebook pages come from Google, Yahoo and Bing. How does that happen?

Search engine optimization, baby! This idea is nothing new. The social media community has been talking about it for quite some time. However, it’s becoming more important for all Facebook page owners to learn some basic ways to optimize their page so they can be easily found.

Optimizing Your Facebook Page

If you are unfamiliar with search engine optimization, it is the “process of increasing the amount of visitors to a website by obtaining a high-ranking placement in the search results page of a search engine,” according to Webopedia. In this case, we’re looking to increase the amount of visitors to a Facebook page, rather than a website.

Here are a few simple tips for getting started:

1. Use a name that helps identify who you are, and keep it. Great examples of this are DSW, who labeled themselves “DSW Designer Shoe Warehouse” and Chili’s, who named their page “Chili’s Grill & Bar.” It’s best to keep your name short but descriptive. There’s no need to add a 10-word string of keywords to the end of your name. It will appear spammy and deter people from following your page.

2. Use your business name as your vanity URL. Once a page reaches 100 fans, a vanity URL may be selected. Once chosen, it cannot be changed. It’s best to use your business name as the vanity URL to not only make your page easy for search engines to identify, but also easy for consumers to remember.

3. Take advantage of the space given for your information. Include keyword-rich descriptions of who you are and what you provide in the About, Description and General Information sections. Also include location information if relevant to your business.

4. Link to your Facebook page from your website. When your page has a lot of inbound links from other respected websites, it garners more authority and higher ranking in the search engines. Your own website is always the best place to start.

5. Say something about what you post. Post relevant and interesting links, photos and videos to your page and say something about what you posted. Include your business name and relevant keywords in your posts, while keeping the content conversational rather than spammy or promotional.

Want more tips for optimizing your Facebook page? Check out this article from Inside Facebook.