Search Traffic

When we talk about search traffic, in the context of social media, we’re referring to the number of users who arrive on a platform, profile, page, or piece of content because they performed a search. The search can be on a search engine like Google, Bing, or Yahoo, or using the search function on the social media platform itself. Generally, the traffic from this type of search is driven by some set of keywords or phrases that are entered into a search bar, which in turn generates a result that is supposed to be, based on algorithmic judgments, the most relevant thing for the user.

If a social media profile, post, or page is optimized for search engines—a strategy usually referred to as Social Media SEO or Search Engine Optimization—then it’s probable that the profile, post, or page will appear higher in search results. And the higher a post, page, or profile appears in the results, the more likely it is to be seen, followed, and engaged with.