Social Signals

Social signals refer to the collective metrics of engagement, such as likes, shares, retweets, and comments, that a webpage receives on social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn. While Google has repeatedly stated that social signals are not a direct algorithmic ranking factor (because the data is too volatile and easily manipulated), there is a massive, undeniable correlation between highly shared content and top SERP positions. Exceptional content that generates thousands of social signals inevitably attracts the attention of journalists and bloggers, indirectly driving the acquisition of high-authority, dofollow editorial backlinks that do directly impact rankings.

Social Signals Simplified

Social signals are the likes, shares, and retweets your article gets on social media. While Google doesn’t count a “like” as a ranking boost, getting thousands of shares means more people see your article, making it highly likely that someone will link to it from their own website.