The use of hashtags is commonly associated with Twitter, where users employ the tick-tack-toe-like symbol (#) to focus the point of their tweets while also attracting other users.
After Twitter, the use of hashtags has been extended to other social media venues, such as Facebook, Google+, Pinterest and many more.
Without knowing the reason for its use, people might find the excess usage of hashtags to be more than a little annoying.
But there actually is a purpose to using them, and they can be beneficial to people who are looking to expand their customer base.
Business owners (and bloggers) who want to increase their bottom line should add the use of hashtags in social media to their artillery to positively impact search engine optimization (SEO).
The Importance of SEO
For a small business to be found in a customer’s search results, SEO has to come into play.
SEO is what helps a business website rise in the ranks so customers can find it.
How Hashtags Work
The first hashtag was used in August 2007; also known as the pound sign, hashtags help to mark a topic or keyword.
People who use hashtags do so to categorize their posts and help others with similar interests find them.
Proper Hashtag Use
Hashtags mark specific keywords, so it’s important that the user choose them wisely.
Attach hashtags to words and phrases that are most likely to be searched, such as #ChicagoBears, instead of generic terms such as #TheBestFootballTeam.
Learn how to use hashtags the right way.
Hashtag Etiquette
More than one or two hashtags in a post is excessive and likely to turn off potential followers and customers.
Use one or two to focus attention on keywords without losing followers because of hashtag overkill.
Make Hashtag Use Easy for Others to Repeat
Hashtags that are easy to remember will help a business owner get the biggest bang for his or her buck.
For example, a hashtag such as #NaturalLawnCare would be easier for consumers to remember and repeat than a hashtag such as #PurifiedMineralLawnCareFormula.
Cross Multiple Venues
Once a new hashtag has proven itself to be effective, the business owner should start using it across multiple social media venues.
This is an excellent way to increase exposure and the sharing of posts, while also capitalizing on SEO in an effort to rank first on Google.
Getting Started
SEO is an important issue for business owners or webmasters who want to expand their reach to a wider potential audience or customer base.
Hashtag use on social media can help you successfully achieve this and the tips in this article can assist you in getting started.
Rather than charging out of the starting gate with rapid-fire hashtag use, it’s best to begin by incorporating a single hashtag in each of your social media posts.
Then you should gauge the reaction of your followers and see what changes in your search engine results rankings.
This slow, cumulative approach will help you learn how to optimize your results in a way that’s best-suited to your website or business success.
And you?
Are you using specific hashtags with your keywords?
What are the results?
Please share your experience in the comments below, thanks!
Hi Erik Sir,
Thank you so much for this post.
This one was much needed for me. I saw many people using hash tags on different social networks (not sure it was essential there or not).
It is now I know the importance of hash tags. As a budding blogger, I am exploring new lessons on SEO. This one is a great addition for me.
Thank you so much sir. I will surely start suing hash tags by following your guidelines.
Sorry for the incovenience caused due to my blog’s crash.
Regards,
Rahul
Hi Erik,
You are absolutely right about all that you wrote 🙂
Hashtags can make a huge difference to your posts and updates, and of course targeting a particular group of audience. I think it all started first with Twitter and then G+, and now Facebook, though it works best on Twitter and G+ as compared to on Facebook, as one doesn’t get to see the list or trending tags as one can make out on Twitter and G+ I guess.
I don’t know much about SEO, but looking up for the right Hashtag and keeping them all filed up for future use has helped me a great deal in my posts. The key lies in knowing the main related keywords and using those with your updates, just as you mentioned, and I am glad now there are many sites that can help you find such Hashtags too.
Thanks for sharing. Have a nice week ahead 🙂
Hi Erik,
Another great post. I would encourage everyone to use hashtags for each of their social media updates. Now Facebook and Google+, both support hashtags. So, there’s no reason why we shouldn’t use them. But like you mentioned using more than one can be an overkill. So, we need to be judicious about it.
Thanks for sharing these great tips.
Hi !!
Sometimes, I really sit back to think, what exactly is this hash tag , has tag all about , I mean almost everybody is talking about it but not every body knows how help it could be if properly used, Frankly speaking, i have been using and I can’t really see any massive change, but I guess with time things would not be the same !!
Hello Erik,
Before couple days, I used only Facebook social website and note have other social website Information
.Hashtag use on social media can helpful for successfully achieve this and the tips in this article can assist my in getting started.I will pass it.
Thank you,
Hello,
Great list. I din’t know about hashtags .I am very happy to visit this website and read the great information that you present. Now I will start hashtags follow your tips.Thanks so much share this great post.
Have a nice day!
Hello Erik,
Wow, This is a decent article. New hashtag has validated itself to be effective.All blogger should start using it across multiple social media.It is very important for increase rank first on Google.I really enjoyed this post.
I will share this post with my all followers.
Thank you so much!
Regards,
Pinki Chaurasia
Hi Erik,
 I love this post so much very informative. I just started to create my website and your input is very helpful for social media affecting SEO.
Thank you for sharing.
Hi Erik
You really reveal the power of hash tag. Apart from using hast tag to have an SEO advantage, hash tags is easy to keep track of trends and build engagement. Thanks for sharing.
Hi Erik!
You really manage to cover the topic on hashtags.
To use a maximum of two hashtags can’t be mentioned often enough. It turns my stomach when I have to read a seven word headline with five hashtags. Thanks for mentioning that!
Best, Ilka
Hi Erik,
Informative topic indeed! There is no doubt that hashtags are trending now days.
Uses of hashtag can give us lot of exposures. I am also using it and it really works.
Thank you so much for the detailed guide. It will be very helpful for newbies.
Have a great Sunday!
Hi Erik Sir ,
Very interesting ideas , For Social Media SEO , i agree With Your SUperb points , Really Awesome Article , Thank You For Sharing me , Informative Post ,
Have a Great Ahead ,
Jassica
Hi Erik sir,
Good post on Hashtags. I do agree with you that the proper usage of hashtags has a positive impact in SEO.
I do use hashtags in Twitter and other social networks, but in a limited way. In G+ I’ve enable the auto hashtagging feature and I won’t add much hashtags there.
I too have a good post on hashtags to insist its importance and exact usage method.
Have a great week ahead 🙂
Hi Erik,
Super note on getting clear.
Vague doesn’t cut it when it comes to hash tags.
Fab points, keep up the great work Erik.
Ryan
Hello Erik,
I think we should thanks Twitter for introducing and making us aware how to use hashtags in different tone and voices 🙂
Irrespective of SEO benefits or business branding its always fun to see how people use different kinds of hashtags in their tweets, post and pics.
Automatic hashtag feature on Google+ is great but it will add no more than three tags. Three tags is not bad but sometimes it adds non-relevant tag. Picking your own tags can help you reach right audience.
Excellent information!
I knew about hashtags, but really haven’t started using them, mainly because I am not aware of how to use them properly and to my advantage.
Thank you this blog post has cleared some of my questions.
– Nestor
Hi Erik,
Very informative post. Using relevant hashtags in limited numbers can certainly help improve SEO and outreach on various social media platforms.
I have seen a lot of people using excessive hashtags to rank for keywords alone, this is not a good practice. You should follow a proper etiquette as you have highlighted in this post.
Thanks for sharing. Have a nice weekend.
Hi Erik,
Nice share as usual. Using hashtags is a great way to get more traffic and build strong community. Use of proper hashtag and avoiding over use of hashtag are two things that we should consider while using hashtags.
Thanks for sharing some good strategies related to use of hashtags.
Hi Erik,
Use of Hash tag on social media can help us and the tips in this article can assist us in getting started. Now I can understand the importance of hash tag.
I will follow your guideline.
Thanks for sharing..!!
Have a good day ahead
Hello Erik,
Hashtag plays a vital role in Social Media Marketing to get more benefits in SEO. In my little experience in Hastags and several social media sites, I get huge benefits using Hastags.
Anyway, thanks for the awesome sharing.
Thanks for the info.
I recently started to use Hastags and I am still learning, this helps a ton!
Thanks,
– Nestor