Why Social Media Is Crucial for Your Business –and Boosts Your Google Presence
- Jared Dalton
- Jul 16
- 9 min read
The New First Impression: Google Search Meets Social Media
If you run a local business, you know that many customer journeys begin with a Google search – queries like “restaurant near me” or “auto shop near me” are often the first point of contact. In fact, 46% of all Google searches have local intent (think searches that include city names or “near me”). This means your business’s first impression often happens on Google, via search results and your Google Business Profile (formerly Google My Business). But here’s the game-changer: Google is increasingly pulling content from social media into those search results and business listings. In other words, your social media activity can directly influence what people see when they find you on Google.
Why is Google blending social media into search? One big reason is user behavior. Consumers (especially younger generations) now often use social media as a search tool – browsing TikTok for product reviews or Instagram for local recommendations. Google has noticed this trend and is adapting. As one industry expert put it, “Your Google results are about to look more like your social feeds”, now that Google has begun indexing and featuring content from platforms like Instagram in search results. For businesses, this convergence of search and social means that having an active social media presence isn’t just about engaging followers on those apps – it’s also about enhancing your visibility and credibility on Google.
Google Indexes Your Social Media Content
Yes, Google does index social media posts. Google’s crawlers can explore public content on platforms like Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and X (Twitter), much like they crawl websites. This allows social posts to be included in Google’s index and show up in search results. For example, as of July 2025, Google can index public Instagram posts from business and creator accounts – meaning your photos, videos, and Reels on Instagram can now appear in Google’s organic search results. This is a significant shift; historically, Instagram content was siloed within the app, but now Instagram is “cracking open its once-private ecosystem to boost discoverability beyond the app”. The lines between social media and web search are blurring, so a viral TikTok video or a well-tagged Instagram post you created might surface when someone searches on Google for related keywords.
How might this look in practice? Imagine a potential customer searches for “best coffee shop in Nashville.” Alongside traditional results, Google could show an Instagram post of a popular latte art from a Nashville café, or a TikTok review of a local coffee shop, right on the first page of results. This isn’t hypothetical – it’s already happening. Analyses have found that hundreds of thousands of Google search queries now return Instagram or TikTok content on the first page. Google even introduced a “Perspectives” feature on mobile, specifically to highlight results from social media and forums (e.g. Reddit threads, TikTok videos) for users who want that real-world, conversational insight. In short, Google is using social media content to provide richer search results, and that creates a new opportunity for your business to be discovered.
Social Posts on Google Business Profiles
Beyond general search results, Google has also started integrating social media posts directly into Google Business Profiles (GBP). Your Google Business Profile is the sidebar panel or listing that appears for local businesses, showing your address, hours, reviews, etc. Since 2024, Google allows you to link your business’s social media accounts to your profile (Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, YouTube, TikTok, etc.), and Google will automatically display snippets of your recent social posts on your profile. This feature rolled out to give customers a more “comprehensive view of a business’s online activity and engagement” at a glance.
As shown above, a new section labeled “Social media updates” can appear on your business listing. It works like a feed of your latest social content, pulled in from the accounts you’ve linked. In the example, a medical spa’s GBP is displaying its recent Instagram posts (with the Instagram logo and timestamp visible). These could include things like a promotional graphic, a short video clip, or a photo with a caption – content originally posted on Instagram, now mirrored on Google for all to see. Google currently seems to be pulling in primarily Facebook and Instagram updates for this feature. So if your business actively posts on Facebook or IG, a person Googling your business name might immediately see those social updates in your Google listing, even if they haven’t visited your Facebook/Instagram page directly.
From a marketing perspective, this is huge. It means your Google Business Profile is no longer static – it can dynamically show the same fresh content you’re sharing on social media. An active social feed translates into an active-looking Google listing. Someone finding you on Google can instantly see, for example, that you posted a special discount on Facebook yesterday or an Instagram video tour of your store last week. This makes your Google presence more engaging and up-to-date, which can influence whether a customer chooses to contact or visit you. (By contrast, if your profile only shows basic info and old reviews, it may appear less vibrant.)
Social Media Boosts Visibility, Credibility, and SEO
Why invest time in social media? Because it boosts your visibility, credibility, and even SEO in ways that directly impact your bottom line. Let’s break down the benefits:
Increased Visibility: Every piece of content you share on social media is another door for customers to find you. Now that Google is indexing social posts, your social content can reach people outside the social platforms too. A well-optimized post with the right keywords or hashtags might show up in Google searches, expanding your reach beyond your followers. In one analysis, Instagram content already appears for over 669,000 search keywords in Google Italy, with many posts ranking on the first page. The more places your brand appears, the more chances you have to get noticed. As digital strategist Ethan Lazuk observes, social media content has essentially become a form of “SEO content,” appearing alongside webpages in search results. In practice, a tweet or LinkedIn post can rank on Google and drive organic traffic just as a blog article on your website might – giving you additional exposure.
Enhanced Engagement: Social media by nature encourages interaction – likes, comments, shares, and conversations. Displaying your social posts on Google can channel some of that engagement to your business listing. A user might click on your post from your Google profile and end up on your Instagram page, where they can follow you or engage further. Even if they don’t click through, seeing lively content (for example, a quick video of a chef cooking on your restaurant’s profile) can captivate customers and increase the likelihood they choose your business. Think of it as enriching the customer’s research phase: instead of just a phone number and address, they see your personality and activity. This can drive more traffic to your social pages and ultimately more foot traffic or inquiries. According to one social media director, simply posting content with the right targeting “can get your business in front of a huge pool of prospects,” generating leads that funnel into sales.
Improved Credibility and Trust: A strong social media presence signals that your business is active, responsive, and transparent. Consumers today expect businesses to be on social media, and many will perform a “credibility check” by looking up your Facebook or Instagram to see if you’re the real deal. If a potential customer finds an active profile with recent posts and customer interactions, it builds trust. In fact, customers are 2.7× more likely to consider a business reputable if its Google profile is complete with up-to-date information (which now can include social posts). Social media also provides social proof – seeing other people comment positively on your posts or seeing your follower count can reassure new customers that you have a community and a track record. On the flip side, an abandoned or non-existent social profile might raise doubts. As Marie Kubin, co-founder of a social media platform, says: “Consumers expect businesses to be on social media… to pass the initial credibility check.” In short, being present and active on social media makes your business look trustworthy and legitimate in the eyes of customers.
Additional SEO Benefits: There has long been debate about whether social signals (likes, shares, followers) directly impact Google rankings. Google’s official word is that social metrics are not direct ranking factors for your website. However, social media can indirectly boost your SEO in several ways. First, as discussed, your social posts themselves can rank on Google – which is an SEO win, since it’s another search result controlled by you. Second, social profiles often have high domain authority (e.g. Twitter, Facebook domains), so your profiles tend to rank high for brand-name searches, effectively owning more of the first page of Google for your business. Third, social media helps content get discovered and indexed faster. Even Google acknowledges this: the Google SEO Starter Guide suggests that promoting your content via social media can lead to faster discovery by search engines. For example, if you publish a new blog post on your site and share the link on Twitter or LinkedIn, Google’s bots might find and index your new page more quickly via those links. Finally, having your social posts on your Google Business Profile provides fresh content and keywords associated with your business. SEO experts note that these social posts are “an additional SEO signal” on your profile – the content of your posts (captions, product names, etc.) can include relevant search terms, potentially helping your business rank for those terms in local search. In other words, a Facebook post about your “holiday sale on blue widgets” could help your business listing appear for people searching “blue widgets sale [Your Town]”. This integration “overall increases your Google search visibility and rankings,” one marketing strategist.
It’s important to note that social media isn’t a magic SEO button – you still need a solid website and other good SEO practices. But it does play a supportive role. Think of social media as feeding Google a steady stream of context about your business (who you are, what you offer, what’s new), which complements your website and other signals. By engaging in social media, you create more content and touchpoints that can ultimately drive people to find you on search and convert into customers.
Conclusion: Integrating Social into Your Search Strategy
Social media and Google search are no longer separate silos – they are now deeply interconnected in the way customers discover and evaluate businesses. For many industries, the funnel might look like this: a user searches on Google, finds your business (and perhaps sees an enticing Instagram post or two right in the Google listing), then clicks through to learn more, possibly ends up on your social page or website, and finally makes a decision to contact or visit you. Each step of that journey is influenced by the content you’ve put out there.
From the perspective of our agency, we’ve seen firsthand how a strong social media presence can amplify overall online success. Businesses that actively post and engage on social media tend to have livelier Google profiles, better customer reviews (because they engage with their community), and more robust branding – all of which contribute to winning more customers. It’s a virtuous cycle: social activity leads to more visibility on search, and being easily found on search leads to more social followers and engagement. By integrating your social media strategy with your SEO and local search strategy, you ensure you’re meeting your customers where they are looking – whether that’s on a Facebook feed or a Google results page.
In a conversational sense: if you’re a small business owner reading this, our advice is simple. Don’t think of social media as optional or “just for the kids.” It’s now a core part of your online presence that even influences your Google rankings and how professional you appear. Post regularly on the platforms where your customers hang out, and link those profiles to your Google Business Profile. Encourage happy customers to tag you or leave reviews on social sites. Stay active and responsive. Not only will you build a community and brand loyalty, but you’ll also be feeding Google plenty of fresh, relevant content about your business. And when someone searches for what you offer, you’ll be in a prime position – with a complete, dynamic Google listing and multiple content pieces working to your advantage.
In summary, social media is important in 2025 not just for the “social” aspects, but for its ripple effects across search and credibility. It’s a one-two punch: engaging content and conversations on social platforms, backed by increased discoverability and trust on Google. By embracing this synergy, you’re setting your business up to shine in the places where customers are looking for you. And if you need help crafting that strategy or creating content that resonates, that’s where we (as an agency) are ready to assist – ensuring your social media efforts fuel your growth both on social networks and on Google search results.
Sources:
Google’s integration of social media posts into Business Profiles
We Are Social Media (WeRSM) – Instagram content becoming searchable on Google
Glossy – Google indexing Instagram content & social search trends
Ethan Lazuk – Analysis of social media content in Google search
Google Business Profile Help – Social media links and posts feature
SOCi Local SEO Stats – “Near me” search statistics & local search
Business.com – Importance of social media for small business (expert quotes and data)
Runner Agency – Google showing social posts as additional SEO signals
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