Search engine optimization has not been dependent on a minimal number of factors for a long time now, such as number of times a keyword appeared on a page, and it continues to become a more complex web of on and off-page factors every month. One of the more recent factors that has had an impact on search ranking is social media.
This infographic breaks down ways that social media influences the visibility of your website in search results, including:
Social media can help search engines find and index your content faster Likes, shares, retweets, etc. indicates to search engine that content is new and interesting, often leading to a temporary increase in rankingsYour content will increase in search results for people connected to youIncreases domain authority and the number of inbound links to your website
Via Lauren Moss, roberto toppi
SEO and Social Media why it works and how it helps your ranking. Excellent infograpic.
This infographic is a great way to depict many of the articles I've previously pointed out that cover SEO and social media. It is almost easier to explain the relationship in an image format, especially for those who don't have a background in SEO.
There are many other factors that go into how much social media truly affects SEO, so there is more to be explained after this. But this is a great introductory image. It also emphasizes the speed with which social media makes an impact.