Does Social Media Help To Increase Your Website’s Rank?

You might think that SEO (Search Engine Optimization) and social media are playing in different leagues. One seems technical and data-driven, while the other feels conversational and visual. However, social networking can potentially have a significant impact on your search engine ranking.

While Google has stated that social signals (likes, shares, tweets) are not direct ranking factors, the indirect benefits are undeniable. For healthcare facilities, where trust and authority are paramount, a strong social strategy creates a ripple effect that boosts your digital standing.

Here is how your healthcare facility can benefit from integrating a robust social media presence with your SEO strategy.

1. Sharing in Social Media Increases Visibility

Great content implies value, but content that is hidden has no value to your SEO. When you publish a medical article, a new treatment update, or a health tip on your website and share it on platforms like LinkedIn, Facebook, or X (formerly Twitter), you are widening your net.

• The SEO Connection: When your content is shared widely, it increases the likelihood that other content creators or medical professionals will see it and link to it from their own websites.

• Why it matters: In the eyes of search engines, backlinks (links from other sites to yours) are vote of confidence. The more high-quality backlinks you earn through social visibility, the higher your website will rank.

2. Social Media Encourages Interaction

Healthcare is an inherently personal industry. Social media provides a platform for two-way communication that a static website cannot match.

By engaging with patients—answering general wellness questions, responding to reviews, or discussing community health events—you build brand loyalty. High engagement rates on social posts signal to algorithms that your content is relevant and interesting. While this engagement happens off-site, it builds the brand authority that Google looks for when ranking medical websites (often referred to as E-E-A-T: Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness).

3. Social Media Drives Traffic to Your Site

One of the most direct benefits of social media is traffic generation. Every post you create is an opportunity to invite a patient to your website.

When a user clicks a link in your bio to book an appointment, or swipes up to read a blog post about “Flu Prevention Tips,” you are driving organic traffic to your site.

• User Behavior Signals: If these users stay on your site to read the full article or explore your services, it reduces your “bounce rate” and increases “time on page.” Search engines interpret these behaviors as signs that your website is high-quality and helpful, which can improve your rankings over time.

4. Social Media is the Modern Search Engine

It is crucial to realize that search behaviors are changing. For many patients—especially younger demographics—social media is the search engine.

Patients often search Instagram for “dermatologist results” or look up healthcare providers on Facebook to read community sentiments before they ever type a URL into Google. If your healthcare facility is optimized on social media (using relevant keywords in your bio, captions, and hashtags), you capture an audience that is actively looking for care.

5. Your Local SEO Will Improve

For healthcare facilities, Local SEO is the holy grail. You want to appear when a patient types “Urgent Care near me.” Social media plays a massive role here.

• NAP Consistency: Your social profiles reinforce your Name, Address, and Phone number (NAP) across the web.

• Reviews: Reviews on your Facebook Business page can appear in search results.

• Geotagging: When patients “check in” to your clinic on social media, it validates your location and prominence to search engines.

Social media can be a powerful tool for any healthcare professional looking to implement better SEO practices.

While a Facebook “like” won’t magically push you to the #1 spot on Google overnight, the ecosystem you create matters. Social media and SEO are clearly linked; therefore, improving your social media presence can boost the amount of patients who look for your services or treatments, ultimately driving the metrics that search engines care about most.