There seems to be this big debate over whether companies should be concentrating their marketing energy and resources on social media or good old fashioned organic search. This is a silly argument, because it assumes it is an either/or situation. Any marketer worth their salt will take the time to research the topic rather than just jump on a bandwagon. Think about it. We still have a decent sized section of the population that still uses the yellow pages. They are not going to skip Google and go straight to social media.
Google is the common denominator for everyone. Tech newbies all the way to veterans all use Google. Organic search marketing is still vital in today’s marketing world. People need to be able to find your company organically, because that is where they do cold searches first. Despite the surge of Twitter and Facebook, the front page of Google is still very important to your online presence.
This is not to put down social media. Services like Twitter can create a buzz for your company. So can Facebook and LinkedIn. Again, it must be done right and with your audience in mind. If your customer base happens to be ironic with how they approach the social media, putting a cheesy, earnest call to action is a mistake. However, being real and funny is more likely to attract people to your brand.
The title of this post is a misnomer. There really should not be a Google vs. Social Media mentality. It is not one or the other. It is one and the other. The sooner internet marketers do this, the better for their clients. Companies need to be seen in organic search in order to be found in the first place. Being found in social media creates a buzz around the brand.