Does Google use data from social sites in ranking?

Matt Cutts from Google answers the question:  “Does Google use data from social sites in ranking?”

1. Yes.  Google uses Twitter and Facebook links when ranking.
2. But.  They also look at the ‘reputation’ of the author or creator on Twitter and Facebook.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ofhwPC-5Ub4[/youtube]

More information for your hyper analytical side:

What social signals do Google and Bing really count?

200+ Factors Google takes into consideration when ranking your website

Next Steps

Optimizing your site for search engines is as much of a science as it is an art.  As I look through our training schedule for the next few quarters, expect to see a couple of new seminar “Search Engine Optimization for Small Business Owners” and “Local Search 101.”  What are your thoughts?