Linking social profiles from your store: where and why
Links to your social profiles let shoppers check you are real and help search engines connect them to your brand. See where to place them.
2 min read
Area
Store discovery
Severity
Low
Fix effort
Small
Stores failing
9%
Of 35 stores we scanned where this check applies, 9% fail it and 89% pass. See all benchmarks.
Linking your store to its social profiles gives shoppers a way to check that real people run the business, and gives search engines a way to connect the profiles with your brand. This check looks for links to social profiles on the home page, usually in the footer.
Why it matters
Shoppers who are unsure about a new store often look it up on Instagram or Facebook. Recent posts and comments are proof of life. A store with no links makes them search, and some will not bother.
What the audit looks at
The audit looks for links from the home page to common social platforms and checks that they point to a profile and not only to the platform home page.
What usually causes it
- Theme icons left with placeholder links to the platform home page
- Profiles that exist but were never linked
- Links only in a pop-up or a page few visitors reach
- Old profiles after a rebrand
How to fix it
Link your main social profiles from the header or footer. The effort is small, usually a setting or a paste and under 30 minutes.
- Add icon links to the profiles you actively use (Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, YouTube) in the footer.
On Shopify
- Online Store > Themes > Customize > Theme settings > Social media: paste each profile address; the theme shows the icons in the footer.
On WooCommerce
- Add a social-links block or menu to the footer widget area, or use your theme's social settings.
How to check it yourself
- Click each social icon on your home page and confirm it opens your actual profile.
- Check that the profile has recent activity.
- Ensure the links open in a new tab so the shopper does not lose the store.
Frequently asked questions
Do social links help SEO?
Not as a ranking factor on their own. They help search engines associate your brand with the profiles, and they help shoppers trust you.
What if I am not active on social media?
Link only profiles that are alive. An abandoned profile is worse than none.
Related checks
Check your own store
See whether your store passes this check
Paste your store URL. The audit loads your pages in a real browser and shows the result for this check with the evidence behind it.