Social media optimization (SMO) was originally designed to drive traffic from social media sites such as bookmarking sites and social networks. However, SMO is now significantly more important and not simply because social networking has grown but because SMO also improves SEO performance. Good SMO will drive traffic from both direct social site referrals and from search engines. Promote a seven step model Real SMO, which is: • Reputation - build your reputation as a reliable qualified source • Engagement - encourage more engagement, sharing & reciprocate • Authority - become a notable authority in your field of expertise • Leadership - harness originality & creativity, be a Thought Leader • Social - be social, find and engage sociable experts in your field • Media - know your social media platforms to maximize influence • Optimization - improve technical aspects to increase optimization