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Before you fix it: what this check means
Scavo looks for links to recognised social and community websites in the page HTML. It cannot confirm that you own those accounts or that every link leads to a profile. Scavo scans anchor links in page HTML and matches known social hosts (for example `linkedin.com`, `x.com`, `github.com`, `youtube.com`, `instagram.com`, `threads.net`, `bsky.app`, and others).
Why this matters in practice: a useful link preview tells people what they will find before they open the page.
Use this as evidence, not a final verdict. Social platforms may keep an older preview for a while after you change the page. Check the live site first. Open the published page and ask your developer to inspect the reported request or setting Make one controlled change. Put social links in one shared partial included across public templates. Re-scan the same URL and compare the finding; check the feature yourself as well.
Background sources
TL;DR: Your site doesn't link to your social media profiles, missing an opportunity for cross-platform discovery and schema signals.
Social profile links serve two purposes: they help visitors find and follow you across platforms, and they provide structured data signals that search engines use in knowledge panels. Google uses sameAs schema markup (which references your social profiles) to verify entity identity. Missing social links means lost followers, weaker brand entity signals, and a less connected online presence.
What Scavo checks (quick version)
Scavo scans anchor links in page HTML and matches known social hosts (for example linkedin.com, x.com, github.com, youtube.com, instagram.com, threads.net, bsky.app, and others).
How Scavo scores this check
Result behavior:
- Pass: 3+ supported platforms found
- Pass: 2 supported platforms found (with recommendation to expand)
- Info: 1 platform found
- Info: 0 platforms found
This check does not fail by design; it measures visibility/completeness rather than a hard compliance break.
In your scan report, this appears under What failed / What needs attention / What is working for social_links, followed by Recommended next steps and Technical evidence (for developers) when needed.
- Scan key:
social_links - Category:
SOCIAL
Why fixing this matters
Visitors, journalists, prospects, and partners often verify authenticity by checking linked social profiles. Missing or inconsistent links increase trust friction, especially for first-time buyers.
For SEO/knowledge graph hygiene, consistent profile linking also supports clearer entity association when combined with structured data (sameAs).
Common reasons this check returns info
- Social icons exist only in JS widgets that are not present in raw HTML.
- Footer template differs across sections and some pages omit profile links.
- Only one platform is linked even though brand is active on multiple channels.
- Links use redirectors or unsupported host variants.
If you are not technical
- List your official active social profiles (not dormant placeholders).
- Decide which profiles should be globally visible in footer/header.
- Ask for consistency across all key page templates.
- Re-scan and confirm platform count increased.
Technical handoff message
Copy and share this with your developer.
Scavo returned Social Media Links info (social_links). Please add/normalize official social profile links in shared templates (footer/header), ensure links render in HTML, and keep only actively maintained channels.If you are technical
- Put social links in one shared partial included across public templates.
- Use direct profile URLs (avoid tracking redirect hops where possible).
- Keep accessible link labels for screen readers.
- Optionally mirror the same profile URLs in Organization
sameAsJSON-LD. - Add a regression test that checks required profile links are present in rendered HTML.
How to verify
- Inspect source and confirm official profile URLs are present in
<a href>values. - Check links resolve to your real brand profiles.
- Verify links appear on home, pricing, blog, help, and legal templates.
- Re-run Scavo and confirm platform count improves.
What this scan cannot confirm
- It does not verify account ownership authenticity beyond URL pattern matching.
- It does not evaluate follower quality or posting consistency.
- It does not detect platforms outside the current known-domain list.
Owner checklist
- [ ] Assign owner for official social profile inventory.
- [ ] Keep one shared template/partial for social links.
- [ ] Remove dead or rebranded profile URLs quickly.
- [ ] Recheck links after brand/domain migrations.
FAQ
Should we link every platform we have ever created?
No. Link active, maintained profiles that support trust and buyer journey.
Is one social link enough?
Technically yes, but two to three credible profiles usually provide stronger trust signals.
Do social links affect rankings directly?
This check is mainly about trust/discoverability. It is best treated as a brand hygiene signal.
Should links open in a new tab?
Usually yes for external profiles, with safe rel attributes (noopener, optionally noreferrer) depending on your policy.
Sources
Want a clean "official profiles" policy with required channels by market? Send support your channel list and target templates.
