This is a question that often comes up on our SEO training courses. The short answer is no. Google has repeatedly confirmed that social media likes, shares and follower counts are not used as direct ranking factors in its search algorithm.
However, social media can still play an important role in SEO. A popular post can increase brand awareness, drive visitors to your website and help your content attract natural backlinks. These indirect benefits can improve your search visibility, even though the likes themselves do not influence rankings.
In the video below, John Mueller explains Google's position on social signals and search rankings.