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I know when placed after a verb it means "seems like" or "looks like", but
what I want to know is what the そう in

> そう です か

means. I know そう です か means "Is that so?" but I've seen そう used with other
words and I'm not sure what exactly it means. Does it even have a meaning on
its own or is its meaning affected by the characters that follow it?

I know this might seem like a translation question but whenever I tried to
search for an answer online I was only really able to find answers relating to
how to use Sou when attached to verbs.
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translation meaning definitions
The meaning of そう
The word "そう" can be meant in different ways.

One of which is as you mentioned is correct.

> そう です か ---> "Is that so?"

Another example:

> A: あの象は大きいと思う。
>
> B: **そう** ですか。。。
>
> A: **そう** 。 いつも **そう** 思ってるよ。

When you say **そう** stand-alone, it means that you agree with what a person
just said or did. This is also commonly used in verbal instructions, wherein a
sensei says he notices that you have received his instruction very well, say
in martial arts or Ikebana.

When you say **そう** as in the last sentence, the speaker is simply bringing up
the original topic again. in this case how "big the elephant is".

Hope this makes sense.
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This 'そう' is an adverb which is similar to English 'so', or 'like that'.

  * そう思う。 (I) think so.
  * そうする、 (I'll) do so.
  * そう大きくはない。 (It's) not that big.

And you can use 'そう' by itself to mean many things, depending on the context
and the intonation:

  * そう。 That's it. Yes. Exactly. Good.
  * そう？ Is that so? Really? Are you sure?
  * そう。 Oh. Okay. Uh-huh. (not very interested)
  * そう、あれは10年前… Well, that was 10 years ago ... (used to recall something old)

'そう' that comes after a verb (e.g しそう, 思いそう) is an auxiliary verb, and it's
etymologically different. One online dictionary has two entries for the
[adverb
そう](http://dictionary.goo.ne.jp/leaf/jn2/127918/m0u/%E3%81%9D%E3%81%86/) and
the [auxiliary verb そう](http://dictionary.goo.ne.jp/leaf/jn2/129024/m0u/).
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answer
It might also help to see that そう is part of a "KSAD" set:

こう - そう - ああ - どう Meaning: like this - like that ("close to you") - like that
("far away") - like what?

This is just like:

ここ - そこ - あそこ - どこ Meaning: here - there ("close to you") - there ("far away")
- where?

In these "KSAD" sets of meanings, English usually does not have words which
neatly distinguish between the S and A words, but in this case the association
between "S" and the person addressed explains why そう can just mean "You're
right."

Footnote: I made up the "KSAD" term myself, but apparently in Japanese these
are referred to with the term 「こそあど」.
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