Everything You Need to Know About TikTok SEO
Where do you go when you need quick recipes, product reviews, entertainment news, or basic lifestyle hacks? If you’re like most people, you probably head to Google or TikTok.
While initially a fun short-video-sharing app, TikTok has evolved into one of the most popular search engines. Google itself confirmed that TikTok is giving Search and Maps a run for their money, as it’s quickly becoming the preferred source of information, especially for younger generations.
While this may pose trouble for Google, it creates an opportunity for you to boost your visibility. If you optimize your TikTok content for search, you might increase your account’s reach, enhance brand awareness, and boost engagement.
How do you optimize your content for search? This guide provides a blueprint. We dive into what TikTok SEO means, why it matters, and how you can leverage it to grow on the platform.
What Is TikTok SEO?
TikTok SEO is the process of optimizing content to improve discoverability in TikTok search results and users’ For You feeds. The goal is to make your videos or images rank at the top when TikTok users search for hashtags or keywords related to your content.
With 62% of users in the 18 to 24 age demographic preferring to use TikTok as their search tool, SEO may be exactly what you need to get your name out there — the higher you rank, the greater your visibility and brand awareness.
TikTok SEO Vs. Traditional SEO?
Is TikTok SEO similar to Google (or other search engines’) SEO? Yes and No. Both forms of SEO share the same goal: to help your content rank among the top results in search. But that’s as far as their similarities go.
TikTok and Google SEO differ in terms of content focus and ranking factors. In TikTok SEO, the focus is on short-form videos. Further, the algorithm prioritizes user interactions and video details when ranking content. So, you need to optimize your videos to encourage organic engagement.
Traditional SEO, on the other hand, focuses on text-based content (such as blog posts and product pages) and on your website as a whole. Search engines like Google assess your site’s structure, your content’s authority, the quality of your backlinks, and the user experience when ranking your pages. The easier your site is to navigate and the more authoritative your content, the higher you rank in search results.
Benefits of TikTok SEO
TikTok SEO can seem like a lot of work, especially if you’re new to the concept. Is it worth it? Without a doubt. Here’s why:
- Better categorization: Including SEO factors, such as keywords, makes it easier for the TikTok algorithm to understand and categorize your content.
- Increased discoverability: Optimized content ranks high in search results and shows up more in users’ For You Pages (FYPs). This gets more eyes on your content and account in general.
- Adaptation to new user behavior: SEO helps individuals who use TikTok as their primary search engine to find relevant information.
- Dual-platform reach: The beauty of optimizing TikTok content is that it doesn’t just rank higher on the platform; optimization also helps videos appear in related Google Search results, enabling you to reach an even wider audience.
- Organic growth: The more your videos appear in search results and FYPs, the more likely users are to visit your page and follow your account.
Factors That Impact TikTok Content Visibility
As with many social media platforms’ systems, the TikTok algorithm analyzes various factors when ranking and pushing videos in search results and FYPs. Luckily, TikTok is pretty open about what it considers. Its main ranking factors are:
Interactions
Engagement is a top consideration for the TikTok algorithm. The more likes, comments, shares, reposts, and saves your videos receive, the more likely they are to appear on FYPs and rank higher in search results.
The algorithm also considers whether users watch your videos to completion and whether they rewatch them. If it’s a yes to both, TikTok automatically pushes your content to a broader audience.
Video Details
Video information also determines your ranking and which audiences’ FYPs you appear on. TikTok analyzes your sound, hashtags, captions, and music choices for relevance to users’ searches and interests. If they align, the algorithm shows your content more frequently.
Device and Account Settings
TikTok invites users to select their language preferences, content interests, and countries when setting up their accounts. It then uses this information to tailor their content. For example, a user who chooses fashion content will see many fashion videos in their FYP. Similarly, a Canadian user may see a lot of Canadian content on their FYP. However, this isn’t set in stone.
While device and account settings do play a part in video rankings and discoverability, they don’t carry as much weight as user interactions and video details. This is good news for creators, as you have control over interactions and video information.
Does Follower Count Impact Visibility?
Contrary to popular belief, the answer is no. While a large TikTok following is great for your brand, it doesn’t impact TikTok’s SEO ranking algorithm.
It doesn’t matter whether you have a few hundred or thousands of followers; you have the same chance of going viral as accounts with hundreds of thousands or millions of followers. Of course, you have to create content that resonates with your target audience and provide details that help the TikTok algorithm categorize and recommend your videos.
TikTok SEO Tips
Now that you know what matters the most to TikTok’s SEO algorithm, how do you position your content (and account) to rank high in search results and FYP recommendations? Here are some tips that’ll help:
Understand Your Audience
The key to succeeding on TikTok is to create content with your target audience in mind. So, start by understanding them. What are their interests? What kinds of videos do they interact with? Do their comments and messages reveal what they like?
Understanding your audience’s interests and preferred content types can help you create better videos. It can also help you come up with attention-grabbing video captions, titles, and hashtags.
Conduct Keyword Research
Keywords are just as important in TikTok SEO as in traditional SEO. So, don’t overlook them. Find out what terms and phrases your target audience uses when searching for content related to your niche and incorporate them into your videos and descriptions.
To get started, identify your core offering. Are you into health and beauty? Gaming? Fashion? Food?
Once you determine your core offering, use SEO tools like SEMrush and Ahrefs to identify the most popular keywords in your niche.
Alternatively, you can use TikTok’s search tool for ideas. To do this, tap the search icon and enter your core offering into the search bar. For example, if you’re a health and beauty content creator, enter “health and beauty.” TikTok will give you a list of auto-populated results. These results are based on users’ searches, so they’re a great starting point if you don’t yet understand your audience.
When you identify suitable keywords, use them in your content, captions, titles, video descriptions, and on-screen texts.
Optimize Your Content
Your content directly impacts engagement and video completion. This makes it one of your most valuable TikTok SEO tools.
You can optimize it for better ranking and a broader reach by doing the following:
- Create high-quality videos: Make sure all visuals and audio are clear.
- Stick to a niche: Find an area you’re good at or that your target audience finds interesting and create videos around it. For example, if you’re targeting an audience that enjoys food content, you can record cooking videos, share recipes, recommend restaurants, or rate different cooking appliances.
- Offer value: Ensure every video benefits your target audience in some way. You can offer tips, provide solutions to pain points, give tutorials, share interesting facts, or even entertain users with interesting stories.
- Keep your videos short: Modern audiences prefer short videos to lengthy content — this is one of the main reasons why TikTok is so popular today. So, stay concise. This isn’t to say that you shouldn’t record 10-minute videos; you can, but only if you must do so to offer true value. If not, cut your recordings by removing all filler and unnecessary information.
Optimize Your Profile
While your profile may not have as strong an influence on your ranking as your content, it can still impact your visibility. An optimized profile helps algorithms categorize your content, which could lead to more recommendations in search results (both TikTok’s and traditional search engines’) and FYPs.
To optimize your profile, choose a clear username that hints at your content type. Also, include relevant keywords in your bio.
Join Popular Challenges
The TikTok algorithm loves trending content. So, this is an excellent strategy for getting your videos on more FYPs.
Challenges also capture the interest of many users, with some actively participating and many searching for videos using relevant hashtags. If you join them, your account could gain instant exposure, increasing your engagement and following.
Of course, not all challenges will help your SEO efforts. For optimal results:
- Focus on challenges that align with your brand. For example, if you’re in the beauty space, you can participate in makeup challenges.
- Join in when challenges are popular enough to catch attention but not so much that they’re oversaturated.
- Interact with the comments under your videos to attract even more engagement.
Work With Other Creators
This strategy not only exposes your content to other creators’ audiences but also invites more interactions. More engagement equals positive signals to the TikTok algorithm, which could enhance your SEO efforts.
You can work with other creators by creating content together or stitching and dueting their videos. Alternatively, you can follow them and comment regularly on their videos. This makes them more likely to engage with your content as well.
Leverage Other Platforms
This is another great way to drive interactions to your TikTok content. Include your videos on other platforms and encourage your audience to engage with you on TikTok. For example, you can embed relevant TikTok videos in your blog to drive website traffic to your account.
Test and Improve
The truth is, you may not get the results you’re after on your first try. But don’t worry, it happens to many creators.
The key to improving your visibility on TikTok (or any other platform) is to track your performance, identify what works, and double down on it. If you find that certain keywords drive the most engagement, incorporate them more frequently into your content. Similarly, if a specific type of video resonates the most with your audience, create more of that type.
Post Consistently
The more posts you make, the more likely the TikTok algorithm is to show your content to new users. Further, with more posts, you can try different strategies to see which ones increase your visibility.
To promote consistency on TikTok, leverage tools like GeeLark. GeeLark is a platform that offers anti-detect browsers and cloud phones to help you create and isolate multiple social media accounts. On top of that, it provides automation templates that streamline consistent posting across all your accounts.
To leverage GeeLark for your TikTok SEO efforts:
- Sign up for an account.
- Set up cloud phone profiles (one for each TikTok account). To do this, log in to your GeeLark dashboard, go to New profile, and complete all required fields.
- Head to Applications and download the TikTok app.
- Install the app and log in to your accounts.
- Click on Automation to open the GeeLark Marketplace.
- Search for the TikTok video posting template.
- Add your cloud phone profiles.
- Upload your videos and relevant details (like video titles and preferred sounds) to GeeLark.
- Schedule your content and tap Confirm publication.
GeeLark will handle it from there, so you can focus on monitoring the performance of different strategies.
Mistakes That Could Affect TikTok SEO Efforts
You might do everything right, but still not register the results you want if you:
- Stuff keywords: Cliche as it may sound, too much of a good thing is bad. While incorporating keywords into your videos, hashtags, and profile can be great for your TikTok SEO, it can backfire if you overdo it. For optimal results, focus more on quality than quantity. Use a few relevant keywords in your content to make it easier for the algorithm to categorize and recommend your videos.
- Focus on too many topics: Posting on anything and everything makes it harder for the algorithm to categorize your content. To avoid this, find your niche and focus on it.
- Don’t engage: Failing to engage your audience reduces their willingness to interact with future content. So, don’t just post and log out; invite more interactions by responding to comments and engaging with other creators’ content.
Improve Your Visibility With TikTok SEO
The value of TikTok SEO can’t be overstated. It increases your chances of ranking high in search results and pushes your content to more users’ FYPs, potentially improving your visibility on TikTok.
To boost your reach, create content that resonates with your audience, regularly use relevant keywords, engage with other creators, join trending challenges, and post consistently. Also, test different strategies and monitor your analytics to see which ones boost your visibility.
If you manage multiple TikTok accounts, GeeLark can help. The platform allows you to automate content posting at scale (across all your accounts), making it easier to maintain consistency as well as collect valuable data on what works.
