Here’s a little secret about TikTok fame and fortune: pumping out hilariously addictive video clips is only half the battle. To get your content in front of a big audience, grow your follower count, and mayhaps even go viral (?), you need to understand TikTok SEO.
“Wait, like the search engine optimization I use to get my website on the front page of a Google search?” you ask.
Yep, that SEO. Well, there are a few key differences, which we’ll explain in this guide.
There’s much to cover, so let’s dig in and start boosting those TikTok stats!
Contents
What is TikTok SEO?
TikTok SEO is the practice of optimizing your content, account, and posts so they become more visible and discoverable on TikTok. In theory, it’s similar to any other form of optimization when the goal is to help your content surface more often when people search for relevant search terms.
If you sell travel trailers, you want your content to end up in TikTok’s search results for that term.
In practice, TikTok SEO differs from SEO on Google because content discovery on TikTok differs from content discovery on Google. In fact, it’s way more interesting!
? Free guide >> 10 Tangible & Free Ways to Get on the First Page of Google
How does content discovery happen on TikTok?
To understand how TikTok SEO works (and how to make it work for you!), you need to understand the three ways people discover new content on the platform.
The FYP page
The For You Page is the secret sauce of new content discovery on TikTok. When anyone opens the app, they see a full-screen video they haven’t seen before. The content updates for every new session and is unique to every user.
The FYP is where people can randomly discover your brand on TikTok.
The TikTok algorithm decides which videos to show on each FYP. Since TikTok wants to keep you on the app longer, the algorithm will show content it thinks you’ll like based on your prior behavior.
This is the main difference between TikTok SEO and Google SEO. TikTok promotes passive discovery, prioritizing each user’s behavior to guide it. Google focuses on active discovery since you have to tell it what you want before it shows you anything. That makes your current behavior (the words you type into the search bar) paramount on Google.
Okay, there is some personalization in Google results, but it’s not nearly as big a factor there as it is in the FYP.
TikTok search
Here’s where TikTok SEO and Google SEO start to overlap (and even compete). At the top of the TikTok screen, there’s a search bar where you can type in a query, just like you would with a traditional search engine. There’s even an auto-suggest function that’ll fill in popular keywords once you start typing.
TikTok has a search function that works much like Google’s
For the search function, the TikTok algorithm works a lot like Google’s. It looks for content that matches the keyword you’ve typed in. Only on TikTok, there are a few different ways you can use keywords to your advantage. We’ll get to those in a bit.
Once you’ve entered your query, you get a page like this, with a scrollable list of videos to choose from.
If you use keywords effectively, people will find your videos when they search for relevant terms.
Notice something else along the top of the page? You can search for content in several ways, like by hashtag, location, and even sound. That’ll be important when we get into how to use TikTok SEO to rank your content.
? Use the Free Keyword Tool to find popular keywords you can use to rank on Google and TikTok
Google Search
Here’s where the two SEO worlds really collide. TikTok content is showing up in some Google search results.
Look at that! TikTok videos competing with Google’s own YouTube content in search results.
What does that mean? Your TikTok SEO strategy must align with your search engine SEO strategy to maximize your content’s visibility.
Why does TikTok SEO matter?
TikTok has over 1 billion(!) monthly active users. Even better, younger shoppers (the ones with rapidly increasing buying power) are turning to TikTok over Google to find new brands and products. A successful TikTok SEO strategy will get you in front of this huge and energetic group of buyers.
TikTok is transforming into a search engine
TikTok is still a discovery platform that helps users stumble on creators they’ve never heard of. But as we mentioned, it’s also growing into a search platform where people go to find their next pair of comfy boots or even business insurance.
TikTok is evolving into a search platform where people learn about a wide range of products and services.
Once you’ve optimized your TikTok content, those people will learn that you’re the solution to what they’re searching for.
You can diversify your non-paid traffic
Google traffic has been a bit wonky lately, to say the least. And with AI Overviews now answering users’ questions, we may see even fewer clicks from that search engine.
TikTok’s growing user base and its search engine features make it a viable way to generate unpaid traffic to fill some of the Google gap.
TikTok SEO has a lower barrier to entry than Google SEO
It’s really hard for a new brand to show up on Google results pages for highly searched terms. That’s because Google gives more weight to websites with a high domain authority (something the recent Google algorithm document leak seemed to confirm).
On TikTok, however, past performance doesn’t heavily influence content ranking. So, a brand can appear on TikTok FYPs and search results shortly after posting its first videos. If, of course, the brand uses a smart TikTok SEO strategy.
What are the TikTok SEO ranking factors?
TikTok’s algorithm analyzes thousands of ranking signals to decide which posts to place on your FYP and search results. We don’t know them all, but the good folks at TikTok did publish a document that lists some of the most important ones.
User interactions
TikTok personalizes your results based on how you’ve interacted with content previously. This helps ensure you see the most helpful videos (and keeps you on the platform longer).
Here are a few actions that influence TikTok’s decision:
- Watching full videos
- Following or hiding accounts
- Liking or sharing videos
- Commenting
- Reporting a video as inappropriate
- Adding videos to favorites
It all starts when you first open the app and tell TikTok what interests you.
Additionally, if other people who share your interests interact with a video, it’ll be more likely to appear in your feed.
Video information
These TikTok ranking factors are really important because they’re the ones you can most directly affect. They include things like:
- Hashtags
- Sounds
- Captions
When these things in your posts match a search query (and a user’s activities), your content will appear on their screens.
Device and settings
How your device and TikTok account are set up will influence the content you see on the platform.
A few examples of device and settings ranking factors include:
- Language settings
- Country settings
- Device type
These make sense since content in an unfamiliar language isn’t going to keep you watching.
TikTok algorithm weighting factor
Like most algorithms, TikTok weights some ranking factors more heavily. The idea is to focus more on factors that more directly predict which content will keep users watching.
The takeaway is that your efforts should be on the factors that make your content easier for an algorithm to understand (like adding the right hashtags) and those that keep viewers clicking and liking your posts.
5 ways to improve your TikTok SEO
Now that you know how TikTok SEO works, let’s get more of your content in front of more people with these TikTok SEO tips.
1. Find and use keywords
One of a search engine’s most basic jobs is matching content to search queries. On TikTok, that means when someone types “beach hats” into the search bar, TikTok will first look for videos associated with that keyword.
To appear in these search results, you’ll need to find the right keywords and use them correctly.
There are two easy ways to research keywords on TikTok. First, type a word relevant to your brand in the search bar and see what TikTok auto-fills.
TikTok’s autofill in the search bar makes keyword research easy.
Second, TikTok’s Keyword Insights tool will show you a list of related keywords.
TikTok has a tool to help you find keywords.
With a list of keywords in hand, it’s time to place them strategically. There are several places to do that:
- Captions: Use keywords organically and naturally (meaning, don’t cram them in if they don’t make sense) in the captions you write.
- Text in video: You can and should include text for people to read in your videos, and there’s some evidence that the algorithm understands keywords in your video text.
- Speech in video: Say your keywords while filming your videos (but again, make sure it’s organic and not forced).
- Hashtags: We’ll show you how to find great hashtags in the next section.
- Bio: Add your most important keywords to your TikTok bio.
- Thumbnail text: TikTok understands the text in your thumbnails, so make sure they include your focus keyword.
2. Go big on hashtags
Hashtags group content by topic on TikTok so users can find what’s trending quickly. They’re also another directional sign that helps TikTok’s algorithm match content to each user and search query.
Just like keywords, your two jobs here are to find the best hashtags and use them in a way that helps users and algorithms find your content.
Like keywords, one easy way to find hashtags is to type a root word into the search bar. Only this time, complete the search, then tap “Hashtags” at the top.
TikTok graciously gives you a list of related hashtags.
You can also do a little competitive research and see which hashtags others in your space use.
And finally, once again, TikTok has a tool to help you find hashtags in its Creative Center.
Just like keywords, you can find active hashtags in TikTok’s tools.
To use your trove of hashtags, just add them to your captions. Here are a few tips to nail that:
- Use a mix of broad (#FYP; #trending), relevant (#travelwithdogs, #bestpizza), trending (#stpatricksday, #Olympics), and branded (#nike, #youringoodhands) hashtags.
- Use three to six hashtags on most posts.
- Stick to hashtags that are relevant to your business.
Use a good mix of different types of hashtags.
Remember to include a #[topic]tok hashtag if there’s a relevant one (like #farmtok, #booktok, or #movietok).
3. Use trending sounds
Believe it or not, the sounds you hear while watching TikTok act like hashtags and keywords. When you listen to a few videos with the same catchy beat or funny voiceover, TikTok tends to serve more that use the same sounds.
Plus, you can search for content by their common sounds, just like with hashtags.
You can attract a lot of video views with the right sound.
We’ll go back to TikTok’s Creative Center to see which sounds are trending.
Look at other accounts in your industry to see which songs best fit the content. To catch their wave, try a few sounds that aren’t yet trending but show early signs of doing so.
4. Post at the right frequency and time
When and how often you post aren’t direct ranking factors. But both can help your TikTok SEO tangentially.
When you post more often, you simply have more chances to go viral. The exact posting frequency is up for debate. TikTok says to post multiple times per day, while other studies say a couple of times per week is enough.
The real answer is to post as often as you can while still sharing valuable content people want to watch. Remember that video completion is a direct ranking factor, so posting more stuff people won’t watch all the way through will hurt more than help.
TikTok also doesn’t directly care when you post your content. But if you get it in front of your audience when they’re most likely looking at the app, it’ll give your videos a little engagement boost, which may make them more likely to land on the FYP of new potential followers.
Luckily, your TikTok analytics tells you when your followers are flipping through the app.
Your TikTok analytics dashboard tells you when followers are active.
5. Drive engagement
Likes, comments, and shares are the real deal ranking factors. You can’t make people take these actions (thankfully), but you can sure encourage them to do so. Here are a few ways to get more engagement on your TikTok posts for SEO success.
It starts with a great hook to halt those scrolling thumbs. Use a thumbnail and some text that incites curiosity.
Speaking of text, make sure your videos have captions. Many TikTok users binge with the sound off. Captions make sure they can still get what you’re putting out.
Then, use some simple tactics like asking people to comment on a statement you make, jumping on new trends, and adding effects to make your posts more interesting.
TikTok SEO is your key to virality
TikTok started as a trendy place to share dance moves and silly challenges. It’s grown way up and now competes with Google as a place where people search for inspiration, information, and new brands.
Like Google, you need to optimize your TikTok content and account to reach more people. The good news is that TikTok SEO doesn’t have to be complicated. Remember to use your keywords effectively and create content people want to engage with. The rest will come with consistency.