TikTok SEO is the buzzword among digital marketers and with good reason. At TCSA, we recognise that while no one is yet an expert in this evolving platform, we’re keen to lead the way. Our Paid Social team is continuously investing countless hours into mastering the app to create innovative strategies for our clients.
TikTok’s development has closely resembled that of traditional search engines, with features like its search bar, sophisticated algorithm, hashtags (acting as keywords), top videos, and snippet-style results. With 50% of Gen Z now turning to TikTok for searches instead of Google, it’s clear that TikTok is rapidly becoming a search engine in its own right.
Thanks to its personalised feed, TikTok has immense potential for optimising content and increasing visibility—a process we know as search engine optimisation (SEO).
The Rise of TikTok SEO: The Search Engine of the Future?
Is TikTok becoming a search engine? This is the question many digital marketers and brands are asking. In the past, Google dominated the search landscape, but Gen Z and millennials are now reshaping the way we seek information.
Research from 2023 shows that around 31% of consumers now turn to social media for answers. In the UK alone, TikTok’s user base is expected to grow by another million by the end of 2024. With this impressive growth, is now the time to tap into new audiences?
While traditional search engines remain dominant, changes in consumer behaviour and technological advancements are reshaping how businesses should approach their marketing strategies.
There’s no denying that younger generations prefer social media for quick, visual, and engaging content. TikTok provides more than just information—it offers experience-driven answers. Content creators give a face and personality to the information, something Google currently lacks. It’s personal, interactive, and, in many ways, feels more trustworthy. This ‘human factor’ makes TikTok an appealing platform for research and inspiration.
“TikTok feels more like a word-of-mouth recommendation than a brand trying to sell, which makes it seem more trustworthy.”
That said, SEO agencies need not worry. Traditional search engines are also evolving, making search experiences more modern and user-friendly.
Interestingly, search engines like Google, which once avoided social media content, now actively index social media posts and TikTok videos in their search results. This shift reflects how the discovery and consumption of online content are changing.
Why do people use TikTok?
Studies show that TikTok is most popular among 18-24-year-olds, but it’s also used by other age groups for various reasons. So, why are they turning to TikTok, and what does it offer that Google doesn’t?
TikTok’s algorithm is highly personalised, adapting to a user’s search activity and preferences—more on this process later. It learns what you like and identifies your areas of interest, then curates similar content on your ‘For You Page’ (FYP) as you continue to scroll.
One of TikTok’s biggest strengths is its ability to keep users engaged organically. It’s an almost (dare we say) addictive platform where people spend significant amounts of time. The statistics speak for themselves—UK users spend approximately 27.3 hours per month on TikTok. That’s a huge amount of time and opportunity for brands to get their content seen. Brands and influencers take full advantage of this, capturing attention and driving high levels of engagement.
Research & Discovery
Beyond its obvious entertainment and commercial uses, TikTok’s user-friendly interface, diverse content, and personalised algorithm make it an excellent platform for informational browsing.
By 2024, TikTok is set to become a leading platform for information and discovery queries. People trust real-life experiences and relatable content, which is why TikTok’s authentic and personable videos resonate so well. Additionally, with attention spans shrinking over the past decade, TikTok’s short-form video format is perfectly positioned to meet this demand.
TikTok is renowned for its wide range of content. Whether someone wants to lift their mood with funny videos or gain valuable insights from mortgage advisors or product reviews, the platform offers an endless variety of information at users’ fingertips.
TikTok's shop
The shopping experience introduced in 2022 revolutionised eCommerce, offering consumers a new way to shop. Through shoppable ads, influencer marketing, and the in-app shopping feature, users now enjoy a more interactive and personalised buying experience.
“TikTok’s shopping features keep users engaged, allowing them to make purchasing decisions without leaving the app. This clever approach gives consumers in the ‘messy middle’ of their buying journey the tools to easily explore, compare, and purchase products directly on TikTok, transforming the intersection of e-commerce and social media.”
For businesses, TikTok has opened up new avenues for connecting with their audience. With access to over a billion active users (and growing), TikTok offers brands huge opportunities to reach new customers and boost conversion rates.
So what is TikTok SEO?
TikTok SEO is the latest buzzword in digital marketing. While some question its validity, others see clear parallels between search engine and social media optimisation strategies.
TikTok SEO involves adjusting and applying best practices to ensure content ranks well for specific search terms. Much like traditional SEO, it’s about understanding the platform’s algorithm and increasing visibility. A strong TikTok SEO strategy would involve researching trends and keywords, identifying opportunities to expand reach, and converting views into customers or followers.
Understanding TikTok Ranking Factors and their Algorithm
If we’re going to treat TikTok as a search engine, it’s essential to understand how content is presented to users. Much like Google, TikTok keeps its ranking factors under wraps. However, based on the algorithm insights TikTok has shared, combined with our own research, we’re starting to grasp how to ‘rank’ and reach the right audiences on the platform.
The key takeaway from our TikTok SEO findings is that anyone can go viral. A video from a brand-new, unknown user is just as likely to appear on your discovery page as one from a creator with thousands of followers.
User interactions
Likes, comments, and shares play a significant role in how TikTok assesses the quality and relevance of a video. Every interaction within the app provides the algorithm with more insight into your preferences, allowing it to tailor content recommendations based on your behaviour.
For example, if I spend time browsing TikTok for travel tips, I’ll often ‘like’ or ‘save’ videos for future reference. These interactions signal to TikTok that I’m interested in travel, prompting the app to show me more travel-related content from other users.
Scrolling activity
As a TikTok user myself, I’m well aware of the clever tactics the platform uses to gauge my interests. As you scroll through the discovery page, you’ll naturally skip over content that doesn’t appeal to you, while stopping to watch videos that catch your attention.
TikTok’s algorithm takes note of how quickly users swipe past a video without interacting, which is a crucial aspect of its user behaviour analysis. By tracking these interactions, TikTok is able to refine its content recommendations, ensuring users stay engaged with the platform longer.
Video details
As a content creator, the way you label and post your videos is crucial to their performance.
TikTok recommends and organises videos based on elements like captions, hashtags, and audio clips. To increase views and engagement, it’s important to accurately describe your content and use hashtags strategically, helping TikTok understand what your video is about.
Similar to meta descriptions in search engines, TikTok captions should provide a clear summary of your content and be optimised with relevant keywords to enhance visibility.
Account settings
When you create a TikTok account, you’ll be asked to provide information about your location and language preferences. This allows the platform to personalise your discovery page by recommending content in your preferred language.
Creating a strategy for TikTok success
Align your SEO strategy with TikTok
As user behaviour shifts, search engines adapt as well. TikTok and Google have a strong connection, with certain keywords being popular across both platforms. To maximise your digital marketing efforts, it’s a good idea to share keyword research between your social media and SEO teams.
Repurposing content across different platforms can be an effective and efficient way to improve performance. If you’ve created engaging content for your website, repurpose it for TikTok to capture a wider audience and increase traffic.
Top tip: Use tools like Ahrefs to conduct keyword research and identify which search results are surfacing TikTok profiles. This will give you insight into search intent and the types of content users seek.
Competitor analysis
What are your competitors up to? What’s working for them, and what isn’t? These are key questions to consider before planning any content. Researching the types of videos that perform well in your industry or niche will help shape your strategy. Through this analysis, you’ll gain insights into the valuable content your target audience is seeking.
Top tip: Stay alert to emerging trends to create content ahead of your competitors. Always stay one step ahead to set the standard!
Creative Centre
TikTok’s Creative Centre offers valuable insights into popular search terms and trending hashtags. Think of hashtags as the TikTok equivalent of keywords.
From the most searched hashtags over the past 30 days (January-February 2024), we can observe the types of content users are actively seeking. This tool allows you to spot opportunities for creating content that aligns with what people are searching for. If you’re serious about using TikTok as a marketing platform, data, metrics, and keyword research must guide your strategy.
Top tip: Don’t just chase the top-ranking trends. To increase your visibility, focus on medium—to low-search-volume hashtags with less competition.
Join trending conversations
If you were anything like me, the 2020 lockdown was all about getting into TikTok trends and silly dance challenges. The platform thrives on trends, inspiring users worldwide to hop on board and create their own versions.
Many top creators either start their own trends or add a unique twist to existing ones. However, trends on TikTok move fast, so it’s crucial to act quickly and produce trend-driven content before it fades away.
At TSCA, we run our own TikTok account, and we truly enjoy participating in trends. However, we always ensure that it aligns with our brand, adding our unique twist so we’re not just following the crowd.
For example, we joined a viral challenge that ended up gaining thousands of views. People love seeing others take on challenges, especially when they go hilariously wrong or are particularly entertaining!
Run paid ads
TikTok ads function much like Facebook paid ads, driving traffic and conversions by targeting specific audiences. The great advantage of advertising on TikTok is that it’s both simple and cost-effective.
In fact, TikTok reports that users are 1.5 times more likely to make a purchase after seeing a product featured in a paid ad.
Capture attention within the first 3 seconds
Currently, TikTok allows users to create videos up to 3 minutes long, but it’s the shorter, more concise clips that tend to generate the most engagement, largely due to users’ short attention spans. To maximise impact, focus on capturing attention within the first 3 seconds.
Spark curiosity right away to keep viewers engaged and minimise scrolling. People are more likely to stop and watch content that promises quick information, such as roundup or list-style posts.
Ready to incorporate TikTok into your marketing strategy?
At TSCA, we constantly seek innovative ways to help our clients connect with their target audience. We’ve recognised TikTok as a highly effective platform for launching paid ads and crafting engaging valuable content.
Are you curious to learn more? Are you ready to showcase your brand to millions of TikTok users? Let us help you discover the best approach.
