TikTok optimization is about making your content to rank higher in search results on the app. Similar to optimizing your website content to improve its rankings on Google, you can use various tactics to boost your videos’ rankings on TikTok’s search page and the For You Page.
However, the TikTok algorithm takes into account various factors when ranking content, including keyword usage and user interactions. But, good TikTok optimization does not just drive your visibility on the platform. Well-optimized TikTok content and profiles can show up on the Search Engine Results Page too.
Implementing SEO best practices for TikTok and search engines can significantly increase the likelihood of your content featuring in online searches across various search engines. In fact, TikTok videos can show up in video search results alongside YouTube videos.
Nonetheless, YouTube videos still accounts for the largest video results.
Although showing up in search queries is great, the ultimate goal of TikTok optimization is to show up on the For You Pages of as many TikTok users in your target audience as possible. Because that is where your audience spends most of their time on the platform.
The For You Page is the dynamic homepage of TikTok that constantly updates to give users new content whenever they swipe. Videos that the TikTok algorithm thinks will interest them will appear on their feed even without them having to search.
Why is TikTok Optimization Important?
People spend an average of 95 minutes on TikTok daily. That is almost thirty minutes more than they spend on Instagram.
In a recent statement, Google’s Senior Vice President, Raghavan, stated that an estimated 40% of young people are turning to TikTok and Instagram for most of their search queries.
The above stats mean TikTok is becoming the go-go social media app for most people, especially young people aged 18 to 24 years old. Thus, it is the most ideal platform for targeting and reaching a younger audience.
The following are more reasons why you should care about TikTok optimization.
Engagement
Good TikTok optimization increases your chances of engaging users with your content. That is great for driving visibility and the standing of your profile in the eyes of the TikTok algorithm. It would ultimately impact a snowball effect since engagement can also boost your rankings.
Audience
Optimizing your profile and content to match your target audience’s search queries can also increase your chances of reaching people who care about your offerings. That would lead to better results for your business.
Reach
Higher engagement with your videos through likes, comments, saves or shares can also increase the likelihood of your content being included on For Your Pages. That helps you to reach a much wider audience.
Understanding TikTok Search
It is important to understand how users find content on TikTok. The discovery of content on TikTok can be broken down into two sections; active search and content discovery.
Active search: This is whereby a user searches for content related to your topic using the search bar. That is where well-optimized videos stand a better chance to compete with content that is getting lots of engagement.
Content discovery: This refers to the videos that show up on a user’s For You Page. Users are not actively looking for a topic but, using the platform for fun.
In the above instances, it does not really matter how well optimized for search your content is. The most important things are what the videos are about and whether they align with users’ interests.
You should optimize your TikTok videos for both discovery methods if you want to be successful on the platform.
Tracking Search Traffic on TikTok
TikTok has made it possible for users to now track the traffic that their videos attract and where the traffic comes from. That means you can see exactly how well your TikTok strategies are working.
For example, you can also see how people are finding your videos, as highlighted below.
The key sources of traffic include;
- The ‘’For You’’ feed
- The ‘’Following’’ feed
- Sound, profile and search pages
- Direct messages
You can also see the search terms people are using to find your videos on TikTok.
That data is extremely powerful because it will show you whether your videos are getting views from the keywords you are optimizing your profile and videos for.
How the TikTok Algorithm Works
TikTok constantly recommends new videos to users through their For You Page to keep the app relevant and engaging.
The type of video content shown depends mainly on individual interests. The algorithm essentially determines the videos you see based on how you engage with the content that you watch.
If your content lands on a For You Page, it means that the algorithm has determines you are creating relevant content that specific users would want to engage with. TikTok has remained relatively quiet about how it ranks content. However, the platform has been transparent about some ranking factors that its algorithm uses when showing content on For You Pages.
While that is useful independently, the general assumption is that the platform uses some of the same factors to rank content in TikTok search results.
How TikTok Ranks Content
There are three main factors that affect how TikTok decides to show content on For You Pages. Knowing them is essential to successful TikTok optimization. Here are those factors.
Video Information
TikTok considers whet every video is about to understand its contents. Here is a breakdown of how that happens.
Video visuals includes things such as creative formats, filters, CapCut templates and photo carousels.
Audio of the video refers to the actual words spoken during the video and any additional audio, for example, a cat meowing.
The textual elements used in the video can be in the form of sub titles, video titles and emojis.
Captions and hashtags refers to the relevant keywords used in captions and hashtags. They can also help with identifying what the content is about.
The use of TikTok sounds. Whether the video uses a specific audio clip or trending sound or song.
Video Quality
The TikTok algorithm puts so much weight on the type of engagement that users have with content.
It is also similar to the YouTube algorithm is the sense that it also considers how much of a video a user actually watches. The longer someone watches a video, the more likely they are genuinely interested in the content.
TikTok also considers the following interactions;
- Video comments
- Likes and shares
- Follows gained from the video
- Videos users flag as not interested
User Interactions
Individual user interactions will also affect whether your videos show up in content discovery or not. The individual user interactions include;
- Videos that users like and share
- Accounts that users follow
- Comments they post
- Videos they save
- Creators they hide
- Videos they flag as ‘’Not Interested’’
- The amount of time they spend watching videos
- Engagement with the accounts they follow
Besides, TikTok also considers the device and account settings of the individual user. However, they do not carry as much weight as the other factors mentioned above.
Device type: The algorithm considers whether your device is a tablet, desktop or mobile phone and its model.
Country settings: Users are more likely to see content from people in their own countries.
Language preferences: TikTok users will mainly view content in their preferred language.
The Best Tips to Improve TikTok Optimization
Effective TikTok optimization can go a long way in increasing your visibility on the platform and search engines like Google. It is more like On-Page SEO for blogs and websites. The following are the best ways to improve TikTok optimization.
Get to Know Your Audience Better
You cannot claim to appeal to an audience that you do not know. Remember, you won’t engage your audience if you cannot appeal to their interests. And, failing to engage your audience also means you won’t be able to convert them into followers and customers. Besides, TikTok engagement also affects your rankings on the channel.
That begs the question, how can you truly understand your audience?
One way to get to know your audience better is by looking at the content they are engaging with and what they are saying in the comments section. Check their sentiments about your videos and other people, especially your competitors’ content.
Nonetheless, the best way to really understand what your audience wants is by engaging with them directly.
Engage with Your Audience
TikTok strives to create communities, meaning you have to do more even after uploading content on your profile. You must engage with your audience.
Here are tips on how to boost engagement.
- Encourage users to comment on your posts then, connect with them through replying to their comments. You can even reply to video comments with videos.
- Like and share relevant posts. That will make your FYP show videos related to your niche. It is a great opportunity to see the kind of content that is popular with your target audience.
- Live stream with the ‘’Go Live’’ feature. This is an interesting way to engage with your audience in real time. Users can connect with you more if you also show some behind-the-scenes activities.
- Create polls and quizzes and ask questions. Besides boosting engagement for the algorithm, you can also use this approach to find out what your target audience wants on the platform.
Join TikTok Sub-Communities
TikTok is home to various sub-communities that users can join at will. For example, the reading community has #BookTok which has gone viral on TikTok and bookstore shelves. You can also find #CarTok, #FarmTok and several other sub-communities on the platform.
Perform TikTok Keyword Research
Keyword research is an essential element of any SEO strategy, and TikTok optimization is no different. It helps you find popular topics and issues to create content around. Keyword research also uncovers valuable keywords you can use in your captions and titles.
Thus, a solid keyword research strategy can significant boost your TikTok engagement, discoverability and growth. Here’s a guide on how to find the right keywords to target.
Keyword research on TikTok
You can find relevant keywords and hashtags for your niche by searching for them on TikTok directly, as seen below. You should try to focus on long-tail keywords since they can target larger audiences.
Keyword research tools
Researching keywords on TikTok has numerous benefits but, it can also be time consuming. Dedicated SEO tools such as Semrush can help you find relevant keywords quickly. The tools may not show data specific to TikTok, they are still quite useful in finding what people are searching online. They also provide lots of content ideas.
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