Let’s take a magnifying glass and see it clearer: TikTok has mutated as a social media platform.
Lately, it has experienced a significant metamorphosis from a video-sharing app for dances and lip-synced comedy to an almighty search tool like Google. In fact, 62% of Gen Z-ers run to TikTok for new info and product discovery, and one in ten prefer it over Google.
That’s why businesses feel a sharp need for search engine optimization, a.k.a. SEO, on TikTok, just like they strive for better Google rankings. Some even turn to methods like web scraping to gather insights into the most effective keywords and trends on the platform.
But picture this. You pour your heart and soul into your TikTok video—give it your all, leaving nothing on the table. Yet, somehow, it never reaches your audience. Instead, it flies down the TikTok’s drain and hits the bottom. Did you hear that crashing sound? That was actually the sound of your crashing dreams of ranking higher on TikTok.
What did you do wrong?
We know the answer: You haven’t optimized it properly for the TikTok search algorithm. That’s what happened.
But we also know how to help you prevent that in the future. Follow this guide and start with understanding how TikTok’s algorithm works.
What Is TikTok Search Engine Optimization?
In simple terms, TikTok SEO is the process of making your content more discoverable on the platform.
Of course, an ideal variant would be to make it climb to the pinnacle of TikTok search results. But your success here depends on how well you prepare your posts to get noticed and pulled up to the top by TikTok’s search algorithm.
What signals can help you catch its piercing eye and rank higher on TikTok?
Here are the indicators TikTok relies on when sizing up content and choosing what to show to the user:
- Search history and previously liked, commented, or shared content type
- Content information (how relevant keywords, hashtags, sounds, and other content attributes are to the query)
- Watch-time duration (whether users watched videos in full or skipped)
- Device settings (e.g. family control or screen time restrictions)
- Geographic positioning (geo-tracking and geo-locating)
- Preferred language
Note: TikTok ads won’t skyrocket your content in search results on TikTok. The reason is simple: TikTok’s advertising and organic search algorithms are separate algorithms that function for different purposes. The former is responsible for ads on the For You Page. The latter evaluates and selects the content for the user who searches for it organically.
How to Rank Higher in TikTok Search Results
Tune in to users’ needs.
What exactly does your target audience search on TikTok?
TikTok claims that 95% of TikTok users (nearly everyone!) hunt for financial information on the platform. It seems to be the finest hour for finance brands to master TikTok SEO.
However, Adobe has revealed the following top five categories consumers looked for when using TikTok as a search engine:
- Recipes (36%)
- Music (35%)
- DIY tips (34%)
- Fashion advice (30%)
- Workout routines (29%)
Source: adobe.com
For Volodymyr Shchegel, VP of Engineering at MacKeeper, it largely depends on product specifics. He shares:
“Anything users search about Mac on TikTok offers us loads of ranking opportunities. Even though the audience is interested in a niche-specific product, their search intent may still be rather wide. For instance, in our case, users are looking for various how-tos related to Mac: How to set up a MacBook Air, How to turn off auto-lock on Mac, etc.”
So, you’ll need to crack the code of what your audience is seeking to create relevant content. But that’s not the only reason. Catch the user intent for keyword research and the next strategic move in particular.”
Craft keyword-full captions
The next tactic you should use if you want to optimize your videos for TikTok search is writing effective keywords for captions. That’s what TikTok’s algorithms reckon with for ranking content.
For that, perform in-depth keyword research. You probably know how to do that to get to the top of Google’s SERP, don’t you? (If you don’t, check this guide.) But what about TikTok’s search results page?
Morgan Taylor, Co-Founder of Jolly SEO shares a trick: “Use the auto-suggest feature in TikTok’s search bar. For example:
Suppose you’ve created a video featuring the best mattresses for kids. You type your targeted keyword in the search bar, and—Eureka!—you have a list with the most searched keywords suggested by TikTok: best mattress for babies, air mattress for kids, best toddler mattress, etc.”
Source: TikTok.com
Additionally, learn from other brands. Once you look at the top three results for that particular query, you can notice that they used keywords like “baby mattress,” “children’s car inflatable mattress,” and “perfect mattress for your baby,” among others.”
Source: Screenshot by User
Now, check out how an optimized TikTok video caption looks in the food industry. Giddy Yoyo added the words “vegan,” “organic,” and “sugar-free” to the main keywords, “gluten-free candy bar recipes” and “gluten-free peanut butter cups.”
Source: TikTok.com
Drill into your niche with proper hashtags
Do you add appropriate hashtags to your TikToks, if any at all?
In the words of Roman Zrazhevskiy, Founder & CEO at MIRA Safety, there’s nothing more powerful than a suitable hashtag to boost your TikTok search ranking. He explains how niche-driven hashtagging is arranged in their TikTok SEO strategy: “Our marketing team has created hashtag packs that reflect the content’s essence and its relevance to the industry. Hashtags for topics like tactical gear and personal protective equipment for survival are among our top priorities on TikTok.”
For example:
Look at this TikTok video from MIRA Safety. The brand uses the hashtags #tacticalgear, #cbrn, and #survivalkit, among others.
Source: TikTok.com
If you have a dedicated [NicheName]Tok subcategory relative to your business area, remember to add those hashtags to your TikTok posts.
These can be:
- #MoneyTok
- #CookTok
- #SelfcareTok
- #KidTok
- #PlantTok
- #DesignTok, etc.
For example:
Here’s one of the first videos TikTok shows when searching by the tag #TechTok.
Source: TikTok.com
Localize if necessary
Drumroll, please…
There’s local SEO for TikTok, too!
Localizing your TikToks is mandatory if your goal is to rank higher on TikTok when users browse it from a particular location on the international or regional market.
Focus on localization elements as follows:
- Language
- Geographic identifiers (country abbreviations, cities, regions)
- Geo-driven hashtags
- Regional music and sound effects
- Time and date formatting
- Currency and pricing formats
- Local phrases and idioms, etc.
Let’s work with keywords for your localized video captions. Again, you can turn to TikTok’s auto-suggest function. Assuming you aim to target the UK user who is looking to sell a Rolex watch. Change your location to the United Kingdom on your web or mobile device and start typing your query in the search bar. TikTok automatically suggests UK-oriented keywords, such as “selling Rolex watch UK” and “how to buy Rolex in the UK.”
Source: Screenshot by User
Or take videos from Jose Alberto Barraza (@nowayjosecuisine), a content creator and Mexican food enthusiast. See how he localized one with subtitles in English and hashtags to improve TikTok search rankings for both audiences: #recipe (for English-speaking users) and #receta (for Spanish-speaking users).
Source: TikTok.com
Make friends with brevity
Keeping your videos brief is another hack for successful TikTok SEO. Ideally, they should be under one minute.
Why so?
Tip your hat to attention span shortage. It is the root cause and the driver of short-form content.
Gary Hemming, Owner & Finance Director at ABC Finance, notes, “Year by year, our attention spans get trimmed. Some researchers cite eight seconds only; others say it’s an average of 40 seconds in most people today. That’s why when making your TikTok content brief, you increase chances for higher viewership (users are more likely to watch videos till the end) or even nudge the domino effect toward viral views.”
Consider brevity as a booster to propel your content to the highest ranks in TikTok search results.
For example:
Dr. Philip Solomon, the owner of Solomon Facial Plastic, mostly sticks to short, before-and-after transformations and keeps the facelift and rhinoplasty videos around 30–60 seconds.
Source: TikTok.com
Learn from the mistakes you made in older posts
Open your TikTok account and scroll through your previous posts.
Are they optimized enough for better ranks in TikTok search?
For instance, regarding this from the HR’s perspective in TikTok recruitment marketing, Rodger Desai, CEO of Prove, says, “Many employers and HR managers still make TikTok SEO mistakes in their hiring calls without even noticing it, from forgetting to indicate the job role to missing out on relevant hashtags.”
To anchor this statement in reality, let’s take this TikTok post by @teddybrokerage with the caption, “WE’RE HIRING! Looking to start the next chapter in your career? Get in touch.”
Source: TikTok.com
The following questions may trouble your mind:
- What position(s) do they hire for?
- Why aren’t there any keywords about the job role in the caption?
- Do the hashtags refer to the career?
The hashtags don’t tell much, only hinting at the property sector.
Such a lack of data will likewise confuse TikTok’s search algorithm. So, look at your TikToks once again, make sure to fix such mistakes (if you have any), and avoid them in your future posts.
Wrapping Up Your TikTok SEO Strategies
Grab these takeaways and start optimizing your TikTok content for SEO:
- Figure out the user’s search intent
- Research keywords for captions
- Add niche-relevant hashtags
- Use localization whenever needed
- Keep your TikToks short
- Draw lessons from previous posts
You’re all geared up to rise to the summit of TikTok’s search.
Good luck!
P.S. If you struggle with other platforms, such as Instagram or Facebook, or need general tips for social media, read more articles like this in the social media marketing category on this blog.
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