SEO on TikTok – how does the algorithm work and how to optimize content?
Tik tok is a dynamic social media platform that has gained immense popularity for its short, engaging videos. It allows users to create, edit, share and view short clips that are often funny, creative or educational and based on various trends. TikTok particularly attracts younger generations due to its interactivity and fast-moving trends. Users can add music, special effects and filters to their videos, making the content more appealing. The platform is not only for entertainment, but also for education, skill sharing and brand promotion. TikTok has also become an important marketing tool for influencers and companies, who use its wide reach to reach large audiences around the world. SEO, on the other hand, is mainly concerned with building the authority of websites by adding quality content or linkbuilding. Tik tok and SEO are therefore related to different areas of the Internet. So what do tic tok and SEO have in common? Read on 🙂
Are SEO for Google and TikTok SEO similar?
Of course, there are some common features, such as the basic concept of optimizing content for selected keywords. This makes it easier for SEO specialists to understand how TikTok works than for those who specialize in social media.
How to position content on TikTok?
Experts point out that the key to this platform’s success lies in its algorithm, which provides users with content perfectly tailored to their interests – just like Google. As a result, watching more videos becomes more engaging and engaging. thus reaching a wide audience.
Understanding the TikTok algorithm – 2024
Let’s take a closer look at the mechanism of TikTok’s algorithm. This platform tailors content mainly based on user preferences. It analyzes groups of people with similar interests and observes how they react to certain videos or photos. Based on this, it selects content, which it then presents to other users in the same group. What is key when recommending content? TikTok reports that these are: Users’ interactions with the content – likes, comments, subscriptions, forwarding or sharing outside the platform. The basis of TikTok’s algorithm is user interactions with content. It is based on these that the platform “learns” about users’ preferences and suggests thematically consistent content. It also works the other way – if a video gets a lot of interaction from the beginning, TikTok presents it to a wider audience. This can be compared to linkbuilding in SEO – such interactions are backlinks leading to the inetnet page or the number of site views and time spent on the page. NOTE: selecting the option “I’m not interested” (as the only interaction negatively affects the evaluation of content). Content information – important are keywords used, hashtags, sounds, as well as descriptions, video covers, subtitles and words spoken by a voice-over if a voice-over is added. Account settings – while less important, the preferred language and country set when setting up the account are also taken into account. For local purposes, such as the German market, it’s a good idea to set the account in German and the localization to Germany. What sets TikTok’s algorithm apart from other social media platforms is that it ignores the number of followers. Thanks to this, even new creators have a chance to succeed quickly and create a viral video. The key is to create valuable content, targeting a specific audience, and use appropriate SEO strategies on TikTok. What elements to consider when planning your strategy. Adding calls to action (CTAs), such as a prompt to leave a comment or save the video for later, is always a good idea. Equally important is to focus on grabbing the user’s attention so that they watch the video to the end.
SEO on TikTok – data analysis and strategy development
TikTok is evolving into being not only a social media platform, but also a search engine. This is manifested, among other things, in the introduction of automatic suggestions in the search bar, similar to what Google has. In addition, a significant change from late 2023 is the introduction of new analytics features, which experts have dubbed the “Mega Update.” These changes have significantly expanded TikTok SEO capabilities, providing the data necessary to evaluate the effectiveness of published content on TikTok’s search engine.
TikTok SEO traffic sources
The newly available analytics data offers detailed information on traffic sources for specific videos or images. The “Search” source is highlighted, allowing analysis of impressions, clicks, average position and click-through rate (CTR) – similar to Google Search Console data. Keyword-specific data is expected to be added within a year.
Optimization on TikTok
However, in order for your content to succeed in the TikTok search engine, it must be properly optimized. How to achieve this?
Remember the right hashtags
TikTok uses hashtags to evaluate the subject matter of content, so choosing them appropriately is key. It is recommended to use popular tags that are also related to your industry when publishing videos.
How many hashtags to use on TikTok?
It is usually recommended to use 3 to 5 hashtags per video or photos. Two of them should be more general, describing the subject matter broadly, while the next three can be more specific to accurately reflect the content of the video. This will help users gauge whether the content is within his or her circle of intrest, and help the tic tock algorithm display your video to those potentially interested in the topic.
How to choose the right hashtags?
There are several methods, but for beginners, the easiest way may be to use the TikTok Creative Center tool. On this site, you can choose your industry and time period (7, 30, 120 days), and view the “new to top 100” tab to see which hashtags are gaining popularity in your category. Tip: Avoid using the most popular hashtags by force. If you use a tag describing a trending challenge, but don’t participate in it, and it’s not related to your content, the first users to see the video are unlikely to respond positively, and may even choose “not interested.” In this way, TikTok’s algorithm may downgrade your content, which will ultimately hurt rather than help your video. Keep in mind that you should create content for the user, not for the algorithm.
Keywords in the content
As with SEO for Google, keywords also play an important role on TikTok. The platform’s algorithm scans content and pays attention to keywords to better understand its subject matter. The description under the video should be as simple, specific and short as possible. But is it always? Under the user as much as possible, however, it is worth using this element to “feed” the toktok algorithm.
Use description
As TikTok has grown, the platform has increasingly emphasized the importance of description. Initially, the character limit under a video was 300, later increased to 2,200, and now as many as 4,000 characters can be used. TikTok encourages creators to write longer, more informative descriptions. It is important that descriptions are substantive and do not “pour water,” especially in informational or educational content. It is equally important to skillfully weave in keywords and use hashtags appropriately. When creating content on TikTok, it is important to remember that we are not creating it for the algorithm, but for people. That’s why it’s worth analyzing analytics data to understand which age groups, cities and genders our content reaches, and based on that, tailor content to those audiences.
How to choose keywords for tiktok?
When choosing keywords, you can use tools typical of SEO, such as Semrush or Ahrefs, but it is worth remembering that keywords on TikTok may differ from those found in organic search results. In Google’s browser. The easiest way is to search for them directly on TikToku. Just type the keyword you are interested in into the search engine, and then add more letters of the alphabet so that TikTok prompts for increasingly detailed and actully popoular phrases.
Where to put keywords in content on TikTok?
They should be in the description, on the cover of the video and in the credits. If you’re recording a video with voiceover, it’s also a good idea to weave the key words into the narration. You can start the video by asking a question containing the keyword, and then answer it later in the video. This approach will signal from the very beginning what your video is about. Here again we have a win-win situation: the user is satisfied and so is the algorithm.
Videos on TikTok
Choose trending audio for your video
The audio used in the video is treated by TikTok as “video information,” which also makes it a ranking factor. You can use the TikTok Creative Center tool to search for trending sounds by going to the Songs tab. If you’re creating corporate content or as part of an advertising partnership, select sounds allowed for business use. Otherwise, Tiktok will mute it.
Lecturer for films
Recording voiceover for movies is a great idea. Videos with narration are more engaging and allow you to read the content without having to watch the screen, which can increase the chances of watching the video to the end. Adding quiet background music when recording a voice-over also allows you to tap into the viral potential of popular songs.
Adapt trends to your industry
Using trends can significantly increase the visibility of your content and broaden your audience. However, it’s a good idea to use trends, challenges and hashtags that can be directly related to your industry. Trending on TikTok can be about specific groups, such as a group of moms or a #booktoku community focused on books.
Reply to comments with a video
Replying to comments with a video is an interesting option that is also rewarded by TikTok’s algorithm. For example, if someone asks a question in a comment, it’s a good idea to answer it with another video. The commentary smoke will then be visible in the new video. This is a great solution, because if one person asked a question, it’s likely that other users may also be interested in the answer. This allows you to create valuable content by responding to your audience’s inquiries. Youtube users follow similar practices.
Complete your profile
Don’t forget to complete your profile completely! It’s a good idea to briefly describe your business and the topics of your published content, preferably using a relevant keyword. Also add a link to your website and integrate your profile with other social channels. Also, be sure to include an appropriate profile picture – this can be your company logo or your photo if you are running a personal profile.
SEO on TikTok vs. local content
TikTok’s algorithm is distinguished by its emphasis on local content, which is an advantage over other social media platforms. This makes it easy to discover new and interesting places in our area on TikTok. If you run a local business, such as a restaurant, coffee shop or beauty salon, always add location information to your videos. This will allow TikTok to better tailor your content to the local community.
Benefits for business of being on TikTok
TikTok in Poland records more than 10 million monthly active users, which means that almost one in four Poles visits the platform at least once a month. This opens up huge potential for brands to reach new customers. TikTok is an ideal platform for increasing brand awareness and building brand recognition. It does not have a strictly sales task, but with the increase of the above, sales can also increase, but this is not an end in itself. The creators of tik tok are already working on Tik tok shop – a platform that facilitates sales precisely. People often look on TikTok for recommendations and reviews of various products, services or places. Having a presence on TikTok allows companies to engage earlier in the customer journey, when the customer is still just looking around for a particular product or service. What’s more, TikTok content is also indexed by Google, so using an SEO strategy on TikTok can simultaneously increase your brand’s visibility in Google search results.
SEO on TikTok – summary
In summary, TikTok is a platform that has gained tremendous popularity for its short, engaging videos. Although TikTok and SEO address different areas of the Internet, there are some similarities in the approach to content optimization. TikTok’s algorithm, like search engine algorithms, takes into account user interactions, content information and account settings when selecting and recommending content. In order to effectively position content on TikTok, it is useful to understand the mechanism of the algorithm and apply appropriate strategies, such as selecting the right hashtags, keywords, encouraging interaction and taking advantage of trends. By understanding these principles and acting consistently, you can effectively increase the visibility of your content and reach a wider audience on this dynamic social media platform.
