TikTok… Is Replacing Google?

Did you know over 2 in 5 Americans use TikTok as a search engine? And 17% of Gen Zers prefer using TikTok over Google when searching. Mind-blowing. It starts to make more sense when you remember there’s a search bar at the top and bottom of every video. That’s not all, though! The platform itself actually looks for keywords in posts to figure out what it’s about, so it can then serve it to interested users. It’s time to make search engine optimization (SEO) a cornerstone of TikTok strategies.

How does TikTok operate as a search engine?

TikTok looks at the on-screen text, captions, hashtags, and automated closed captions to figure out the keywords for the video. If you’re consistent, using relevant keywords in each of these places, then your content will be more likely to show up for such searches. Just avoid spamming. Any keywords you aim for should be related to the video, the caption should still be readable sentences, and most digital marketers recommend 5 or less hashtags.

How can we use SEO strategies on TikTok?

Start conducting searches on TikTok for things that feature in your video and see what it suggests! That’s the easiest way. For example, let’s say I had a video on Tomukun Korean BBQ in Ann Arbor (one of my favorite places to eat — the spicy pork is amazing). You can start with the basics. Use “Ann Arbor” and “Korean BBQ”. Then start searching these and see what it auto-fills to gain some ideas. Make sure your content goes further on TikTok by adding SEO to your content strategy on this platform!

Want to talk more about TikTok strategies? Hit us up!