TikTok SEO is now overtaking Google’s position as the number one search engine on the internet. It’s very important for brands & creators to take advantage, grow their businesses and rank higher on the short-form video app. In this article, I will explain deeply how TikTok SEO determines the ranking results in 2023 and tips to optimize to get your content on top of the Search Results Page.
Do you use “Google”, “Instagram” or “TikTok” to find some good cafe or restaurant recommendations?
Yup, apparently the term “Google it” when you search for something will not be relevant anymore.
Today, people prefer TikTok as their primary search engine.
In fact, Tiktok has dethroned Google as the most-used search engine in 15 years.
This is a great shift that brands, marketers, and creators should pay attention to.
They should not ignore where exactly their audience spends time the most, especially searching.
If you are not on TikTok yet, join the app ASAP.
It’s important to understand how TikTok applies SEO in 2023 to rank content on search results.
A good SEO implementation will bring your TikTok content to an increased discovery.
Later lead to more business benefits like more engagement, conversions, traffic, and sales.
Let’s go.
TL;DR: How to Rank Higher on TikTok SEO?
- Optimize your TikTok profile with keywords to be on top position
- Run keyword research before making TikTok videos
- Put an eye-catching TikTok hook to make viewers stop scrolling and watch your video
- Insert hashtags #FYP, #ForYouPage, #ForYou on your TikTok content
- Don’t miss out on TikTok trends
- Add audio or sound to your TikTok videos
- Engage with fellow TikTok networks & understand key conversations
- Work with the best TikTok influencers
What is TikTok SEO?
TikTok SEO is the practice of optimizing your TikTok videos to rank higher in search results.
It’s basically the effort to improve or enhance your content to be easily discovered by users when they type certain keywords on the TikTok search bar.
Simply put, TikTok search engine optimization is the Google queries, but in a video.
You can use keywords and analytics to optimize your TikTok content, the same thing as what people do on websites.
For example, when you want to find influencer reviews about Rare Beauty’s love blush,
the result will be filled with videos trying on the product and reviewing the experience.
The more specific the keyword, the more you can find exactly the content you want.
TikTok is reported to replace Google as the main search engine.
Let’s hear the story.
How TikTok overtakes Google’s 15 years throne and becomes the top search engine in 2022
Nearly 40% of Gen Z choose social apps like TikTok or Instagram over Google to search for places to eat.
Yup, TikTok is the new top search engine now.
Honestly, social SEO is not a new thing.
People use YouTube, Instagram, Twitter, and more to find something.
But TikTok somehow surpasses everyone, including “the” Google
And become the “new Google” for users these days.
People admit that the shorter videos on TikTok are a lot easier to understand than Google & YouTube results.
Basically, the discovery experience is a lot better than those two.
Knowing this, TikTok has expanded captions from 300 to 2200 characters,
Allowing brands & creators to make optimized descriptions.
So, what does this TikTok shift for brands?
Simple: understand the TikTok optimization or are stuck with your two-digit reach.
Let’s dive deeper into TikTok SEO.
See how your brand can outsmart the rules and succeed on the app.
What factors impact the TikTok content ranking?
Turns out TikTok considers every part of a video to decide in what ranking it should be.
Here are the 9 factors that affect content ranking on TikTok.
TikTok considers Keyword relevance the most
On every search engine, a keyword is considered the key component of any discovery.
Without keywords, you impossibly to find the thing you want.
Do research about the topic and questions that the users are searching for.
And match them with your niche.
Then, optimize with longtail keywords rather than just a short, broader keyword.
The more specific the keyword is, the more likely your content be found by the users.
Otherwise, your video will be piled up among those with generic keywords,
Making it more difficult to find.
Once you build an established audience for longtails, you can raise authority over time,
Making your content a lot easier to find on broader keywords.
TikTok counts Keyword density to rank content
How often you fill up your video with keywords will also affect your ranking.
This includes how many keywords, as well as the variations you put in the description, how soon the voiceover comes,
And your on-screen text will also determine what you are trying to discuss in the video.
On-screen text impacts TikTok ranking position
Consider putting your first on-screen text the same as inserting a Google SEO title on your video.
It’s important and it counts for SEO ranking on TikTok.
Insert the text between 2-3 seconds as TikTok considers time, and also keywords-optimized.
If your video doesn’t contain keywords in the first 3 seconds of your video,
Don’t bother searching for your content on the top ranking.
Voiceover is one of the TikTok ranking factors
Saying the keywords out loud in the first few seconds helps a lot with your ranking.
TikTok decrypts everything on your video, including your voice.
So, always make sure to deliver clear messages in your video.
Keywords on your profile helps boost TikTok rank
Don’t get me wrong,
Your profile appearance also takes part in ranking your content.
Optimize your account with keywords: on your profile name, username, or bio.
This profile inserts “fitness” on his username, profile name, and bio.
I type “calorie deficit meals” and this guy’s video is at the top rank 🙂
TikTok highly considers the Completion rate for the ranking decider
Here is the thing: this is a critical metric for TikTok content to be on top results.
The completion rate is the percentage of users who watch your video ’till finished.
This is very similar to Google’s time spent reading the article.
TikTok has emphasized that videos with higher rates will have a bigger chance to be on the top ranking.
Hashtags also affect TikTok’s ranking
Hashtags are classic content classifier, but it still works just fine in 2023.
In fact, TikTok considers hashtags strongly to decide the content position.
It counts the relevancy between the hashtags used and what the user types.
TikTok considers Share & save count for a ranking
Truth is, these two metrics take a more important role than like counts.
So, create videos that encourage users to share & save your content.
Such as cafe recommendations, useful tips & tricks, and many more.
Or try making educational or informational videos that people don’t just skip past them.
Rewatch rate is one of TikTok’s strong ranking factors
Last but not least, take more time to make videos that people will replay a few or more times,
Since the rewatch time is just as important as other metrics.
Rewatch time is when your video is watched multiple times
Or rewinding to watch some parts of the video.
Some tricks you can use: speed up the peak moment or whisper the highlight matters.
That way, the viewers will try to repeat what they miss.
How does TikTok algorithm work in 2023?
The TikTok algorithm is a set of rules or systems that determines which videos will appear on your “For You” page (FYP).
This indicates that every user will watch completely different videos on their timeline.
What makes the rules different?
Your viewing preferences and your current state of mind.
Here are the complete rules that you will have to follow to get your TikTok content promoted on FYP.
- User Activity, videos with high engagement will definitely be recommended to more users
- Video Information, this includes your content quality & keywords, hashtags, sound, and effects used.
- Location & Language, most videos on your FYP are coming from the creators in your country.
- Audio, TikTok will recommend videos using trending songs more than the ones using unpopular sounds.
Don’t get me wrong,
TikTok will examine every single activity you do on the app.
It considers videos you’ve interacted with in the past, accounts, and hashtags you follow,
Your location and language preferences, and even the type of content you create.
The AI then reads those data as “your interest” and then formulates them to classify what content matches the information.
Take some notes: follower count & whether you’ve had previous booming videos
These are not the metrics that impact the TikTok algorithm.
This rule is positive for brands & businesses as TikTok treats big & small accounts with a fair screen share
And give them a chance when they might don’t know where to start.
Another notable thing: TikTok is taking violations seriously.
If you create content that is not eligible according to TikTok recommendations, your content won’t be on anyone’s FYP.
This includes oversexualized content, content that endangers minor safety, violent & graphic content,
And misleading, spam, and unoriginal content.
Even if it’s still searchable and can be viewed on the Following page,
the fact that TikTok doesn’t promote the content is a huge loss for businesses.
So, just make creative and acceptable videos, unless you want your business to die.
Why should you use TikTok Search Engine Optimization for your account?
To make your content searchable, of course.
If you can make it on top results, you increase the possibility of your content getting more reach & get to be seen by more people.
When people find your content interesting, there are lots of possibilities:
They engage with the video, they end up following you, they scroll through other videos on your profile,
They click your shop link or even do a purchase because of your product.
More reach = more business opportunities.
Applying TikTok SEO is also a way to ensure brand visibility, spread brand awareness, and drive direct traffic.
Don’t forget that TikTok also has a powerful impact to influence consumer buying decisions with the easiness to shop they offer through TikTok Shop.
See the complete TikTok 2023’s insights here.
You might get a free ride: more conversions & sales.
Start today, create searchable & optimized videos, or stuck on the short-form video platform.
Is there any free tool to support SEO keyword research for TikTok?
Implementing optimization on TikTok the same as what those bloggers do on Google,
You must adapt to their first ritual before writing a blog post: keyword research.
While there are many SEO tools for websites, there is still no SEO tool for social media like TikTok.
No worries, I will provide you with the 3 free tools for keyword research on TikTok.
Here they are.
Keyword research on TikTok in-app search bar & “Others searched for”
First easy tip: use the in-app “search engine” directly on TikTok.
Tap the magnifying glass icon on the right corner of your timeline and type the keyword you want to search.
Enter and scroll down until you find “Others searched for”.
These are related keywords you can use to build your video structure.
TikTok Creative Center for deeper in-app keyword research
Wonder where you can see what’s trending on TikTok?
It’s on TikTok Creative Center.
It’s a free insight hub to provide TikTokers with the latest trends
To elevate their creative approach in making high-quality videos in the video-sharing app.
Basically, it is a place for everything that is currently popular on TikTok.
Be it songs, hashtags, videos, and even creators.
You can filter the results based on the industry and time period.
However, the results are limited to the 8 most popular categories.
Therefore, you can’t do specific keyword research around your niche.
No worries, you still can take advantage of some parts like the generic hashtags to mix,
And the current trending song to use.
Google Trends Supercharged as a keyword research alternative
Do you need an alternative to provide stronger keyword insights?
Just hop on what people are searching on Google Trends.
To access more keyword-oriented statistics,
Install a Google Trends Chrome extension on your site.
See the top searches related to a keyword, see each keyword’s strength and popularity,
And embody the insights into your video.
7 Best TikTok Video Ideas to Engage with your Audience in 2023
If you want to succeed in the mobile video app, focus on two important things:
Your business objectives & your audience.
Align your goals with what kind of content you want to create,
And understand your audience beyond demographics, seek the content they want to watch.
Is it educational videos? A creative entertainment video from a brand?
Or do they need content that talks deeper about your products or services?
Take a look at these TikTok ideas, get inspiration from them, and generate more results!
1. FAQ TikTok videos to answer customer questions
Creating FAQ videos gotta be the best idea to answer what your consumers might be wondering about.
Pro tip: create two-part FAQ videos that are published separately.
Publish the first part, then publish other content, and after that upload the second part of the FAQ.
That way, you can drive the viewers to scroll through your account to find the second FAQ video.
2. Tips & Tricks to give interesting information through your TikTok videos
This one is also a favorite video among TikTok creators.
If you are a brand, try creating tips & tricks using your products.
It will be very helpful for your consumers, and also interesting information for others.
3. Daily routine TikTok videos to fuel the users’ curiosity
A day in my life content is always roaming on TikTok.
Creators even create episodes of this type of content.
“How much I spend in a day”, “What I eat in a day”, “My everyday routine as (profession)”
And more are videos that always generate views on TikTok.
4. New product teasers on TikTok to create anticipation
Make your customers wonder about the new launch never going wrong.
Create anticipation and make them curious about your new product.
5. Creative & unique entertainment TikTok videos to share fun things with the viewers
Entertainment is the core of TikTok and it will be always it.
Either you dance, try on weird things, create challenges, or anything.
Just make sure to insert fun elements in your video.
Trust me, it will rank like crazy (don’t forget to optimize though).
6. Make TikTok lip-syncing videos and be a viral sensation
This TikTok video generates 4 million views but look at the content.
They just lip-sync using one of the popular filters, they literally did nothing other than press the record and upload buttons.
Take advantage of this idea and get inspired.
Hop on the popular TikTok lip-sync content and make it unique.
7. Create a video with trending TikTok songs or challenges
Always take advantage of what’s trending on the app.
Riding the wave can help you boost your content to be more visible to wider audiences.
Because it’s relevant at the time being and your take might be the best version of the trends.
8 TikTok strategies to optimize your videos and rank higher on search results
TikTok is growing fast than ever, and brands should take advantage of the situation.
Here are the best strategies to apply SEO to your TikTok videos.
To get more reach and turn the performance into tangible business results.
Optimize your TikTok profile with keywords to be in the top position
Here is the kicker: how you write your TikTok profile matters.
Make a unique username that is easy to recall.
If you still have space for your niche keyword, then go for it.
Create a perfect bio & description that contain keywords, they help your account be more visible.
On your bio, insert links to drive traffic & increase conversions.
Run keyword research before making TikTok videos
Keyword research is highly essential to implement TikTok search engine optimization.
It’s a crucial part of making your video’s structure.
So, make sure to do it before you script the video.
Creating random videos is going to get you random results too.
You can flop or go viral, that’s it.
But optimizing your video with prepared keywords will get you targeted results.
Put an eye-catching TikTok hook to make viewers stop scrolling and watch your video
Remember that TikTok considers first-appearing text as one of the ranking factors?
Exactly.
It’s a must to put a keyword-optimized title in the first 2-3 seconds.
Make it eye-catching so people don’t just skip past your video.
Plus, try to make it noticeable.
Such as making it Bold, using the right font, or designing it in a way that attracts viewers.
Insert hashtags #FYP, #ForYouPage, #ForYou on your TikTok content
Never leave hashtags out of your post.
It’s very important for SEO and TikTok also takes relevant hashtags used in a video into account.
Mix your hashtag usage with popular & specific hashtags, so you won’t be in a tight competition
Plus, it can make your content stay relevant to your niche.
Since the description character is exceeded by TikTok, you can add more space for your hashtags.
Don’t miss out on TikTok trends
Joining the trend is a very good idea to beat the TikTok algorithm since it favors trending content.
This type of content is highly engaging and helps boost your post into the spotlight.
Add audio or sound to your TikTok videos
I bet you won’t see often a video on TikTok with no sound.
Because audio or sound is a big deal on TikTok.
Just see how the short-form video platform impacts how the industry promotes music.
Choose a unique sound, or simply attach one of the currently trending songs.
If you don’t want to use a song, make sure you explain everything clearly
Since TikTok transcribes every part of a video for ranking matters.
Engage with fellow TikTok networks & understand key conversations
Being up to date is also important to implement TikTok optimization.
Stay in touch with other creators in the same niche and see what’s in the discussion.
It helps you map the audience’s demand for content.
Also, if you are interacting with others, hype up their posts, like & comment, and chat with each other.
It’s the same with building an opportunity for others to do the same thing to you.
Building networks might not affect the ranking directly,
But strong performance metrics like rewatch rate, completion rate, or share & save counts,
Will help boost your post to the top ranking.
Work with the best TikTok influencers
Lastly, expand your influence by collaborating with the best creators on the platform.
Their special relationship with their audience is what makes this scheme highly valued.
Also, it’s another perfect way to achieve precondition metrics needed for post-ranking.
My advice to dominate TikTok SEO in 2023 for you or your Brand
It’s 2023 and TikTok has dethroned Google as the most popular search engine.
There is no time to waste.
Continue or just start to create SEO-friendly TikTok content to be more visible.
Brands have generated billions of dollars with SEO on Google.
Now, as TikTok is taking the position,
Brands (or you) need to take advantage of the situation and understand how TikTok rules its SEO ranking factors.
Being in top position benefits brands in many ways.
You can gain more reach, engagement, and even lead generation.
While fulfilling the requirements seems quite difficult as you must generate some important metrics
Such as rewatch rate, completion rate, and more.
That’s why building networks is also the perfect way to be on top.
Work with content creators & actively interact with fellow businesses.
Did you find good tips? Or do you have more helpful tricks to be on top results?
Share your answer with us and inspire others in the comment section 🙂
Note: Contribute your thoughts and contact us here if you think we miss something to talk about.
All your Questions about SEO on TikTok
Does Search Engine Optimisation really work on TikTok?
Of course. The fact that TikTok wins over Google has created a huge shift in the industry. “Google it” will not be relevant anymore and more social apps will take SEO into consideration. The situation will then create more changes in the future, like how Google upgrades its search results to show more short-form videos like TikTok and YouTube Shorts.
What kind of SEO content works best on TikTok?
Humor. TikTok is known for entertainment content, so funny, mindless videos will always be in the central attention. However, as TikTok is evolving, more & more creative, educational, and informational videos also succeed to find its fanbases, such as Educational. Trends, Influencers, Local content.
Does timing matter on TikTok SEO?
Yes. But broader, the moment you publish your TikTok videos, it triggers the algorithm. On TikTok, your posting time is more crucial than the other social media platforms. The timing of your posts greatly determines how many people watch your content in the For You section
Article By
Gregory Taslaud
Founder and Full time Blogger at INSG. Inbound Marketing enthusiast since 2001, I love data, test and review Tools. On a mission to build Media & eCommerce projects with various Brands and Creators.