Social SEO is on the rise with nearly 40% of users ages 18 to 24 using TikTok and Instagram as the new search engines. Plus, have you noticed TikTok and YouTube videos popping up as search results on platforms like Google? While search engine optimization is a core piece of business strategies, many brands are overlooking social platforms as an extension of their SEO planning. In addition to optimizing branded social channels to increase searchability, brands should be working with influencers on non-traditional channels.
Tapping a selection of nano influencers to support SEO will not only increase social searchability, but will also drive a steady drum of creative assets while maintaining authentic messaging for added awareness. This steady pulse of evergreen influencer content will be hugely beneficial as younger generations look to social media platforms for answers!
Follow these best practices from our influencer marketing experts to optimize influencer content for social media SEO:
Social SEO becomes important during unbranded searches, where consumers turn to TikTok, Instagram and Youtube to solve a problem. In terms of platform capabilities, searching is most easily accessible on TikTok and YouTube and most limited on Instagram. Regardless, users are now rushing to all three of these platforms to find the best product and service recommendations. Given select social videos have the ability to populate in Google search, optimizing your content for SEO can help you gain reach and visibility beyond the social platform’s search bar.
Keywords and content relevance are the most important part of social media SEO. If someone searches TikTok to find the “best shampoo for dry hair” – a steady supply of influencer content with strategic keywords will allow the brand’s solution to auto populate in the search. In order to discover what keywords should be included, along with the type of content that will resonate, you’ll need to have a deep understanding of your audience.
Once you align on the target audience, you’ll begin by creating a list of relevant and trending keywords and hashtags. Keep in mind that most people aren’t searching for brand names only! You’ll want to lean into unbranded search terms by finding keywords that are relevant to your brand.
Once you have your keywords ready, seek out some of the most searched phrases by typing in the platform’s search bar. For example, if you’re a skincare brand with natural ingredients you may search for “natural skincare.” On TikTok, additional searches will automatically populate, showing highly searched results such as “natural skincare routine,” “natural skincare products,” and “natural skincare for acne,” giving you the opportunity to see if any relate to your brand or products.
You can use this with any keywords you’d like to create your full list of phrases and hashtags to inform your TikTok SEO strategy. Keywords must be relevant to the content, and should be a part of the content’s caption, description, text within the video, hashtags, and comments.
Developing a network of hyper-nano influencers who align with your brand ethos is important, as users often look to real people for true and authentic reviews. No matter their size, everyone has the same chances of landing on the For You Page (FYP) and within social SEO ranking.
Although content is informed by keywords, authenticity is key. Let influencers take lead during the content development process for more authenticity in less polished assets with a grassroots feel. With a specific focus on social SEO, influencers should create evergreen assets that will still make sense a year from now.
You’ll want your influencer partners to create content inspired by your keyword and search findings, so they can incorporate relevant words and phrases into their video. This is where they can focus on more than just hashtags. Keywords should be included within captions, text within the video, hashtags, and comments. Influencers should use them to the fullest (without overdoing it) and ensure their video content is relevant.
Ranking high in social media SEO does not happen overnight. Plan for the long game with content flowing consistently. You can begin by deploying assets regularly for 6+ months. The longer, the better! Content with keywords will have a long shelf life and can still pull into searches even a year from now!
If you haven’t started to improve your ranking on social media platforms, now is the time to take action! Reach out to info@socialflyny.com to learn more about using influencers to boost social SEO.
Written By: Cara Duffy, Account Supervisor, Influencer Marketing