Tik Tok SEO – Here’s Everything You Need To Know

We all heard about Tik Tok and SEO (search engine optimization). In case you are not aware,

“SEO is the process of maximizing the number of visitors to a particular website by ensuring that the site appears high on the list of results returned by a search engine. “ – definition from Oxford Languages

That might seem complicated so let’s just make it simple. SEO is what you do to make sure your content appears higher in search engine results. And Tik Tok IS at its core a search engine. Your FYP will show content based on an internal algorithm. The search feature is a search engine. You get it.

What Is Tik Tok SEO?

Tik Tok SEO practically means optimizing the videos you upload to TK so they rank higher in the platform’s search.

Technically, Tik Tok is not a search engine. But everything with a search bar can be involved in an optimization campaign. This is why SEO is actually big on this platform, and on social media in general.

I should also add that 40% of younger people now use TikTok and Instagram when they look for something, not Google. It is a great time to be on the platform. Also, if you optimize your videos, they might get some traffic from Google too as results now appear in Google searches.

Main Tik Tok SEO Ranking Factors

We have to start with the basics. The first step is always understanding what you deal with. In Tik Tok SEO, we first have to think about the ranking factors, what the platform uses to determine what it shows first. The main factors you should know are:

User Interactions

This includes any type of interaction, like a video you like, a video you add to a list of favorites, and even a video you fully watch. Such data is taken into account to determine the videos that are shown to you, especially on the FYP page.

Because of this ranking factor, it is always a great help when your friends like your videos. It is even better when they comment. If you have a community that responds like that, even better! Sharing your video to other networks and on channels like Discord can thus help without it actually being SEO work.

Video Information

Tik Tok analyzes all the information in the video to rank it. Basically, everything you offer, like hashtags, music, sound effects, and (very important) captions. Covering trending topics is even more effective because of having a higher chance to interact with more people.

You want to take a look at the keywords you add in descriptions, titles, and even in captions.

An AI caption tool can actually help you rank better and get more views.

Further help here: 5 Best AI Captions App for Tik Tok in 2024

Account Settings And Devices

I am talking about the settings used by Tik Tok to optimize the performance of their entire network. This includes things like country setting (you always see more content from those users that are physically present in your country), mobile device type, interest categories selected, and language preferences.

Fortunately, these things do not impact ranking as much as other factors. It is important to remember this. When we have a smaller account with fewer followers, for instance, there are more videos shown from the same country. As the account grows, the other factors have a higher influence and you can start getting more traffic from other countries.

Follower Count

I have to mention this because it is a huge misconception. Most people think that your follower count influences how much you are shown on the network and even SEO rankings. This is not the case. In reality, it is the quality of the content and how much the audience resonates with it that will influence rankings more.

Think about the fact that even with a small account with 50 followers, you can have a clip with 20 views and a clip with 20,000 views. Maybe even more.

The Connection With Google

I also have to talk about this a little because when it comes to Tik Tok, many do not even think about Google. Since you can get good traffic from Google, it would be a shame not to at least do some little things.

The problem with Google is that the company is not at all transparent when it comes to their ranking algorithm. If you talk to anyone who tells you they know the ranking algorithm and what to do to guarantee high rankings, you are talking to a scammer. Even so, the following ranking factors have been proven to be considered. And you can take advantage of that when you optimize your Tik Tok videos.

Keywords

If you are not aware, keywords are practically phrases and words you type in the search engine as you look for something. For instance, if you look for a restaurant in Boston, you will most likely search for something like “the best restaurants in Boston”. If you are concerned that you are balding, you will look for something like “how to stop balding”.

Fortunately, the way in which you use keywords in your Tik Tok videos will automatically be good for Google rankings too. Your descriptions and the hashtags you use are very important.

Expertise

The top spots are not available for everyone, as you might think. You need to show authority to be considered. This is why you often see the same sites at the top of search results. If you look for something related to health, you will see Mayo Clinic or Healthline in the top results.

The problem with authority is that it is very hard to get. Fortunately, this does grow in time. And your followers do count, of course, as you surely already imagined.

Relevance

Content has to be related to the search for a good rank. If you look for WWII history, you will not see shoe care tips. The same goes for Tik Tok. If someone looks for Kamala Harris videos, they will not see clips about WWII history. But, you might see some clips of Donald Trump because there is a connection between them, as they are both presidential candidates.

The key takeaway from this is that you want to create relevant content on Tik Tok. If you are gaming, you want to mainly create gaming content. This will help you get followers and more video views than having a mix of different clips about countless things.

Doing Tik Tok SEO On Your Clips

Now that we have some extra knowledge, here are some tips to help you improve the SEO of all your Tik Tok videos.

Your Target Audience Comes First

You should not start with the text. Or even with the actual clip. You should start with the audience that you want. And understanding that audience is the most important thing you will ever do on Tik Tok if you want to be a content creator. When you know what your audience looks for, the content you create can actually resonate.

We have two cases:

1. You are already on Tik Tok and you have a good following
2. You are not on Tik Tok or you just started out and your following is small

With option 1, you most likely already know some things about your audience. You get a feel of what people who follow you like and you do not like. But, you should always do all you can to gain even more information.

A great thing to do is to actually click on the profiles of the people who interact with your clips. See what hashtags they interact with to see if you might use them in your clips and the clips they love the most. Analyze commends or messages you receive from your audience. This also helps with information about interests.

This is important for Tik Tok SEO because it helps you to write better descriptions and titles. They will then be easier to find in searches. To put things as simple as possible, you should always aim to create content your target audience really wants to see. Once you know that information, you can use it in your future content for better discoverability.

With option 2, you need to learn how to analyze a target audience without having access to one. You should read this article about finding your target audience. It is not complete but it is a good start. Ask me more on Twitch or Twitter for extra details.

Conduct Keyword Research

With regular, traditional SEO, keyword research is very important. So, why wouldn’t it also be important for Tik Took? You want to look for phrases the target audience uses as they look for content that is similar to what you create or you want to create. Also, think about related words that can be used as they should be included.

Traditional keyword research tools are meant to help with Google SEO. Unfortunately, we do not have really good tools I can recommend when it comes to keyword research for Tik Tok Videos.

Most of the research you will do will be manual. This means using the Tik Tok search bar and entering keywords that you think might work. The search bar is often auto-populated with popular keywords. Also, when you add a hashtag to a clip, you will get an estimate of videos uploaded with it. All of this information can help you get keyword ideas.

One tool you could use though is KeywordsTool. It is a paid option but you can get recommendations for free. You just do not get the data associated with it. If you do not have money to pay for a membership, you can always just use the Tik Tok app to check numbers.

Add Keywords To The Tik Tok Content You Create

After you get a list of keywords, it is time to use them. Some will work, some will not. You will need to create several videos, especially when your audience is small, so you can see what works and what does not work.

The keywords should be added in Tik Tok video titles, descriptions, and even captions. It is also a very good idea to say those keywords in your video. Make sure they are audible and clearly understood. Tik Tok will prioritize such clips. This is why you rarely see clips with people who use a soft voice in em with many views. And most videos that get many views do have the voice crystal clear, sometimes quite loud.

Keywords can also he added to hashtags. The main keyword and variations of it can be used. However, only do that when the addition makes sense.

Important Note: NEVER use too many hashtags. This is an old practice that used to work. Now, it is considered spam. If you see a video with many hashtags in them and many views, something else is in play.

The last thing to mention because I have to is that when you have some main relevant keywords, they should be added to your profile. This increases the visibility of the profile as people look for such keywords. Also, it offers your potential followers insight into the content that you often post or why you should be followed.

Add The TikTok To A Microblog (Extra Tip)

This is an extra tip that you should consider whenever possible.

If you do not know what a microblog is, read this article.

The reason why you want to do this is that blogging is very important for Google search rankings. Google prioritizes fresh and relevant content. Blogs exist to offer exactly that.

All you have to do is create a good microblog post. Discuss the topic that you cover in the TikTok video. Then, go a little further and include the most important keywords, in the title whenever possible, or in the text you write. Make sure to also add your embedded Tik Tok video in that post.

For instance, you can create a post in Twitter (X) and talk about your video. Then, you add the video link too.

Always Track Your Tik Tok SEO Progress

How do you know if you chose the best keywords? How do you know if they work? Are your efforts in vain or are you on the right track? What are the best keywords to use?

All of these are questions you have to think about. After you do work on your videos, your work does not actually stop. You have to analyze your results so you get more data for the future content you are about to upload.

The best thing you can do is to track Tik Tok Analytics. You get insights into how the videos perform, the engagement you get, and so much more. Analyze these around one week after you upload your video. You might even find it that there are some things you can do better, like removing keywords that do not really produce results.

This is a long-term process. You will have to keep analyzing your videos and your results. You will not notice patterns in a month. But you will if you keep uploading and working hard on your Tik Tok videos.

Final Thoughts

Obviously, doing good Tik Tok SEO work does not guarantee success. At the end of the day, the quality of your videos and things like how entertaining the video is or how useful it is will play a major role in your growth. But, every little extra bit helps.

Always remember that promoting anything online is all about data. It is difficult and the competition is always huge. This means you need to work really hard. The advice above will help but you need more. And posting often is usually the best thing you could do.