TikTok SEO Tips to Help You Grow Your Account
May 19, 2023
TikTok is one of the biggest and trendiest social media platforms out there, with a user base of over 1.5 billion. TikTok hosts short-form video content, and platforms like Instagram and Facebook have begun to follow suit. If you’re a budding content creator trying to grow or a marketer looking to reach a younger audience, a TikTok SEO strategy is crucial. SEO, or search engine optimization, is the way to increase your visibility in search queries.
Just as SEO can push websites higher on Google search pages, it also helps determine what’s popular on TikTok. You can tailor a piece of content so it appears in the “For You” feed on TikTok, which will introduce your content to users interested in similar content. With the right SEO strategy, you’ll grow your account, and increase your chances of going viral. Leverage the massive influence of TikTok by following these SEO tips!
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Stay on Top of Trends
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Engage With the Community’s Platform
Not only are challenge videos algorithm-friendly, they’re also a great way to engage with other users on the platform. Building connections with other creators exposes your content to new audiences, and collaboration videos often get better engagement than solo ones.
Participating in duets, stitches, and challenges are all frequent methods of interaction on TikTok. Another popular way creators respond to their audiences is by making videos responding or playing off of comments. Encouraging interaction with your audience by liking and responding to comment. This signals to TikTok’s algorithm your content is popular and worth promoting.
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Create Compelling Content
The foundation of a great TikTok account is one that understands its audience. There’s a niche for every kind of audience on TikTok — pet lovers, artists, influencers, and more. Research and identify the interests, preferences, and demographics of the viewers you want to attract. Understanding your audience will allow to you to tailor your videos to their interests, whether it's through comedy skits, fashion hauls, or DIY tutorials. By making videos in your niche, you'll be able to gain consistent views from your target audience. Commit yourself to making the best content possible, and the rest wil follow.
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Optimize Video Description
In September 2022, TikTok expanded the limit of a video’s description from 300 characters to 2,200. The longer length now allows you to describe the video's content, get closer with your audience, and generate more engagement. Here are a few ways you can leverage the description to maximize searchability:
On TikTok, micro-trends rule supreme. Trends pass a mile a minute on TikTok, and because they move so fast, you’ll need to keep a pulse on all the current ones. Participating in trends are one of the biggest methods of optimizing your TikTok content. The easiest way to figure out what’s new on the platform is by exploring the trending hashtags. The TikTok trending page, labeled “Discover” at the bottom of the page, also shows trending content.
On top of using current keyword hashtags, you should also stay on top of trending sounds. Certain snippets of songs often trend on the platform, and lend themselves to fun and engaging content. In fact, 88% of users report sound being essential to TikTok videos they watch. You may find it useful to use a website like Tokboard, which tracks trending songs and sounds.
Catchy sounds and songs are often combined with challenges, another popular form of content. You can browse challenges by entering #TikTokchallenge or #challlenge in TikTok’s search bar. Whether you decide to use a trending song or try a challenge, just be sure you’re creating relevant content for your industry. Trends are good ways to draw more viewers, but it’s more important your content reaches the target audience in your industry than users just browsing new videos.
Use Relevant Keywords
Incorporate relevant keywords in your video description to improve its visibility. Consider the video's main theme or topic and include keywords that are likely to be searched by users. Here's a simple example: If you're sharing a recipe for pie, you could insert keywords like "best recipe for pie" or "low calorie pie recipe". Be sure to include long tail and high volume keywords. Long tail keywords capture niche search terms from users, while high volume keywords are the most searched for. Including both of these keywords will make a big difference in your SEO strategy.
Include Hashtags
Hashtags play a significant role in TikTok SEO. Include a mix of popular and niche hashtags related to your video's theme. These hashtags help categorize your content, making it more likely to come across users who follow specific hashtags. Never overload your description with unrelated hashtags. TikTok is all about relevancy, and doing this will hurt your SEO.
Add a Call to Action (CTA)
Encourage viewers to like, comment, share, or follow your account. The best place to put your CTA is at the top or bottom of the description. A simple statement like "Double tap if you found this helpful!" or "Tag a friend who needs to see this" goes a long way in increasing your video's visibility and reach.
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Experiment With Video Length and Editing
TikToks are usually short videos, but you can record up to 15 minutes. Experiment with different video lengths and editing techniques to see what works best for your content. Short videos tend to perform well due to their snackable nature. For SEO purposes, it’s best to keep your videos within 10 to 60 seconds. That’s still quite a range of length for you to experiment with. Try longer videos for more dense, storytelling content.
The versatility of TikTok’s platform lends itself well to creativity. You can use different transitions, effects, and filters to make your videos pop and stand out to viewers. With so many videos rapidly popping up on the platform, it’s important that yours are eye-catching and attractive.
Filters are easy to use and apply. Just open the app and tap the record button. Then, select the button with three dots. This will lead you to the effects gallery. All you have to do is choose your favorite and shoot the video. If you've already recorded your video without a filter, don't worry. You can still add the effect after shooting the video with the same method by selecting the filters icon.
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Repurpose TikToks for Other Mediums
TikTok is an ever-growing, ever-changing platform. You can never quite predict which videos will go viral or which ones will flop. It can be aggravating to put so much work into a video, only for it to not get the engagement you want. Even if you pay attention to the trends, it’s not always the best idea to rely on TikTok’s algorithm. There’s an easy solution for this. Instead of letting your video slip through the cracks, give it a second chance at life on Youtube shorts, Instagram, or even as a blog post.
Another way of optimizing your TikTok account is to transcribe your videos and repurpose them into other types of content, including social media posts, microblogs, and more.
Don’t only rely on TikTok and its volatile algorithm. Get the transcripts of your videos and turn those into blogs and other social content. Create content on other platforms using your transcripts to ensure your content gets the exposure and engagement it needs. By plugging your video into Maestra’s audio or video-to-text tool, you’ll get your transcripts in a few short minutes! Get your first minute of a TikTok video transcribed today for free or sign up for a demo now.
May 19, 2023
