In today’s digital age, businesses strive to maximize their online presence to gain a competitive edge. While Google remains a dominant search engine, TikTok has emerged as a powerful platform for content creation and engagement. Due to its increased popularity, 40% of the Gen Z use TikTok as a search engine, rather than relying solely on traditional search engines such as Google & Bing.
While seemingly unrelated, these two strategies can complement each other exceptionally well, leading to significant benefits for businesses looking to boost their online presence and attract local customers. A combined organic social and organic search strategy businesses can unlock new avenues for brand exposure, increase organic visibility, and effectively target local audiences. Recent stats show that there are 1 billion active TikTok users globally, giving us another reason to incorporate TikTok into our SEO strategies.
Let’s explore the benefits of optimizing TikTok videos for Google and how local businesses can leverage this combination to enhance their SEO and increase brand exposure.
Why Optimise TikTok Videos for SEO?
Google has started showing videos on search engine results pages (SERP) which pull in videos from TikTok. These videos are called ‘Short Videos’ and show on Google’s mobile results in two locations: Knowledge Panels and Organic Results.
Google is always on top of its game when it comes to understanding search intent. With this knowledge, it not only shows relevant profiles in response to a query but also presents a delightful carousel of TikTok videos from the “Discover” page that perfectly align with the keyword.
There are additional benefits of optimising TikTok Videos for Google, and these include:
- Expanded Reach: Google receives billions of search queries daily, making it a prime platform to showcase your brand. By optimizing TikTok videos to rank on Google, businesses can tap into a vast user base and attract potential customers who may not actively use TikTok.
- Enhanced Brand Visibility: Integrating TikTok videos on search results offers a unique opportunity for businesses to increase their brand visibility. This exposure can result in higher click-through rates, increased brand recognition and, ultimately, drive more traffic to their website or physical store.
- Diversified Content Strategy: TikTok’s short-form video format presents a refreshing and engaging way to communicate with audiences. By incorporating TikTok videos into their content strategy, businesses can diversify their media offerings, making their brand more appealing and accessible to a broader range of consumers.
How to Optimise TikTok Videos for SEO
Just like how you optimize the content on your website, you can also use smart tactics to boost your TikTok videos’ visibility. By incorporating keywords and analysing performance, not only will your videos gain more exposure within TikTok, but they will also appear on search engines like Google.
- Keyword Research: Identify relevant keywords related to your business, industry, or specific content within your TikTok videos. Incorporate these keywords in your video captions, descriptions, and hashtags to increase the chances of ranking on Google.
- Compelling Thumbnails and Titles: Create eye-catching thumbnails and captivating titles that entice users to click and view your TikTok video. Optimize these elements by incorporating relevant keywords while maintaining a clear and concise message.
- Cross-Platform Promotion: Share your TikTok videos across various social media platforms, your website, and blog. Embedding TikTok videos on relevant web pages can increase engagement, drive traffic, and provide Google with additional content to crawl and index.
- Collaborate with Influencers: Partner with influencers or content creators who have a substantial following on TikTok. By featuring your brand in their videos, you can tap into their audience and expand your reach. This collaboration also enhances the chances of your TikTok videos being shared and discovered on Google.
Optimizing Your TikTok for Local Search Targeting
Harnessing the power of TikTok to create content for your local business is a fantastic opportunity to establish a genuine connection with your audience. It allows you to effortlessly showcase your products, promotions, and unique features, leaving a lasting impression on potential customers.
Unlocking the potential of TikTok and reaching your target audience is all about mastering the art of local search and understanding the TikTok algorithm. With a strategic approach, you can captivate and engage your viewers, ensuring that your content gets seen by the right people.
Fortunately, the strategies that work best for businesses on social media also align with the best practices for dominating local SEO. By implementing these techniques, you can effectively boost your local online presence and reach a wider audience:
- Target local audiences: Local businesses thrive by attracting customers within their vicinity. Combining SEO techniques with TikTok videos allows these businesses to target specific geographical locations and connect with their local community effectively. Utilizing relevant hashtags, geolocation tags, and local references in TikTok videos can increase visibility among nearby users searching for local services or products.
- Create engaging content: TikTok’s emphasis on authenticity and user-generated content (UGC) aligns well with the needs of local businesses. By creating relatable and engaging TikTok videos, businesses can foster genuine connections with audiences, encouraging likes, comments, and shares. This engagement not only boosts brand visibility but also enhances SEO signals, indicating to Google that the content is relevant and valuable.
- Include on-screen text: Don’t underestimate the power of on-screen text on TikTok. It’s just as crucial as hashtags and captions. Make sure to enable closed captions, include captivating text on-screen, and create videos that are both relevant and engaging.
- Optimise your TikTok bio for local search: When it comes to creating your business TikTok bio, remember to include a direct link to your website and craft a brief, yet impactful, description that truly captures the essence of your brand. By doing so, you’ll be able to drive traffic to your site and leave a lasting impression on potential customers.
Incorporating TikTok videos into your SEO strategy is a powerful way to boost brand visibility, increase organic presence, and connect with a wider audience. Local businesses, in particular, can benefit from this combination by targeting specific geographic locations and engaging with their local community.
For more information on how to execute a Local SEO and TikTok strategy, contact us today. Our team will be more than happy to have a chat to figure out the best strategy for your business.