Algorithms aren’t the only way to get your content in front of the right people.
Social SEO gives you the leverage to get your posts in front of users actively searching for your products and services.
It’s one of the biggest trends we identified in our Social Media Trends 2024 report, and social platforms like YouTube, Pinterest, Instagram, and TikTok now all use functionality that mimics search engines like Google.
Here’s what social SEO means for your business and how to use it to expand your social media reach.
Understanding Social Media SEO
Social SEO is all about adding searchable keywords to your captions, alt-text, closed captions and profile to boost your visibility, discoverability, and engagement on social media platforms.
To understand social SEO, you need to understand the basics of traditional search engine optimization (SEO).
• Traditional SEO: Focuses SEO efforts on optimizing websites to rank higher in Google search results. It uses tactics like keyword optimization, backlinks, and domain authority.
• Social Media SEO: Focuses on optimizing content on social media platforms to enhance visibility and engagement within those platforms.
While traditional SEO drives traffic to websites, social media SEO aims to increase a brand’s presence and engagement on social networks. Both strategies complement each other; a strong presence on social media can positively impact a website’s search engine ranking and vice versa.
Social Media SEO is increasingly important in 2024 due to the changing behaviours of younger generations like Gen Z.
According to a recent PwC report, 44% of Gen Z consumers globally use social media as their leading source of information when researching products they intend to buy.
If you don’t have a social SEO strategy in place, now is the time to make it a top priority.
Key Components of Social Media SEO
Optimizing Social Media Profiles
Optimizing your profiles for search is vital because it improves your online visibility on both social channels and search engines. A well-optimized profile can attract more followers, increase engagement, and enhance your brand’s credibility.
Here’s how to optimize your social media profiles for search:
• Facebook: Use your main keywords in your Page title, vanity URL, About section, and description.
• Instagram: Add keywords to your name, handle, bio, and location if relevant to your business.
• TikTok: Add keywords to your user profile bio.
• Twitter: Use relevant keywords in your Twitter handle, name, and bio.
• Pinterest: Add your main keyword to your username and About section.
• LinkedIn: Optimize your LinkedIn page using the most relevant keywords in your About section and tagline.
Keyword Research for Social Media
Before you can improve your search visibility in social SEO, you need to know what keywords you want to rank for and what terms your target audience is using.
How to Identify Relevant Keywords for Your Industry
• Start by understanding the specific language and terms your target audience uses when discussing your industry.
• Analyze competitor profiles on social media to see what keywords they are using effectively in their posts and hashtags.
• Engage in social listening by monitoring industry-related conversations on social media to pick up frequently used terms and phrases.
• Utilize industry forums and online communities to gather insights on trending topics and relevant keywords.
Tools and Techniques for Effective Keyword Research
• Leverage tools like Google Keyword Planner, Keysearch, Answer The Public or Ahrefs to find keywords with high search volumes in your industry.
• Use social media-specific tools, like TikTok’s free Keyword Insights tool, to track the performance and popularity of searchable keywords on the platform.
• Conduct keyword research before planning your calendar, and use SEO FAQs and keywords to inspire your upcoming Reels, TikTok and YouTube videos.
Content Optimization
Once your profile and keywords are ready, it’s time to optimize your social content for search.
Here’s how to do it:
• Keyword Buckets: Create content buckets for your keywords. It will make it easier to decide what words and phrases you want to include for each post. For example, if you’re a solo female traveller, you could have keywords for specific posts related to solo travel tips, solo travel destinations, and safety tips for female travellers.
• Natural Inclusion: Next, incorporate these keywords into your captions and descriptions in a natural and organic way. Avoid keyword stuffing. Your captions should always read like a human and engage the reader.
• Evergreen Keywords and Content: Along with leveraging SEO keywords in your account bios and post captions, ensure your 2024 content strategy prioritises evergreen content that answers commonly asked questions your customers are searching for on social media.
By following these two tips, you’ll ensure your keywords are always contextually relevant to your post and make the content valuable and searchable.
Utilizing Hashtags Effectively
Utilizing hashtags effectively in Social Media SEO is essential for enhancing your content’s visibility.
It links your content to specific topics, trends, or conversations, making it easier for your target audience to find your posts.
Best Practices for Hashtag Usage on Different Platforms
- Instagram: Use a mix of popular, niche, and brand-specific hashtags in your caption or first comment. While Instagram allows up to 30 hashtags per post, using around 6-10 is optimal.
- TikTok: Hashtags on TikTok are crucial for trends. Use trending hashtags along with specific ones that describe your video and industry. But don’t get carried away. Stick to 1-3 hyper-relevant hashtags on TikTok.
- Pinterest: Keep your hashtags relevant for searchability. Use 2-5 hashtags that complement your main keywords.
- X/Twitter: Stick to 1-2 hashtags per tweet. With limited characters on the platform, you only want to use hashtags that are relevant to what people are searching for and support your tweet.
- Creating Branded Hashtags for Increased Visibility
Branded hashtags play a significant role in social media SEO by creating a unique identifier for your brand or campaign.
They help aggregate all content related to your brand, making it easier for users to find and engage with your posts.
When users use your branded hashtag, it increases the reach of your content and contributes to building a community around your brand. This user-generated content acts as social proof, enhancing your credibility and visibility on social media platforms.
Social Media and Search Engine Integration
Search engines like Google index social media content, making it discoverable via search queries.
As Google continues to serve social media posts as search results of queries, social SEO will have a huge impact on rankings and visibility.
So, how can you make sure Google indexes your social media posts?
Easy.
Use the same traditional SEO strategies like:
• Use relevant hashtags and keywords for your business.
• Create a bio with important information about your brand.
• Link back to your website.
Tools and Analytics for Social Media SEO
Think you know what people are searching for online?
Back up your hunch with data.
Here are some tools to help you determine how people search for content online and which terms will attract your target audience.
Google Analytics: Add it to your website, and you can track which keywords are sending traffic to specific pages. While these keywords may differ for your social content, it’s a good place to start and understand what problems drive your audience to seek you out.
Answer The Public: Enter a word or phrase in this free tool, and you’ll get a list of questions related to the topic people search for on Google. It’s perfect for generating a list of ideas for FAQ-style content.
Google Trends: This is another free tool to drill down into specific search terms and their popularity. Enter a keyword, and you’ll see if its search traffic is on the rise or decline and a list of related topics and queries.
The Search Bar: Sometimes, the best research takes place in the app. Open up your social media platforms and type in a keyword to see what comes up in the search bar. You’ll get a list of suggested auto completions as well as potential hashtag options.
Keyword Insights: For TikTok, it doesn’t get better than its Creative Center’s Keyword Insights. See trending script keywords and drill down to see popularity change for phrases, view rate, likes, shares, and comments.
A Case Study: TBH Skincare
The Aussie beauty brand TBH Skincare team have nailed this SEO approach, creating an engaging and informative TikTok video about Benzoyl Peroxide (an SEO keyword relevant to acne-prone customers).
TBH uses one of its signature products to answer the common audience FAQ: “Will your spot treatment bleach my towels or sheets?”.
Not only has this video reached over 1 million viewers, but it’s been saved nearly 2k times.
@tbhskincare Ever wondered if our acne hack spot treatment might turn your towels into a tie-dye bleach masterpiece? We couldn’t resist putting her to the ultimate test 👩🔬✨ #tbhskincare #acnehackspottreatment #bleachtest #benzoylperoxide ♬ original sound – tbh skincare
Wrapping Up: The Future of Social Media SEO
Up until now, social SEO has been focused primarily on keywords. While a well-optimized bio and injecting keywords into post captions are still recommended, we predict social SEO will evolve in 2024 to focus more broadly on a brand’s overall content strategy.
What does that mean?
SEO keywords, FAQs and trending topics must inform the evergreen content you’re creating on social media channels.
Rather than only sprinkling keywords into your captions, social SEO best practices will evolve in 2024 to encourage brands to create content that responds to their audience’s search intent (while still engaging and entertaining viewers).
Download the Social Media Trends to Watch 2024 Report and discover how to adapt your strategy to boost your reach, engagement, and sales.
