TikTok SEO: How to Increase TikTok Views Using Keywords
TikTok is a search engine as well as a social media site. In this article, I’ll show you how to increase your TikTok views by including keywords into your TikTok SEO approach.
We’re all aware that the For You page algorithm and viral videos (some of which appear to have been hand-picked by staff) are at the heart of the TikTok user experience. TikTok, despite its reputation for serving you addictively interesting entertainment without you having to lift a finger, is also a formidable search engine.
Many social media networks, such as Instagram and YouTube, offer powerful search capabilities and can be used as search engines, but TikTok is well ahead of the curve. In fact, 40% of Gen Z users prefer TikTok to Google for online information.
TikTok has picked up on this as well. They’ve started to present themselves as a search engine to users, as evidenced by this ad with the exact tagline “search it with TikTok.”
So, if TikTok consumers use it like a video search engine, and TikTok product marketing treats it like a video search engine, it stands to reason that creators and brands should, too. That requires developing a TikTok SEO plan.
Let’s look at how to locate and leverage TikTok keywords to increase your reach with TikTok SEO.
TikTok Keyword Research Procedure
Keyword research is an important component of any SEO plan.
Finding and adding powerful keywords into your content helps it rank better in search engine results such as Google. The same may be said with TikTok searches.
SEO specialists conduct classic keyword research using tools such as SEMRush and Moz to locate terms and phrases to target in their writing.
Unfortunately, these tools were created with solely Google in mind. While they may be a fantastic beginning point for researching comparable keywords and semantically relevant concepts, they are informing your research with data from Google rather than TikTok.
TikTok’s strong, high-opportunity keywords frequently deviate from Google’s trends. Because there are no TikTok-specific SEO tools available at the moment, the best place to locate TikTok keywords is TikTok itself.
Where Can I Find TikTok Keywords?
Ask yourself, “What is my video actually about?” before you open the TikTok app.
Answer the question in a single word or brief sentence. For example, if you manage a tiny, indie bookstore’s social media account and routinely provide content promoting specific titles to get viewers to shop at your business, your topic may be “book rec” or “book recommendation.”
That is your major keyword; that is where you begin. Once you’ve obtained it, navigate to TikTok’s Search page.
In the search bar, enter your primary term. This is where the magic occurs:
TikTok will generate a list of search ideas for you. These are all semantically relevant keywords to your core keyword, aka the content of your video. Copy the essential keywords from the suggested results to create a good list of TikTok keywords to include in your video.
The search results page is another area to check for term variations. Scroll down to the “Others searched for” results after clicking on one of the search options. This is useful if you want to delve deeper into specialty keywords.
In this example, you can see how the primary keyword “book recommendation” might lead you to more specific keywords like “book recommendation fantasy,” “Best Fiction Books for Men,” “cozy book recommendations,” and so on.
While you could definitely come up with some of these keyword variations in a brainstorming session, grabbing them directly from TikTok’s search function will yield better results.
Not only is it faster, but TikTok’s suggested search terms will be trending and popular terms connected to your initial inquiry. This means more views from those searching for your video.
Bonus: Using TikTok search to conduct keyword research is a terrific method to fill your content calendar with term-rich video ideas.
How to Incorporate Keywords into TikTok Videos
Now that you’ve compiled a list of winning keywords, it’s time to incorporate them into your film.
While you should include these keywords in your speech if you’re talking or putting a voiceover in your video, TikTok is also looking for context in the text portions of your video when determining which films to display up on search. This means you can include your keywords as text on the screen, in the caption, or even in the comments section.
Let’s take a closer look at each of those possibilities:
1) Using Text Elements to Add TikTok Keywords
The TikTok algorithm considers all text on the screen, but prioritizes text added with their own tools. So, if you usually edit your TikToks with a third-party video editor or repurpose other content for your TikTok channel, make sure you execute this step within TikTok.
Film and submit your TikTok as usual, then click the “Add text” button in the editor’s right side menu.
To make your video stand out in the search results, include your major keyword in an on-screen title or caption. To persist with the “book proposal” theme, this could stand “Ten Book Suggestions from an Indie Bookshop.”
You can also make your keywords invisible. Pinch the text to make it as small as possible, then drag it to a screen corner. TikTok will assume you’re attempting to erase it if you slide it too far, but it should be mostly out of frame.
This manner, your keywords are still counted by the algorithm and contribute to your TikTok’s SEO, but they aren’t clogging up the screen for viewers and distracting from the video’s real content.
Check This Out: How to Create 10 Minute TikToks That People Will Watch
2) Including TikTok Keywords in the Video Description
When you’ve finished stuffing all of your keywords into the corner of your video, select next and start writing your video description. To capture the actual content of the video, use a combination of your major keyword and other specialty keywords.
One thing to remember is that you don’t want to keyword stuff. There’s no proof that TikTok’s algorithm penalizes keyword stuffing in the same way that Google does (yet! ), but if your caption is just a stream of random words, it’s still pretty off-putting to a viewer.
TikTok hashtags are your friend if you want to add more keywords to the caption. Yes, people will see them in the caption, but hashtags are more forgiving than random word salad. TikTok also displays the views per hashtag in the editor, making it simple to add the proper ones and give your video a boost.
You may also use keywords in the titles of your TikTok playlists to help them appear in search results.
3) Incorporating TikTok Keywords into Comments
You can start the comment area once you’ve posted your video. This is good practice in general, and it may be a fun place to add humorous notes or pertinent details that aren’t included in the description or video itself.
It’s also prime keyword real estate.
Again, don’t overdo it with the word salad. Check that the comment is relevant and adds value to the user experience. Asking a question is a smart approach to start the conversation and a natural method to work in keywords. “Have you accepted any cozy book suggestions I overlooked?”
If you follow these steps to incorporate keyword research and TikTok SEO into your TikTok content strategy, you will be able to tap into TikTok’s huge potential as a search engine. That means you’ll get more views for your films without having to rely on the erratic nature of the For You Page.
Bonus Tip: Don’t just leave it alone. Keep an eye on your TikTok analytics to see how well your SEO plan is working. If you notice a rise in views, likes, comments, and followers, it signifies you’re on the correct track.
If you found this useful, explore the rest of our Resources Library for more content creation tips, methods, and tactics.