TikTok, already regarded as a search engine among younger generations, is now appearing in Google’s organic search results with its short video content. With recent updates to Google’s algorithm, we have started seeing increased visibility of social platforms like Reddit in organic search, and the same is happening for TikTok. Initially, when TikTok began appearing in search results, users often had to include “TikTok” as part of their query. This is no longer the case, and TikTok now shows up for search terms like “things to do in [location]”.

What Has Changed?

In addition to Google’s algorithm updates changing how search engines display SERPs and the type of content that is prioritized, we are also seeing changes within the TikTok app that could have contributed to the increased visibility of TikTok in Google searches. In September 2022, TikTok announced that it would expand the character limit for post descriptions from 300 characters to 2,200 characters. With this expanded limit, users can now include more detailed descriptions of their videos, targeting several keywords and improving the discoverability of this content by Google.

There have also been rumors that TikTok and Google are negotiating a potential partnership for better integration. Since these speculations, some users report a new feature within TikTok search results, appearing as an additional search bar directing users to Google search.

But besides optimizing video descriptions, what can be done to get TikTok content to appear in Google’s organic results?

Maximizing Keywords

To ensure your content performs well, it’s important to know the current TikTok trends. This applies both to performance within the app and potential performance in Google’s organic results. These trends may include popular hashtags, sounds, and challenges. Sounds, in particular, play an important role in the app – 88% of users say that sounds in TikTok are “essential” to their overall experience. Sounds allow users to creatively process content and make it relatable, which is more likely to drive your organic growth within TikTok itself. By increasing your presence on TikTok, you also create additional opportunities to appear in Google searches.

Keywords can be used not only in descriptions but also within the video itself. They can be included in the spoken content, video text, captions, or even as hashtags. Adding search keywords to these various areas gives TikTok and Google a better understanding of your content, making it easier to offer it to a relevant audience. This makes it an important aspect of your organic search strategy. As TikTok continues to improve its in-app search features, using keywords becomes increasingly important in boosting your influence within the app.

Beyond video descriptions and the videos themselves, there are several other areas to consider when optimizing TikTok content for SEO.

Your TikTok Username

Your TikTok username is another area where you can include keywords. When creating a username, it also becomes your URL. By creating an optimized username, you create an optimized URL, thereby increasing your chances of ranking. Although space is more limited in terms of characters, it’s still an important opportunity to consider when aiming to appear in Google’s organic results.

Your TikTok Bio

Optimizing your bio (a short description of your account) is an opportunity to target relevant keywords for the content you provide. Even better, if you have more than 1,000 followers, you can add a link to your bio. If you think ahead, this can be a well-optimized web page you’ve already created. You can add a link to your TikTok bio and also add a link from your website to your TikTok account, creating backlinks for both.

Embedding Videos on Pages

Finally, embedding TikTok videos on well-optimized web pages can increase your chances of appearing in SERPs. To do this, you can get the code from TikTok, place it on a selected web page, and even tag the video with Video Schema, further boosting your chances. This is especially important as Google continues to test what content shows up in SERPs and supports the visibility of short videos.

Is TikTok Trying to Become the Next Big Search Engine?

Although TikTok is becoming an important part of overall search and is labeled as a search engine for Generation Z, it is not yet used in the same way or as often as Google. However, we have seen TikTok update its service at a rapid pace, sometimes in line with what we see from Google.

A recent addition to TikTok search is the launch of the Featured Snippets feature and the rumored partnership with WikiHow. When searching for certain terms, especially informational keywords, users see a Featured Snippet/answer in TikTok search results, offering information from the WikiHow website. This is similar to what we see in Google results, where Featured Snippets pull information from relevant pages and provide users with a quick answer, suggesting that TikTok is evolving into more than just a social platform.

The recently launched TikTok Traffic Insights panel also addresses metrics similar to Google Search Console, including clicks, impressions, CTR, and position. As marketers, we can dive into traffic sources like the For You page, general search, sound, etc. This allows for a better understanding of how content is performing, which can be used to further drive organic growth. TikTok’s analytics are not as advanced as Google Search Console, but they represent proof of how TikTok is evolving to support creators in organic growth and promote user-friendly search on the platform.

The Future of Search?

Google remains the leader in search engines, but it is important to consider TikTok’s developments, the potential partnership with Google, and how we as an industry need to be proactive and prepare for the future that lies ahead.

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