The Ultimate Guide to TikTok SEO

What is TikTok?

TikTok is a short-form video platform where users create and share videos that range from 15 seconds to 10 minutes. The platform is known for its viral trends, music-backed content, and endless scroll of algorithmically-curated videos on the For You Page (FYP).

Unlike most other social media platforms, TikTok doesn’t require users to follow accounts to be exposed to new content. Instead, its algorithm learns quickly and delivers highly personalised video suggestions based on user behaviour.

Demographics.

While TikTok is often associated with teenagers, its user base is more diverse than you might think - bear in mind that these figures are for 18+ users only, so there is a missing “under 18” part of this data where there’s a fairly assured assumption that this demographic would be a large portion of TikTok’s users if they could be polled:

18-24 years old: 33.3%
25-34 years old: 36.1%
35-44 years old: 15.4%
45-54 years old: 8%
55 years old plus: 7.2%

The standout here is that nearly a third of users on TikTok are over 35 years old - this alone shows how TikTok is far more diverse with its user base than ever before.

This evolving demographic means there’s room for a wider range of content. From parenting hacks to career advice, TikTok isn’t just for Gen Z anymore - in fact, our SearchPulse survey found that social media platforms like TikTok are the go-to places when it comes to looking for inspiration, with 47% of people starting their journey on social media.

What Do We Mean by TikTok SEO?

SEO for TikTok refers to the practice of optimising your TikTok content so that it appears in search results - just like ‘traditional’ SEO for Google.

Optimising for search means increasing the likelihood of your videos showing both within the TikTok app and on external platforms like Google.

In principle, it mirrors traditional SEO: the goal is to help your content surface when someone searches for relevant keywords.

Whether someone is searching for "best skincare products" or “quick budget meals,” TikTok’s search bar works like a mini search engine. Optimising your videos with the right keywords, hashtags, captions, and sounds helps them rank higher and reach more of your target audience.

Why Do People Use TikTok Over Other Platforms?

Good for Visual Information

TikTok thrives on aesthetics and bite-sized inspiration. If you’re in a visually compelling niche, like interior design, fashion, travel, or food, TikTok offers an unbeatable platform to get in front of a large number of users.

Users commonly search for visual ideas like “bedroom makeover,” “minimalist desk setup,” or “Bali travel guide.”

Often, these searches aren’t passive - they can be triggered by prior exposure, where users want to rediscover a video they saw earlier or explore more in that niche.

Faster Path to Information

TikTok is a speed-run through content. Want to compare two skincare products? Instead of reading long blogs or watching 15-minute YouTube reviews, users can see TikTok creators demonstrate and summarise the pros and cons in under a minute.

This rapid-fire delivery is perfect for decision-making and trend discovery, making TikTok the go-to for quick research and bite-sized education.

Google vs TikTok

Google remains the go-to for factual, in-depth, and regulated information - especially in “Your Money or Your Life” (YMYL) areas like healthcare and finance where it has a strong reliance on the E-E-A-T metrics of its algorithm model. TikTok, by contrast, doesn’t impose the same strict content filters, which means content quality and accuracy can vary.

That said, TikTok offers powerful personalisation. The platform learns what you like and serves more of it. The more you engage (like, comment, share, or favourite), the more tailored your feed becomes.

TikTok’s SEO Algorithm

TikTok’s search engine algorithm is similar in philosophy to Facebook’s: it's designed to show you what you’re most likely to enjoy and engage with.
There are three major components to how the algorithm works:

• Understanding the Content
  • TikTok’s AI processes understand the details of the video, and therefore who the video is likely to be most engaged with, through four key areas:
  • Visual elements: It recognises objects and text in the video. It can understand the difference in objects, as well as read text within the video itself.
  • Audio: Spoken words and trending sounds are transcribed and analysed.
  • Textual cues: Captions and hashtags help to classify the content further, alongside those visual and audio cues.
  • Sounds: Popular audio clips and music tracks also play a role in content discovery, for example if the user frequents videos with particular audio clips.
• Assessing Video Quality
  • Engagement metrics such as likes, comments, shares, saves, and most importantly, completion rates indicate content quality.
  • Generally speaking, the higher the engagement on a video, the more reach that video is likely to have - so look at ways to maintain a viewer’s interest through to the end of a video - and encourage liking, sharing and commenting on your videos to improve engagement metrics.
• Personalising to the User
  • The algorithm then decides who sees the video based on prior engagement.
  • If a user consistently interacts with fashion-related content, for example, they’ll likely see more of it - even from new or unknown creators. TikTok understands the type of content you typically interact with, and tries to serve you more of the same content to keep you engaged. 

TikTok SEO Keyword Research

As with any search engine, keyword research is the backbone of effective SEO, and the same applies with SEO for TikTok.

TikTok provides a Keyword Insights Tool, which is invaluable for:

• Discovering popular search terms and trending queries.
• Identifying long-tail keywords for niche targeting.
• Crafting your captions, voiceovers, and on-screen text with the right terminology.

To rank well, you should say your keyword out loud in the video, use it in the caption, and pair it with relevant hashtags. TikTok’s algorithm reads both audio and text, so this holistic keyword integration is vital.

Advice on How to Improve Your TikTok SEO Performance

As mentioned earlier, engagement rates are also crucial for your performance - just having a well-optimised video in terms of having the keywords in your video, audio and caption is not good enough.
If you want to improve visibility and engagement on TikTok, consider these key tactics:

• Post Consistently - Ideally, publish 3+ times per day. This increases your chances of hitting the algorithm just right and discovering what resonates.
• Create videos specifically for TikTok - Don’t re-use videos designed for other platforms. For example, a video created for Instagram won’t look natural to a TikTok user, both in terms of design and aspect ratio.
• Use Specific Hashtags - Avoid generic tags like #fashion or #makeup - they're too saturated. Instead, use long-tail, specific hashtags that give more opportunity to stand out. This is where keyword research will be invaluable, and will help you to reach niche audiences more effectively.
• Engage with your Audience - Responding to comments, pinning insightful replies, and liking feedback shows the algorithm (and your followers) that you're active and trustworthy.
• Ride the Trends (But With a Twist) - Jumping on trends can give your content a boost, but don’t copy blindly. Look for a unique spin that aligns with your brand voice or audience interests to help your video stand out and encourage resharing.
• Be Family-Friendly - Videos using profanity, either in text or audio form, are easily picked up by TikTok’s algorithms and are commonly removed or made less visible to users.

A great example is Duolingo, who are consistently nailing these recommendations above, with consistent posting, great engagement with their user base, and being super reactive to trends.

TikTok Shop

TikTok Shop is revolutionising eCommerce on social media, making it extremely easy to purchase products at the click of a button, without leaving the app.

• Direct Shopping: Viewers can purchase items without leaving the app, making it a frictionless experience, unlike shops on most other social platforms.
• Monetisation: In addition to ad revenue and creator funds, TikTok Shop gives creators an additional income stream through product promotion.

For brands, this means TikTok isn’t just a platform for awareness - it’s also a legitimate conversion channel if your product is right.

Are There Any Niches That Should Avoid TikTok?

TikTok shines in visual niches such as home decor, travel, food, fashion, DIY, and beauty. If your niche lacks visual storytelling opportunities, you might find TikTok harder to crack.

However, that doesn’t mean it’s impossible. Every niche has top-of-funnel questions and awareness content that can perform well on TikTok - think about what "how-to" videos you could create, myths that can be debunked, or behind-the-scenes insights that you can create.

Just manage your expectations: TikTok may not drive direct conversions for every sector (unless you’re able to utilise the TikTok Shop), but it can still be a powerful brand-building and awareness tool.

Key Takeaways

SEO on TikTok is an exciting, fast-evolving discipline, and has its own complex algorithms just like any other search engine.

This means that, with the right keyword strategy, content plan, and understanding of how the algorithm works - you can reach new audiences and grow your brand on one of the most dynamic platforms available today.

Need help navigating TikTok SEO? Our team of digital marketing experts is here to guide you.

Get in touch with us today and start building your TikTok presence the smart way.