Google might be the key player when it comes to search engines and search engine optimisation (SEO) but more and more consumers are using social media to search for their content.
According to Google’s internal data, nearly 40% of Gen Z users prefer to use TikTok and Instagram over Google search. From holiday and hotel recommendations to style and interiors, visual-led platforms such as Pinterest, TikTok, and Instagram are becoming the go-to for insights and inspiration.
Our top tips to leverage social media SEO, expand brand visibility, target relevant consumers and drive clicks and purchases, are:
- The first and most important step is understanding your audience.
Their relationship with your brand or product type will help you understand exactly what they are searching for. What do they want the answers to, and what content is going to be relevant as they search for those answers? - Optimise your social media profile.
Leverage keywords throughout your profile by including them in your profile name and bio. Use keywords and phrases that your audience would use to find you, and think about phrases that are relevant to your industry. Include links to your website, too. - Describe your posts, pins, and videos with keyword-optimised captions.
Keep your audience in mind when crafting content -what do they want to know? - Incorporate the keywords into your video or image.
Include the keywords in the text, as captions, or as speech. The more times you mention your keyword (within reason), the more likely the platform will register your content as relevant, and related to your keyword. Make it easy for users to quickly understand what your content is about by including keywords on cover photos. - Use hashtags: Use relevant hashtags to improve visibility. Again, think specifically about what people might search for. It’s likely not going to be your business name, but a description of your product or service. Use a combination of high volume/popular keywords and longer, descriptive keywords.
- Measure results. What can be measured can be improved. There are a plethora of free tools out there which can help monitor results and help make data driven decisions as to what is most effective.