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When we talk about Search Engine Optimization (SEO), many of our minds naturally go to traditional search engines such as Google, Bing, even DuckDuckGo. 

However, more and more people are ditching these traditional search engines for a truly next-gen platform: TikTok. 

If you are not on TikTok, or are only vaguely aware of what it is or what its purpose is, then you may not realize the wealth of information that is on the app. Yes, it is more than just funny videos, but, rather, offers users a bountiful selection of information that goes far beyond the latest silly dance trend. 

From product recommendations to how-to advice, plenty of users are finding TikTok to be a legitimate replacement for traditional search engines. Part of this may be that TikTok is like a more immediate version of Google, in that it offers bit-sized videos that were particularly made to get your attention and provide information in a quick, accessible, easy way. 

In other words, TikTok has become a threat to Google because it is basically a less boring and more immediate version of Google, which itself overtook libraries because it was less boring and more immediate (not to mention readily-accessible) version of a library. 

Blame it on short attention spans, where even a five-minute YouTube video can seem a slog next to a one-minute TikTok that gets it done in less time, but the fact of the matter is that TikTok, and its SEO potential, is here to stay. The only question is whether you will take advantage and grow your own business in light of people’s growing preference for TikTok’s search engine. 

What Kind of Business Should Go On TikTok?

The short answer is, every business. 

Your potential audience certainly matters, but do not think that the only people using the app are teenagers. In fact, more than a third of TikTok’s users are over 25 years of age, so if your target demo is adults you should certainly aim for TikTok, especially when you realize that one-third of TikTok users amounts to over 1 billion monthly users. 

So, if you do not think that you can find enough customers on TikTok, it is likely that there are many potential customers within the population of roughly 330 million adults that use the app. 

How Can You Rank on TikTok?

 

When people go on TikTok, they tend to primarily be looking for something that is funny or entertaining. 

You will not have to dance to get people’s eyes on your business, but you do need to heed the “entertaining” part. This is because most content that you find online, specifically of the audio/visual variety found on YouTube or TikTok, can be accurately labeled “infotainment,” meaning, information that is delivered in a way that is entertaining to watch, even if it is not necessarily funny. 

For instance, if you are a HVAC company, you may want to create a short video explaining ways that users can cut down on their electric bill during hot summer months, or how to spot mold. 

Ultimately, you can still present a serious image on TikTok, and you do not need to crack jokes or act goofy to get people’s attention. 

If you offer a service or product that you believe will change people’s lives for the better, then all you need to do is spread the word in a 

That being said, sometimes directly advertising a service or product can lead to less views than other brand-building endeavors such as offering knowledge or expertise you have gained in your industry. Your business can surely build its brand on TikTok platform through offering users useful information about things they may not know a whole lot about, information that is delivered in a concise, quick, easy way. 

 

Secrets of the TikTok Algorithm 

 

TikTok’s algorithm is a special sort of algorithm that more or less tracks your every move on the app. 

Whether someone “likes” or comments on a video is certainly huge, but even very subtle things can be tracked and inform just what else is next. It is a sophisticated algorithm, as covered in this Wall Street Journal video that was, alas, posted to YouTube rather than TikTok. 

For instance, the number of seconds that you spend lingering on a video, however many times you rewatch a video, or whether you scroll back up to watch a video you first scrolled past, are all essential bits of data. Scrolling is doing something—there is really no such thing as lurking on TikTok, as every little thing a user does end up influencing how they will interact with the platform. 

This is where being entertaining matters: The more entertaining and attention-grabby you can be right off the bat, the better the chances that users will not scroll past. If they do not scroll past, not only will they learn about your business, but they will also have more of your content show up in their feed in the future, ensuring brand recognition. 

TikTok’s algorithm clusters similar videos together, so if your business is on a certain topic. Be sure to use those #hashtags to assist your clustering. 

Knowing that TikTok will search for similar videos, you will be at a unique advantage if you are in an industry that does not have a large TikTok presence, as there will be less competition and thus a greater likelihood that your videos will rank well. 

 

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