How social media platforms are overtaking Google for search and SEO
Brogan Maguire
Senior PR & Marketing Account Manager
When thinking about internet searches and SEO, Google is probably the first place that comes to mind, right?
While Google is hugely important when it comes to SEO, and still one of the first places people will turn to when looking for answers, data shows social media platforms like TikTok are quickly catching up.
Google’s own figures reinforce this, by suggesting almost 40% of young people will turn to TikTok or Instagram first when looking for the best place to go for lunch.
That fact isn’t overly surprising to our team, who spend a lot of time on both of those platforms (for work purposes, of course!) On a personal note, I’ve definitely noticed a shift in my behaviour when I want to find the answer to something quickly, whether that be a solution to a problem I’m having or recommendations for the best place to eat or best product to buy.
From what the statistics - and conversations with both colleagues and clients - show, I am absolutely not alone in this. A perfect example is when I told my sister I had booked a holiday to New York, and within minutes I was inundated with TikTok notifications as she sent me dozens of videos of the best restaurants, bars and cafes to visit in the Big Apple.
Influencer marketing and the use of content creators is not a new concept, but the push towards bitesize, authentic videos with TikTok is making it more prevalent than ever. This kind of quick, digestible content appearing on your feed and For You page sparks a desire for something you never knew you needed and leads to you heading to the search bar to find out more.
The fact you can now shop directly on TikTok, and swipe up on a video to see the products featured with links to buy them, shows just how effective it is as a sales tool.
But it’s not just products - the same strategies can be incredibly effective for venues and destinations looking to boost their reach and attract more people through the doors. All it takes is a high-performing ‘My Top Five Restaurants in Sheffield or ‘The Best Pizza in Leeds’ video to mention you, and you’ve reached thousands of potential customers or inquisitive travellers looking to elevate their holiday itinerary.
With this in mind, it’s important to keep those same SEO tactics at the forefront when creating content for social media. A recent Instagram update showed that keywords in captions are more effective than ever for improving audience reach, and making sure your content appears in those ever-growing searches could be a game-changer. That means following the same rules as internet search; keyword research, location tags, answering the questions your consumers will be looking for and making sure any links you include in your content are high authority.
As social platforms continue to evolve and further embrace SEO, using an agency that understands the importance of search could be key to your social media strategy and its success.
Contact the Chapter II team to find out more about how we could help build your social brand.
While Google is hugely important when it comes to SEO, and still one of the first places people will turn to when looking for answers, data shows social media platforms like TikTok are quickly catching up.
Google’s own figures reinforce this, by suggesting almost 40% of young people will turn to TikTok or Instagram first when looking for the best place to go for lunch.
That fact isn’t overly surprising to our team, who spend a lot of time on both of those platforms (for work purposes, of course!) On a personal note, I’ve definitely noticed a shift in my behaviour when I want to find the answer to something quickly, whether that be a solution to a problem I’m having or recommendations for the best place to eat or best product to buy.
From what the statistics - and conversations with both colleagues and clients - show, I am absolutely not alone in this. A perfect example is when I told my sister I had booked a holiday to New York, and within minutes I was inundated with TikTok notifications as she sent me dozens of videos of the best restaurants, bars and cafes to visit in the Big Apple.
Influencer marketing and the use of content creators is not a new concept, but the push towards bitesize, authentic videos with TikTok is making it more prevalent than ever. This kind of quick, digestible content appearing on your feed and For You page sparks a desire for something you never knew you needed and leads to you heading to the search bar to find out more.
The fact you can now shop directly on TikTok, and swipe up on a video to see the products featured with links to buy them, shows just how effective it is as a sales tool.
But it’s not just products - the same strategies can be incredibly effective for venues and destinations looking to boost their reach and attract more people through the doors. All it takes is a high-performing ‘My Top Five Restaurants in Sheffield or ‘The Best Pizza in Leeds’ video to mention you, and you’ve reached thousands of potential customers or inquisitive travellers looking to elevate their holiday itinerary.
With this in mind, it’s important to keep those same SEO tactics at the forefront when creating content for social media. A recent Instagram update showed that keywords in captions are more effective than ever for improving audience reach, and making sure your content appears in those ever-growing searches could be a game-changer. That means following the same rules as internet search; keyword research, location tags, answering the questions your consumers will be looking for and making sure any links you include in your content are high authority.
As social platforms continue to evolve and further embrace SEO, using an agency that understands the importance of search could be key to your social media strategy and its success.
Contact the Chapter II team to find out more about how we could help build your social brand.