TikTok is the New Search Engine
Over **40% of Gen Z users prefer TikTok over Google** when searching for local spots, recipes, reviews, and tutorials. TikTok has recognized this shift and is optimizing its platform to serve as a search engine. This means **TikTok SEO (Search Engine Optimization)** is now a critical growth strategy.
By optimizing your TikToks for search keywords, your videos will continue to get views months after posting, instead of dying in the feed after 24 hours.
How the TikTok Search Algorithm Works
TikTok ranks search results based on three main factors:
- Relevance: How well your video details (caption, audio, text) match the search term.
- Engagement: Likes, comments, shares, and watch time of search-referred views.
- User Settings: User location, preferences, and language settings.
Step 1: TikTok Keyword Research
Find what users in your niche are searching for:
- Type your topic in the TikTok search bar and look at the autocomplete suggestions.
- Look at the "Others searched for" box in the search results.
- Use our Hashtag Generator to identify relevant topics.
Step 2: On-Page Optimization (Keywords Placement)
To tell the TikTok algorithm what your video is about, place your target keyword in these 5 areas:
- In-Video Audio: Say the keyword in the first 3 seconds of your video. TikTok automatically transcribes your audio.
- In-Video Text: Add a text overlay on the screen containing your primary keyword.
- Video Caption: Write a 2-3 sentence description using your keywords.
- Hashtags: Use 3-5 hashtags (mix broad and niche keywords).
- Cover Title: Add keyword text to your video thumbnail cover.
Conclusion
Optimize your TikTok videos for search to build an evergreen traffic source. Use our Best Time to Post Analyzer to maximize initial reach, and track your metrics with our Engagement Rate Calculator.