Damn. Social media is changing, again. The platforms that once fed you cute cat videos are becoming more like Google and Bing: they’re no longer just content aggregators, but search engines, too.
What does this rumble in the jungle of digital marketing mean? Sweet opportunity! Google is losing traffic to social posts like yours, and the playing field is levelling once more.
The last thing you want is to slip behind while everyone else enjoys a boost in their business.
So, in this article you’ll find out how you can jump back in the driver’s seat of SEO in social media, and leverage it — TODAY.
TL;DR – Here’s What Ya Gotta Do
1. Find the keyword opportunities in your market
2. Pepper those keywords across your profile and content
3. Post great content frequently and consistently
4. Play into the SEO nuances of each platform
We’ll go through the meat and potatoes of search engine optimisation, social media-style.
But right after we answer this question:
Why On God’s Green Earth Is Your Audience Looking Up So Much Stuff on Social Media?
Because they’re getting the answers in the way they like them! (And usually a lot quicker, too.)
For an increasing number of industries, user-generated videos on social media are preferred to corporate blog posts on Google.
TikTok is the spot for hair tutorials, Instagram is the holy grail for fashion pics, and Pinterest is the home of home decor. But that’s just peeping through the keyhole.
In any case, the natural evolution of content lends itself to everyday users showing people how it’s done, not just established companies writing it down for you in a blog.
Here’s Why This Is A Big Opportunity For Your Brand
There will be weak spots that competitors have missed in their social media SEO strategy that you can target. Some popular content styles are at total odds with their brand!
That means you can take advantage of this gap and use it to beef up your own business. Now let’s get into how you do it.
Social Media SEO in a Nutshell
SEO in social media is simpler than you think. If you know anything about optimising content on your website, you’re 90% in the know.
If not, take a peek:
When people type something into a search box, the app or website will do its best to deliver related content. It’s the exact same for your social media profiles.
It’s just matching your content to user search intent. To do that, you tell the social media algorithms what your content is about. You do that mostly through keywords. So how do you use keywords in social media posts?
You just write them into your social copy wherever you can. Bios. Profile pics. Alt-texts. We’ll go through some specifics for each one.
Overall, your keyword strategy for social media posts should be balanced and researched. You can use tools like SEMRush and Keyword Planner to find a blend of broad, niche, short and long-tail keywords.
(Oh, and get yourself a business account on each platform if you haven’t already. This will give you access to the pro dashboards, where you can check out traffic stats.)
Alright. Here’s how to implement SEO in social media (Instagram, Pinterest and TikTok) in a few easy steps.
Photo by Oladimeji Ajegbile on Pexels
How To Optimise Your Instagram SEO
Instagram might be the old-timer of the bunch, but it’s showing no grey hairs. The platform is a-booming and people are searching stuff on there more than ever. Here are a few things you can do to keep your Insta SEO up to par.
1. Use Instagram SEO keywords in your profile and content — We’re talking bio and handle (if you can!). Just make sure it’s crystal clear what your account is all about. Oh, and be consistent with your keyword presence, too. That includes your post captions, alt-text, hashtags and even reel subtitles.
2. Post often and at the times your audience are online — Keep an eye on when your engagement peaks and lean into those golden hours.
3. Check out what other people in your niche are up to — If things are going really well for them, they’re onto something. Look at their themes, hooks, and styles — anything you can draw inspiration from and apply to your own game.
Instagram SEO for photographers helps you get your stunning visuals in front of more eyes, grow your follower base, and find people who appreciate great photos.
Photo by Karolina Grabowska on Pexels
How To Optimise Pinterest SEO
Pinterest is the social media underdog — but it sure packs a bite! It’s got 442 million active users and it’s hugely popular for travel, DIY and recipe posts. It’s also really good for organic traffic, which means that good optimisation could send droves of free attention straight to your business. Here’s how to get going.
1. Create and pin supreme content regularly — The crown jewels of Pinterest success. Keeping your content airtight and consistent is the first step no matter where you are.
2. Make sure your profile and boards are keyword-optimised for better discoverability — That includes titles, descriptions and file names. But keep keywords unbranded (95% of ’em on the platform are). You can find popular search terms within their trends insights — a super useful Pinterest SEO tool.
3. Stay in touch with your audience — Maintaining healthy engagement is a sure way to boost your clout on Pinterest.
Pinterest SEO for photographers is a total must — it really amps up your visibility, pulls more eyes to your work, and lets you show off your snaps to a wider crowd.
Photo by cottonbro studio on Pexels
How To Optimise Your TikTok SEO
All eyes are on TikTok right now — and it’s no wonder. Restaurants. Travel. Beauty. Commerce. They are all massive here and more. This Gen-Z atom bomb done blew up, and its mushroom cloud keeps on growing.
What’s more is that the platform has rolled out a jaw-dropping suite of SEO features. It really is crazy. So if your audience is on this app (and they probably are), then you’d be a lunatic not to use some of these TikTok SEO strategy tips:
1. Yes, keywords again — Put your TikTok SEO keywords in your profile and in your content. TikTok is pumping your video description capacity count to a scholarly 2200 characters. Make it count!
2. Use hooks and cliffhangers — This classic direct response tactic is a HACK on this platform, where the ‘next’ button is a 10-degree thumb swipe. Grab your viewer using curiosity and/or their biggest implied benefit. At the end, catapult people to your next video with a juicy teaser. “How is this SEO?” Longer viewership = more traffic!
3. Get with the program and jump on trends — 88% of TikTok users consider audio “essential.” Go to the TikTok creator centre to find out what’s popping sound-wise and slap those tunes on your content. People also like to see familiar faces in videos that are prominent in your market. If you can bag yourself a spokesperson and collaborate with other creators, do it!
TikTok SEO for photographers is all about getting your awesome shots seen by more people, boosting your profile, and connecting with a community that loves your stuff.
Keeping It All Under Your Thumb
That’s how to optimise your social media posts for SEO!
These tweaks are tiny. But you’ll need to do them a lot if you’re going to really go for it. And that creates another problem: organisation. This is super important if you don’t have a big team behind you and you cherish your time.
We’re all about getting niggly tasks like this cleanly off your plate so you stick to the things only you can do (and what makes the most $$$).
That’s why we devised a nifty Social Content Calendar for Wedding Photographers that allows you to blitz through social media posts in a fraction of the time.
- Keep up the content flow
- Get back to snapping pics
- Stay doing what you love
Give this page a peep and see if it could be your magic bullet to a breezy work week.
