From Entertainment Platforms to Search Engines: Why SEO is Essential for Social Media Today

The iconic phrase “Google it” may soon fade into obscurity. Google is losing its status as the go-to authority for information searches. Instagram, YouTube, Facebook, TikTok, LinkedIn, and even X (Twitter) are not merely tailgating the search giant; they’re confidently surpassing it. Platforms originally designed for entertainment and communication are emerging as new stars, transforming into vital sources of information about brands, companies, products, services, and celebrities. Once the stages of denial, bargaining, and acceptance have passed, businesses must seize the opportunities presented by these shifts.

If users are turning to social media as their search engines, it’s time to step up and meet both existing and new followers halfway! Optimize your pages for search engines. In this article, I want to share some compelling statistics on the most critical trends in social media SEO optimization. These can be integrated into your content plan today to enhance your page visibility in search results, boost conversions, and attract organic traffic and targeted audiences.

Social Media as Alternative to Search Engines

According to recent data, the average person spends 2 hours and 23 minutes a day on social media:

Source: Digital 2024 Global Overview Report.

The average daily time spent on social media is increasing. DataReportal shows that American users spend an average of 2 hours and 18 minutes on various platforms, compared to just 65 minutes in 2022:

Source: Statista.

These figures may not seem particularly impressive today. What’s far more interesting and important for brands is understanding WHY users are going online. The Digital 2024 Global Overview Report provides insights from respondents across various generations.

Source: Digital 2024 Global Overview Report.

Leading by a significant margin, nearly 61% of respondents indicated that the primary reason for going online is to “search for information.” This trend cannot be ignored. The second-most cited reason, at 56.6%, was “staying connected with friends and family.” Rounding out the top three at 52.3% is the “watching videos, TV shows, and movies” reason.

Why do entertainment and communication take a backseat to information search? Several factors contribute to this:

We see the generation that cannot imagine life without the internet, computers, laptops, or smartphones. Millennials and Generation Z predominantly use social media for searching, but Generation X and Baby Boomers are also savvy with modern digital tools:

Source: ePassportPhoto.

In applications, users can search for anyone and anything using the “Search” field, eliminating the need to go to Google, even though it provides instant access to terabytes of information (i.e., thousands of pages). According to Google, nearly half of Generation Z opts for TikTok and Instagram instead of Google. Users favor short, authentic, and engaging videos made by people just like them over articles found in search results. This taps into a psychological factor: people tend to trust other individuals or user-generated content more than corporations. This is why we’re witnessing a battle between human trust and faceless algorithms:

Source: ePassportPhoto.

Video reviews, testimonials, influencers, blogs, vlogs, and more have also influenced changing preferences. Instagram and YouTube have become the top sources for information search in the U.S., with 37.02% and 34.15% of respondents rating these platforms as the best for finding information:

Source: ePassportPhoto.

Statista provides global data on the most popular social networks as of April 2024 based on the number of monthly active users:

Source: Statista.

It is also important to note WHAT people are searching for on social media. In the “State of Community Powered Marketing 2024” report by TINT, data showed that 75.78% of consumers used media platforms to search for or discover new products and brands. Interestingly, 68.75% of respondents reported making a purchase after seeing a product on social media.

Source: TINT.

These are not the only reasons why search engines are losing ground to social media. In addition to the “human touch” and the trust it fosters, the simpler search process, visual design, video format, recommendations [83% of consumers trust recommendations from peers and friends more than advertisements), and broader interaction opportunities with information sources (for example, users can engage with fellow community members under videos, which is often not possible under an article titled “Top-X…”] attract internet users.

So what should businesses do? Adapt to the changing needs and demands of social media users and optimize content so that it can be indexed by search engines. Google itself is evolving with the latest trends, offering Multisearch and Scene Exploration.

Let’s explore what steps companies should take to optimize their social media profiles and content for search results.

How Companies Can Optimize Social Media for Search Results

The steps are the same across all platforms — profile, imagery, old and new content, comments. Here are a few tips that will help utilize social media platforms as search engines and improve search results:

• Update company information. Include your business activity, page theme, add links to your website or profiles on other social media platforms, and specify your location on a map in your profile header. Don’t forget about key phrases, as this will impact visibility in both Google and on that platform itself.
• Create valuable and quality content for users. The topics will vary based on your activity, but certain elements should remain constant for everyone — content must be interesting, useful, and relevant. Such pages gain followers, and texts are read to the very end and shared with others. Analyze your target audience and understand what they need. Your page should primarily contain information for people. Moreover, search engines recognize whether the content meets user needs or is created solely for their algorithms. Key phrases should complement informative text, not serve as the primary reason for its creation. If platform settings allow, it may be worthwhile to update posts, such as refreshing statistics. Descriptions should also be added to video content on Instagram and TikTok, as Google indexes these. On YouTube, everything matters — description, transcription, title, tags, subtitles, playlists. Keywords can be selected using Keyword Tool.io:

Source: Keyword Tool.

In late April 2024, Instagram announced an algorithm update. With the new ranking method, the platform will primarily recommend accounts with new original and high-quality content, regardless of the number of followers on the page. This creates a level playing field for millionaire bloggers and newcomers who can increase their reach with unique content.

• Utilize relevant keywords and hashtags. Users search for relevant content on platforms using keywords or hashtags. The latter not only influence search results but also enhance brand recognition, increase followers, and help build a loyal community. For instance, the fashion brand Guess launched the hashtag challenge #InMyDenim on TikTok to promote its Fall ’18 Denim Fit collection. Within just six days, users created over 5,550 videos. The advertising campaign went viral, exceeding its expected results:
• 10.5 million video views;
• over 12,000 new followers;

an engagement rate of 14.3%.

• Add links to your website or products. This simple move facilitates access to additional information and encourages users to make purchases.
• Use quality and aesthetic images. Instagram, TikTok, and Facebook are primarily visual platforms. Be sure to include images and videos in formats and sizes recommended by the social network. Additionally, include keywords in the alt text for images or add text to them.
• Engage with followers. It’s recommended to respond to all messages and comments, even criticism and hate. Regular and timely interactions enhance audience engagement, help address customer objections, and influence search results.
• Launch contextual and targeted advertising. This promotional method expands your audience, increases the number of followers, and boosts brand visibility.

Conclusion

SEO optimization for social media is a crucial trend rapidly gaining traction in the search wars among platforms. Currently, processes are somewhat experimental, and specialists rely on their experience with websites, as we still lack detailed knowledge about how algorithms work (social networks are not forthcoming with this information). The digital environment is evolving, and we must adapt to these changes today. The recommendations provided in this article can serve as initial steps to enhance your pages’ search results. Consider the nuances of each platform, and don’t hesitate to experiment!