How to Make Your Content Discoverable with Social Media SEO

Have you ever experienced the frustration of having your work go unnoticed and overshadowed, hidden like a needle in a haystack?

It’s not just you - social media is overcrowded. However, there are things you can do to tip the scales in your favour.

Social media SEO is one of the magic tools that can help you stand out, but what is it, how do you take advantage of it, and what are the hot tips and tricks? Let’s find out.

What is Social Media SEO?

Think of traditional SEO as a librarian working in the world's biggest library. Even though it contains millions of publications, when you request a book, the librarian will know exactly where to find it because they are organised in systems by title and author.

Social media SEO, on the other hand, is like an advanced librarian who not only sorts but also recommends books based on trends and interests.

Isn’t that amazing?

If you are a creator on social media, think about how you are looking for new inspiration for posts, new music, checking out what others in your industry are doing, or checking out that new product you saw multiple reviews for…

…the answer is - by keywords.

You would open your accounts on social media, go to the search bar, and type in, let’s say, “content inspo” for when you have a creative block.

This is essentially what Social Media SEO magic is - a set of rules and steps that make optimised posts appear high in searches, providing the user with requested information.

Now that you understand what it is let’s explore why it’s crucial for your social media success and how it can boost your visibility.

Why Creators Should Implement SEO Strategies in Their Social Media Accounts

There are three key aspects to Social Media SEO. When you focus on all of them together, they can significantly boost your visibility:

Improves Discoverability on Search Engines

Try searching for your name in Google. If your name is also your social media handle, your profiles will likely rank high on Google.

Now, imagine you have a brand and consistently use that name across social media platforms. Whenever someone searches for you, all your profiles will appear alongside your website, making you easy to find. Social media SEO enhances the discoverability of your profiles on search engines like Google and Bing.

Drives Traffic to Your Website

Although likes, comments, shares, and views don’t directly affect your search engine ranking, including links to your website in social media posts can still boost traffic.

Platforms like Pinterest and YouTube are particularly effective for this. More exposure on social media may also lead to more clicks on the displayed links in captions or your bio.

Increases Visibility Within Platforms

Social media platforms have their own search bars that allow users to filter out the vast content down to a single category through niche-related keywords. While they didn’t always operate this way, they do today.

Think of busy supermarkets with big signs in each section for easy store navigation. Platforms like YouTube or TikTok have their own navigation signs called hashtags and discovery features, which offer more fun and personalised results than plain-old Google.

So, by incorporating the right keywords into your content, you can ensure that when users search for a question, product, or service using those keywords, your content appears at the top of the results.

While social media won’t fully replace traditional search engines like Google, it's becoming increasingly popular for users seeking more authentic content, such as restaurant or hotel reviews. A Browser Media survey confirmed that 29% of respondents found social media searches more convenient, 22% appreciated quick results and engaging content - particularly in video format - and 19% preferred the personalised experience. Additionally, HubSpot states that 32% of consumers turn to social media to search for answers to their questions.

Building on the benefits of improved discoverability and increased traffic, here’s how you can implement effective SEO strategies to achieve these results.

Effective Social Media SEO Strategies for Creators

You can enhance discoverability by maintaining consistent information across accounts and implementing keywords. Drive traffic by repurposing content and increase visibility by publishing shareable content and continuing to use keywords effectively.

Let’s talk about it!

Make Information on Your Social Media Accounts Consistent

When people search for you or your brand, the goal is for all your social media accounts and your website to appear high in the Search Engine Result Pages (SERPs). To achieve this, you need to be consistent in how you present information, especially your profile name.

For example, take CarSauce.com, a brand that reviews cars in Australia. When you search for "CarSauce" on Google, results for both their website and all their social media networks appear first.

Additionally, use relevant keywords in your bios. Briefly explain what you do and maintain that description across all your social media profiles.

Use Keywords in Captions and Hashtags

Incorporating keywords into your captions is an easy adjustment to your existing process!

For example, if you're sharing a tutorial on how to make your own paper flowers, include paper flower-related keywords in the caption as well as the title.

It might take some time to get the hang of keyword research. However, there are plenty of free tools available to help you with that, such as AnswerThePublic, Google Ads Keyword Planner, Google Trends, and Exploding Topics.

Next, consider hashtags. They're great for ranking on social media. Here is how many hashtags each platform suggests using for best results:

• Instagram: 3-5
• Facebook: 2-3
• TikTok: 3-5
• Twitter (X): 2
• Pinterest: 3-4
• LinkedIn: 3

For instance, for your Harry Potter jewellery business, you might use hashtags like #bracelet, #charms (both broad and popular) and #harrypotterbracelet (niche keyword).

Lastly, use overlay text on your images, alt-text (on Instagram, Twitter/X, Facebook, and LinkedIn), and subtitles for your videos, whether on YouTube, Instagram, Facebook, or any other platform that supports video sharing. This will help boost your rankings in social search.

Make Your Content Shareable

Creating shareable content is like baking a cake that everyone wants a slice of. Whether it's the perfect balance of flavours or an eye-catching design, it’s the qualities that make people eager to share with their friends, take a photo of it, and have one just like that for their birthday party.

There are six qualities your content needs to have to prompt people to hit that share button, in addition to posting consistently (algorithms love active accounts). It should be:

• Useful (tutorials, new insights)
• Entertaining (memes, jokes, remakes of viral videos)
• Current (trendy or timely topics)
• Thought-provoking (sparking conversation or new perspectives)
• Relatable (resonating with your audience’s experiences)
• Emotionally compelling (evoking strong feelings like joy, nostalgia, or excitement)

To make this work, understand your niche and what your audience is looking for. When creating content in any niche, think, “What is currently trending, and how can I add more value to it through my niche?” and “What jaw-dropping information do I have that aligns with my niche?”.

Let’s say you’re creating a reel for Facebook, Instagram, or YouTube Shorts and want to make it shareable.

To do this, you must first understand what you want to convey and who your audience is. Consider what is trending and how your content can be either useful or entertaining to that audience. Follow your script and storyboard, choose a visual and editing style that fits the tone and is relatable, and select the right music (find your music based on tone and style here in seconds) to complete the piece, which will make the video emotionally appealing.

We know - easier said than done. To make your content shareable, you will need to arm yourself with patience and invest a lot of time in brainstorming ideas. However, it’s well worth it.

Take Advantage of Social Media to Boost Website Traffic

Just like a well-tended garden needs good seeds and a lot of nurturing and love to grow, your social media strategy needs carefully crafted content to evolve.

If you take content from your website, such as blog posts, extract the main message, and post it on social media, you’ll essentially plant the seeds to attract visitors to your site. All you need is a smart way to repurpose the content and a strong Call-To-Action (CTA).

It’s basically a loop - it’s hard to get in it, but once you’re in and you maintain your work on a professional level, you will reap benefits like more followers and the opportunity to scale your content.

Final Thoughts: Unlock Your Content's Full Potential with Social Media SEO

Alongside many strategies to ensure your content, social media SEO is a real game-changer. Remember, it’s not just about sprinkling in the right keywords and hashtags; it’s about cooking up content that’s authentic, valuable, and a perfect match for your audience.

By mixing the strategies we've covered with tools like AnswerThePublic for keyword research or our AI music search bar to boost content shareability, you’ll cook up a recipe for success.

So, get ready to spice up your SEO game and serve your content to the world. Happy optimising!