How to Use SEO for Social Media: A Guide to Boost Your Online Presence

In 2025, social SEO will play a pivotal role in how brands reach and engage with their audiences. With platforms like Instagram and TikTok increasingly being used as search engines, brands will need to adapt by optimising their social media strategies alongside their websites.
This guide will walk you through how to use SEO for social media effectively, with actionable insights.

 

What Is Social SEO?

Social SEO focuses on optimising your content to improve its visibility within platform-specific searches on Social Media, as well as in search engine results like Google. This ensures your content is easily discoverable by users actively searching for relevant topics.

 

Why Social SEO Matters

• Increased Visibility: Optimise your social media presence so your content appears in Google’s search results and within platform-specific searches.
• Higher Engagement: Targeting relevant keywords can help you attract the right audience who are more likely to engage with your content.
• Boosted Conversions: Drive traffic to your website or landing pages directly from social media and improve your chances of converting followers into customers.

 

Key Strategies to Use SEO for Social Media

 

1. Optimise Your Social Media Profiles

Your social media profiles are often the first impression potential customers have of your brand. Ensure they’re optimised for both search engines and social media algorithms.

Actionable Tips:

• Use Keywords in Your Bio: Incorporate primary keywords related to your business in your bio or description. For example, if you’re targeting “gut health supplements” in Australia, include this in your profile.
• Custom URLs: Create a branded, keyword-friendly URL for platforms like Facebook, LinkedIn, or YouTube. For instance, instead of facebook.com/page1234, use facebook.com/YourBrandName.
• Add Location Information: For local businesses, include your location to rank for geographic searches (e.g., “Melbourne organic skincare”).

 

Example of an optimised IG profile

 

Google SERPs 

2. Incorporate Keywords in Your Posts

When crafting your social media content, naturally weave in keywords to help search engines and platform algorithms understand the context of your posts.

Actionable Tips:

• Captions: Write captions that include primary and long-tail keywords. For example, “Our new turmeric supplements support gut health and inflammation naturally.”
• Hashtags: Use a mix of high-volume and niche hashtags relevant to your audience, such as #GutHealthAustralia or #NaturalSupplementsSydney.
• Alt-Text: Add alt-text to your images with descriptive keywords, such as “Woman using natural supplements for improved energy in Brisbane.”

 

3. Leverage Platform-Specific Strategies

Each social media platform has unique algorithms and user behaviour. Here’s how to optimise your presence on key platforms:

Instagram

• Use low-competition, long-tail hashtags to reach niche audiences. For example, instead of using #FitnessTips, opt for #FitnessTipsForMums or #HomeWorkoutIdeasForBeginners to target a more specific audience.
• Add keywords in your bio, captions, and alt-text.
• Geotag your posts to appear in local searches (e.g., #SydneyWellness).

TikTok

• Speak your keywords in videos and add them in captions and on-screen text.
• Hop on trends and use relevant sounds to increase discoverability.
• Post frequently (1–4 times daily) to stay visible in the algorithm.

Facebook

• Optimise your “About” section with primary and long-tail keywords.
• Use location tags and encourage customer reviews to improve local SEO.
• Create diverse content (e.g., videos, posts, and live streams) to engage a broader audience.

YouTube

• Incorporate keywords in your video title, description, tags, and spoken content.
• Break videos into chapters with timestamps that include keywords.
• Create how-to content that ranks well in both YouTube and Google searches.

 

4. Focus on High-Quality Content

Content that provides value to your audience not only performs well on social media but also helps with SEO rankings.

Actionable Tips:

• Create Educational Content: Share tips, how-tos, and expert advice tailored to your audience. For example, “5 Natural Remedies for Gut Health That Work.”
• Engage with Your Audience: Respond to comments and messages to boost engagement metrics, which are key ranking factors on platforms like Instagram and TikTok.
• Use Video Formats: Video content is prioritised by most algorithms. Create visually appealing, informative videos with clear calls to action.

 

5. Encourage Backlinks from Social Media

Social media can drive backlinks to your website, which is a critical factor for SEO rankings.

Actionable Tips:

• Share Blog Posts: Post snippets of your blog content with links to the full article on your website.
• Collaborate with Influencers: Partner with influencers to promote your content and drive backlinks.

How 30acres Can Help You

At 30acres, we understand the critical role that SEO plays in social media success. Our tools give us access to actionable insights, enabling us to create comprehensive and thorough keyword research. This research provides valuable insights for your marketing campaigns and social media content plans, including search volumes, most-used hashtags,search intent and even seasonality. 

Source: answerthepublic

This Keyword Research can be used to optimise your:

• Content Strategy: The insights from the keyword research will help  you to craft posts and videos tailored to your audience’s search intent.
• Hashtags: Target relevant, high-performing hashtags that enhance discoverability.
• Captions and Alt Tags: Use precise keywords to improve your content’s ranking in social media and Google searches.
• Social Media Profiles: Optimise your bios, descriptions, and posts for maximum visibility.
• Website: optimise existing content or new content opportunities 

By extending your keyword research to include insights for social content, we empower your brand to craft highly relevant and engaging content that resonates with your audience and ranks well on platforms like Instagram, TikTok, and Google.

 

Benefits of Using SEO for Social Media

• Increased Visibility: Appear in both Google and social media search results.
• Higher Engagement: Reach users actively searching for your content.
• Local Presence: Improve rankings for geographically targeted searches (e.g., “Natural Supplements Melbourne”).
• Boost Website Traffic: Drive more visitors to your website from social media.
• Cost-Effective Marketing: Generate organic traffic without relying solely on paid ads.

 

Conclusion

Using SEO for social media is a game-changer for businesses looking to thrive in the competitive digital landscape. By optimising your profiles, incorporating keywords, creating valuable content, and leveraging platform-specific strategies, you can enhance your visibility and engagement across both Google and social media platforms.

If you’re ready to take your social SEO strategy to the next level, start by integrating these tips into your marketing efforts. Need help? Let’s connect and craft a strategy tailored to your business goals!