How to make the most of SEO with your social media content

Yes, SEO is a thing for social media as well as your website, and as of July 10th 2025 your social media posts are going to be able to be found via Google too.

This means every word you write in your social media captions matters.

We’ve known for a while that your SEO captions matter for people searching their social platforms for information and certain types of content, because yes, social media platforms are being used like search engines now too.

In fact, a lot of people are turning to social media platforms like TikTok and Instagram as their news source. When something major happens (like a natural disaster for example), there are often more bystanders than news reporters, and they are filming and uploading live content quicker than ever.

The latest news from Google is that they will now be displaying your social media posts and content in Google search results – for professional accounts only, not for your personal private accounts.

Here's what you can do to optimise your social SEO

• Write great captions that include keywords

  • Every word of your caption is read by the algorithm and now by Google. Make sure you use normal language and include relevant keywords that people would type into a search engine.

  • Spoiler: Chat GPT might be a great assistant for ideas, but the language it spits out might do your more harm than good when it comes to SEO. Always edit out those dramatic words it gives you and swap them for words and phrases you would actually say.

• Less focus on hashtags

  • Once upon a time, hashtags were the strategy to get your content noticed and make it ‘searchable,’ but now your captions are the way to go. You can still use hashtags, of course, but no more than five, and you’re better off making them very specific. E.g. #schoolholidaysactivitiestauranga instead of #miniputt

• On-screen text and your spoken words matter

  • Yep, the text you type on screen helps with SEO as well as keeping your audience engaged. Add titles and headers to your video content that include your keywords.

  • And yes, your audio matters too. Make sure you speak your keywords throughout your videos.

• Quality content that makes people want to save it or share it

  • When people save your content or share it with a friend, the algorithm loves it, and when the algorithm thinks your content is great, it will help your content rank higher in search results.

  • Types of content that are great for this are quotes, short carousel guides, how-to tips and tricks. Aim for short, sharp and sweet.

  • Pro tip #1: If you would send it to a friend, it’s great!

  • Pro tip #2: Add a call to action at the beginning or end that tells people what to do. E.g. ‘Save this for later,’ or ‘Send this to your bestie.’

So there you have it, SEO is not just for your website anymore, it matters for social media now more than ever.