Your customers are searching for you on TikTok and Instagram. Most brands are not showing up.
A growing share of people, especially under forty, now look for restaurants, products, salons and things to do by typing into TikTok or Instagram rather than Google. They want to see the place or the product before they read about it. If your content is not written to be found, it only reaches people who already follow you.
Social search is the fix, and it is mostly free.
How social search works
Platforms read far more than hashtags now. They look at:
- Words spoken in the video, through automatic captions
- Text on screen
- The caption, especially the first line
- Your profile name and bio
- How people engage after finding the video through search — saves and full watches count heavily
That means a video that says “best brunch in Fort Lauderdale” out loud, shows it on screen, and repeats it in the caption is far more findable than a beautiful video captioned with an emoji.
Find the words people actually use
- Type your category into the search bar on TikTok and Instagram and write down every autocomplete suggestion. Those are real searches.
- Add your location. “Gelato Miami”, “med spa Coral Gables”, “boat rental Fort Lauderdale”. Local searches have the highest intent.
- Add the occasion. “Date night”, “birthday”, “what to wear to”, “things to do this weekend”.
- Read the comments on competitor videos. The questions people ask are the searches of tomorrow.
Make every video findable
- Say the keyword in the first three seconds. “If you're looking for the best Cuban coffee in Little Havana…”
- Put it on screen as a short title card.
- Lead the caption with it in plain language, then add context. Three or four precise hashtags beat thirty generic ones.
- Tag the location on every post from a physical business.
- Update your profile name to include what you do and where: “Brand Name | Gelato & Crepes Miami”.
Content formats that rank
- Answers: “How much does a med spa facial cost in Miami?” Answer it straight.
- Lists and guides: “Five things to order at…”, “Our three most-requested…”
- Walkthroughs: the space, the menu, the process, the result.
- Comparisons: “Which one is right for you” content earns saves, and saves push search ranking.
These also happen to be the formats that zero-click platforms reward and that AI assistants pick up when summarising what a business offers.
Do not forget the rest of the search picture
Social search works alongside Google, not instead of it. Your Google Business Profile and reviews still decide most “near me” searches, and website SEO still carries considered purchases. The same keyword list should feed all three.
What to measure
- Search as a traffic source in TikTok and Instagram analytics
- Saves and shares per video
- Profile visits from non-followers
- Which videos still get views months later — those are your search winners; make more like them
The bottom line
Find the words your customers type, say them out loud, put them on screen and in the caption, and make content that answers questions. Social search turns every video into something people can find long after it posts.
Want a social search keyword plan for your brand? Let's talk.