If your brand isn’t showing up where people search, you’ve invisible. And today, people are searching on social first.

For years, keyword search was the crown jewel of SEO. You’d plug terms into Google Keyword Planner, chase high-volume phrases, and optimize your website to rank. That game hasn’t disappeared, but it’s no longer the whole game.

The rise of Social SEO has changed the rules. Now, platforms like Instagram, TikTok, and even LinkedIn are search engines in their own right. Your customers aren’t just “Googling" anymore. They’re typing into the Instagram search bar, scrolling TikTok results, and following hashtags to find what they want.

If you’re still only thinking in terms of Google keyword research, you’re missing where modern discovery actually happens.

WHAT EXACTLY IS SOCIAL SEO?

Social SEO is the practice of optimizing your social media content so it appears in platform search results and recommendation feeds. Think of it as keyword research meets social media marketing, but instead of focusing only on blog posts and web pages, you’re applying those principles to your Reels, TikToks, Pins, and even Stories.

The difference:

Traditional SEO focuses on ranking in Google SERPs.
Social SEO focuses on ranking in Instagram search, TikTok search, YouTube Shorts, and Pinterest Explore feeds.

For example, if you run a Las Vegas restaurant, you’d still want to rank on Google for “best brunch in Las Vegas,” but you’d also want to make sure your Instagram captions, alt text, and video scripts are optimized for that exact phrase, so you show up when someone searches “best brunch in Vegas” on Instagram.

WHY SOCIAL SEO MATTERS MORE IN 2025

In 2025, search behavior has gone social-first, especially for Gen Z and Millennials. According to Google’s own data, almost 40% of Gen Z prefers using TikTok or Instagram over Google Search for finding restaurants, shops, and experiences.

This means:

Your captions are keywords. Writing “Try our delicious coffee” won’t rank. Writing “Best coffee in Las Vegas for remote work” could.
Your hashtags are search signals. Generic tags like #foodie don’t help you dominate your niche. Hyper-specific tags like #vegashappyhour do.
Your on-screen text is metadata. TikTok and Instagram now index the words in your videos for search.

Social SEO isn’t a trend. It’s where buying decisions are being made before a customer even clicks your website link.

HOW TO INTEGRATE SOCIAL SEO INTO YOUR MARKETING STRATEGY

Here’s the framework we use at Golden Hour Co., when building a social SEO strategy for clients:

Start with intent-driven keyword research. Use tools like TikTok Creative Center, Pinterest Trends, and Instagram search to autocomplete to find what your audience is typing into the search bar right now.
Mirror those keywords in your content. Say them in your videos (so they’re picked up by auto captions and audio indexing). Include them in captions naturally, no keyword stuffing. Use them in alt text and on-screen text.
Design content for discoverability. Hook early, deliver value fast, and make it shareable so the algorithm sees it as “quality.”
Layer paid + organic. Boost your best-performing search-optimized posts to dominate both the organic and paid side of in-platform search.

REAL-WORLD EXAMPLE:

When one of our hospitality clients in Las Vegas wanted to rank for “best cocktails in Vegas,” we didn’t just run a Google SEO campaign.

We:

Scripted Instagram Reels where their bartender said the phrase on camera while making signature drinks.
Optimized captions and hashtags with “best cocktails in Vegas,” “Vegas craft cocktails,” and related search terms.
Used alt text for carousels featuring cocktails to reinforce the keywords for accessibility and indexing.

Result? Within two weeks, they started appearing as one of the top results when people searched “best cocktails in Vegas” on Instagram, without a single extra dollar.

FINAL THOUGHTS

Social SEO is the new keyword research because it’s meeting your audience where they’re already searching.. Google still matters, but your next wave of customers might find you on TikTok before they ever hit your website.

If you’re still optimizing only for traditional search, you’re leaving discoverability and revenue on the table.

The brands that win are the ones who own the conversation everywhere their customers search.