Over 50% of Gen Z now start product discovery on TikTok or Instagram. Crucially, Google has begun indexing social media content, including video transcripts and comments. Marketers must shift from clever captions to intentional, keyword-rich text to ensure their content is discoverable in this new search ecosystem.
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When repurposing short-form videos to YouTube Shorts, prioritize search engine optimization in your titles. Even if the content only lightly touches on a topic, title it based on what users are searching for to leverage YouTube's power as the world's second-largest search engine, not just as a social feed.
Treat your Instagram captions as SEO content, not just descriptive text. As posts become discoverable in external search engines and chatbots, embedding relevant keywords is crucial for visibility beyond Instagram's walls. This transforms captions into a key tool for search discoverability.
Your Instagram 'name line'—not your @handle—is fully searchable on Instagram and external search engines like Google. Using descriptive keywords here (e.g., 'San Francisco Videographer') is far more effective for discovery than a simple branded name.
The paradigm is shifting from Search Engine Optimization (SEO) to Generative Engine Optimization (GEO). The content you post now on platforms like LinkedIn will be consumed by AI models to answer future user queries, making it a critical asset for long-term visibility and authority.
As feeds become saturated, relying on shares for discovery is insufficient. Your ideal followers are actively searching for solutions. Optimizing profiles and posts with keywords to answer their questions is a more reliable and underrated path to being discovered.
LinkedIn is increasingly integrated with search engines, meaning your long-form content and hashtags are now indexed and can appear in Google search results. This makes LinkedIn a key part of a broader "Always Everywhere Optimization" (AEO) strategy, not just a social selling tool.
Instagram content is increasingly discoverable on external platforms like Google and in chatbots. Marketers must shift their mindset and craft captions with search engine optimization (SEO) in mind. Use relevant keywords to ensure your posts can be found by users searching for your topic outside of Instagram itself.
As users increasingly get answers from AI assistants, marketing strategy must evolve from Search Engine Optimization (SEO) to Generative Engine Optimization (GEO). This means creating diverse, authoritative content across multiple platforms (podcasts, PR, articles) with the goal of being cited as a trusted source by AI models themselves.
Unlike the ephemeral nature of TikTok and Instagram Reels, YouTube Shorts have a longer shelf life. By titling videos with search terms, creators can tap into YouTube's function as the world's second-largest search engine, generating views long after being posted.
Platforms like TikTok fundamentally shifted content delivery from a "social graph" (friends) to an "interest graph" (hobbies, topics). This means businesses can now reach highly engaged audiences who don't follow them, making organic discovery more powerful than ever.