What makes TikTok so successful? The short-form video platform has become the most downloaded app in the world and has been able to compete with many major players in the technology space, all while racking up billions of users. And what’s the reason, or maybe the secret, behind TikTok’s spectacular rise? Many would argue it’s the TikTok algorithm. By curating a personalized stream of content for every individual user, TikTok has become not just a video platform but a digital wonderland of sorts, custom-designed to enthrall and engage each user. For those who make videos for TikTok, understanding the secrets to the algorithm and what it favors is key if you want to get more people to see your videos.
What is the TikTok Algorithm, and How Does It Work?
At its core, the TikTok algorithm is a personalized recommendation engine. It constantly watches what you do on the app and combines that with what it knows about you to serve an ever-evolving feed of content on your For You page. While social connections do play a role in what TikTok shows you, especially if your friends are making or liking certain videos, the nature of TikTok as a hyper-discoverable platform means that a huge part of what it serves you is content from creators you don’t yet know.
TikTok’s Key Ranking Signals
TikTok has revealed several elements that affect its algorithm. Most of what is known is because the company chose to share that information, most people assume it knows a lot more than it lets on. Nevertheless, here are those major signals that seem to impact video performance (in rough order of importance):
User Interactions
Every action a user takes on TikTok feeds data to the algorithm. That’s likes, comments, shares, follows, and even how long they watch a video—TikTok is very interested in watch time; in particular, it’s interested in how many users complete the video. For creators, that means if you don’t have their full attention from the beginning to the end of the video, then it could hurt your chances of going viral.
Video Information
The specifics of your video matter. What you say in your captions and what you use as hashtags significantly affect how your video is perceived. And it’s not just what you say but also how you say it. Including sounds and using text overlays (or not using them) are ways to signal to TikTok’s algorithm who should be served your video.
Device and Account Settings
Although they are lower in priority, fundamental settings like language, location, and device type do affect what you see on the FYP. For example, your content might be delivered more strongly to devices in the geographic area where you filmed, or where your FYP’s viewers live.
What TikTok Keeps Off Its Platform
To maintain user safety and content integrity, TikTok’s algorithm works hard to keep certain types of material off the platform. If you’re a content creator, you’ll automatically be living by these rules if you want your videos to reach a wide audience. TikTok’s moderation strategy sorts the wheat from the chaff in a way that keeps users returning to the app and engaging with its content. And in a detail that many users themselves aren’t even aware of, the algorithm also gives a bit more weight to user engagements that are achieved without the use of follower-count tricks.
How to Optimize TikTok for Search Engines
TikTok is a visual-first platform and is becoming an alternative to traditional search engines. Many of TikTok’s 1 billion monthly users go there to find inspiration and solutions to their problems, much like they would on Google. Because of this, the use of SEO strategies on TikTok is becoming increasingly vital to a creator’s success on the platform. But how do you optimize TikTok for the search engines?
How to Do Keyword Research for TikTok
To optimize your content for TikTok, you need to know what kinds of terms your potential audience is searching for. The first place to look is TikTok’s own Creative Center, which spotlights the trending hashtags and topics in various industries. Tools like Google Trends or Answer the Public can also help you come up with some keyword ideas. But the keywords you choose should align closely with your content and the people you’re trying to reach.
Making Your TikTok Content Search Engine Optimized
Once you have decided on your keywords, you need to use them effectively. Ensure you’ve included these vital terms in your captions, as well as in any on-screen text that might appear during your video. Think of your TikTok as being akin to a YouTube video in that the algorithm is going to prioritize recommended content that has been well optimized for both audio and visual consumption. This means that if you’re relying on any audio cues to get across your content, you should also be using your keywords (dialogue is a good place to work in your keyword strategy).
Writing Content That Delights the Algorithm
While the algorithm determines what gets displayed to whom, your content’s quality remains the most crucial factor. Here’s the way to create videos that appeal to both audiences and the algorithm.
Put Attention First
Attention is the name of the game. You want the viewers glued to the screen and not wandering off if you want to signal to the algorithm that your video is worth showing to more people. This is even more crucial for short-form content, as you have so little time to grab the viewer’s attention.
Use Sounds and Features That Are Trending
TikTok’s trends are ever-changing, but staying current with them can really improve visibility. You can ride the wave of a sound, effect, or piece of music that’s already going viral by using them in your TikToks. An exceptionally good tool for seeing what’s potentially blowing up is TikTok’s own Creative Center.
Maintain a Consistent Posting Schedule
To optimize the TikTok algorithm for your account, there is no better method than consistently posting. You do not have to post every day, but when you decide to post, make sure you stick to that time and keep posting regularly. TikTok does seem to favor accounts that post often, so if you can work up to a regular schedule where you are posting around two to three times a week, this may be the sweet spot for getting that algorithm on your side.
Enhance the Visual Clarity and Editing of Your Videos
You don’t need an elaborate studio to create professional-looking TikTok videos, but they should be visually conducive to the platform and edited in a way that serves the content. “Go vertical” with your orientation to suit the platform’s layout. Lighting is key; if you’re indoors, shooting near windows during the day is your best bet. Use TikTok’s native editing tools for a seamless, well-paced finished visual product that feels at home on the platform.
Creating Durable Relationships That Go Beyond Algorithms
Although one can achieve some short-term success by manipulating the algorithm, enduring growth on social platforms calls for the authentic camaraderie of a real audience.
Direct Engagement With Followers is Essential
Commenting back, creating video responses, and employing features like Duet or Stitch express commitment to interacting with your audience. These tactics not only create community but also generate more engagement signals for the algorithm.
Delve into Specific Cultures
TikTok is a place for lively subcultures; there is #FarmTok and #BookTok and so many more. If you want to cultivate a dedicated following on TikTok, find a subculture that relates to you and your interests, and “dive deep” into it. The algorithm will serve your content to the right people, provided you offer more than the occasional peep show into your life.
Refine Your Strategy with TikTok Data
TikTok offers a built-in analytics system that provides valuable insights into a brand’s performance on the platform. Metrics such as video views and unique profile visits help account holders gauge the effectiveness of their content. Even more so, these metrics reveal what works and what doesn’t when it comes to captivating the TikTok audience.
Understand the TikTok Algorithm and Achieve Better Results With WoopSocial
The TikTok algorithm can seem intimidating, but it’s not as complex as it looks. If you grasp what engages TikTok users, you’re halfway to mastering it. From there, you can make the algorithm work in your favor. Ignoring it and hoping for a miracle is clearly not a viable plan, but trying to please it by overlaying your content with a bunch of “tuned” sounds isn’t either. And what can you do to get better results while using TikTok? Use WoopSocial for indoor swimming. That is what this passage is about.
