How to do TikTok SEO in 2026

Watch our one-hour long masterclass with Nonsensical’s CCO Sam Gillies and Head of Growth, Melina Lee on the future of social search on TikTok and how businesses can win in this space in 2026.

Watch the replay and check out our summary below.

Here are our key takeaways:

Start every content plan in TikTok Creative Search Insights

In TikTok search, type Creator Search Insights and use it to find what TikTok is actively seeing people search for.

Use it to:

• Sanity check what TikTok thinks your account is about (suggested searches)
• Pull keyword ideas for upcoming videos (including daily volume and 7‑day trend swings)

Pick a Tok (niche) and stay consistent so TikTok can categorise you

• Treat your niche like your home base (e.g., BookTok, local city content, DIY, marketing).
• Consistency helps TikTok understand where to place your videos on the For You Page and in search.

Build keywords into 6 specific places

Where keywords should go:

• On-screen text (title at the start)
• Scripts and dialogue (say the keyword naturally early)
• Description of the video
• Video subtitles (ensure the keyword is correctly transcribed)
• Video hashtags (at least one directly relevant)
• Your profile (bio/name fields where relevant, this is extra “juice” for discoverability)

Keep it natural: keywords help discovery, they don’t rescue poor videos

• If the video has poor watch time/engagement, it won’t rank.
• Keywords help TikTok place the video but it’s not a hack to override the performance of the video.

Optimise content for question-style, long tail searches

• Create content that answers what people actually type:
  • Reviews: ‘Unboxing the new iPhone’
  • What is X: ‘What is TikTok SEO’
  • How to: ‘How to style a trend coat’
  • Which X should you Y: ‘Which protein bar is best bulking?’
  • Things to: ‘Things to paint on a canvas’
  • Top X lists: ‘Top 5 snacks for under £2’
  • My X routine/setup/process: ‘My skincare routine for dry skin’
  • Local guides: ‘Where to go in [city] if you’re hungover’
• You can also cross-check ideas with search engine tools e.g. Google and Semrush for related questions, then adapt to TikTok language.

Use location tags for local SEO

• Every video should have a location tag when it’s relevant (where it was filmed / what it’s about).
• You can also go back to older videos and add locations. TikTok is pushing this and it can unlock additional views from local discovery.

Treat thumbnails as a major SEO lever for CTR

• Your thumbnail text can drive clicks from search.
• TikTok now surfaces CTR via Creator Search Insights, and higher CTR can help a video move up rankings.
• Key tip: Put the primary keyword/topic clearly on the thumbnail (and make the first seconds compelling since search results autoplay)

Caption/description: one clear sentence is usually enough

• Sam’s rule of thumb:
  • Keep descriptions conversational and relevant
  • Don’t paste keyword lists
  • Don’t overdo hashtags (3–5 max and keep them relevant)

Subtitles: TikTok native is best

• Best practice: add subtitles in TikTok for maximum readability by the system.
• If you need stylised captions, tools like CapCut are generally fine but TikTok native is typically better for uplift.

Expect delayed wins: TikTok SEO can have a second wave months later

• A video can do its For You Page run, then spike later when a search term trends seasonally or suddenly.
• Don’t judge SEO performance only in the first 24–72 hours.

Refresh and repost strategically – don’t duplicate

• Don’t repost identically as this can look like duplicate content
• Instead, rework your video with a new hook/title text, updated caption, different hashtag set, new location tag, slight edit for better results
• Use this to reclaim rankings when a topic resurges.

Never delete content because it didn’t pop immediately

• Search behaviour and trends can make older videos relevant again.

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Looking for more webinars on the best TikTok insight?

• The Future of TikTok: Is TV The Next Era?
• How To Grow and Keep Growing Your TikTok Community
• How To Drive Sales During Peak Season on TikTok
• How To Be Reactive on TikTok
• How Fashion Brands Win on TikTok Shop
• How To Build A Brand Organically on TikTok
• How To Build An Effective Organic TikTok Strategy
• How To Do TikTok SEO In 2025
• How To Win On TikTok In 2025
• How To Win On TikTok Shop: Best Practices
• How To Create TikTok Ads That Convert
• Mastering TikTok Influencer Partnerships with Semrush
• How To Build Scalable Content Ideas
• How To Find The Right Tok on TikTok

About Nonsensical.

We’re a TikTok agency based in the UK who work across strategy, organic, influencer, paid and TikTok Shop.

You can find more TikTok insight from us in our Substack – The TikTok Sauce.