How SEO Is Quietly Shaping the Future of Social Content - Part 2
In Part 1, we talked about how organic social is entering its Social SEO era and how brands like DIBS Beauty and creators using TikTok tutorials are already adapting. This shift in how people discover products means branded content isn’t just being judged by engagement. It’s being crawled, surfaced, and cited by AI platforms and that’s changing how brands need to show up on social.
What your audience is searching for now matters just as much as what they’re scrolling through. With only 25% of beauty content surfaced by AI platforms like ChatGPT coming directly from brands, and young consumers being among the most active users of these tools, it’s time to rethink how you’re crafting content, especially if your goal is to drive sales at retail.
As social and search continue to overlap, the goal is no longer just reach, it’s relevance. This means treating your social content with the same intent and strategy you would apply to any digital channel. Social posts need to answer real questions, reflect how your audience talks, and stay useful long after they’re published. Whether it’s evergreen, promotional, or creator-led, branded content should be built to surface across platforms and be picked up wherever consumers are searching.
Below are three ways to start transforming branded content to align with how consumers are searching on social.
Talk Like Your Audience, Not Like an Algorithm
Stop centering your strategy around hashtags. Platforms like TikTok and Instagram are no longer leaning on them for discovery and engagement. Instead, their algorithms are picking up on real, conversational language—especially the kind creators use naturally in their video audio, on-screen text, and captions. Think copy like “serums for sensitive skin” or “floral fragrances for summer” phrases that mirror how people actually search.
Be Early to the Conversation, Not Late to the Trend
Post consistently on trending topics within your category. Social search often prioritizes recent, relevant posts for time-sensitive queries especially during cultural moments or seasonal shifts. If consumers are buzzing about Halloween or anticipating Taylor Swift’s next album drop, aim to publish content while excitement is building, not after the moment has peaked. Timeliness increases your chances of surfacing in search while interest is at its highest.
Make Every Part of a Creator’s Content Searchable
TikTok has changed how younger audiences discover products. It's no longer just about visuals, it’s about what’s said and shown in the content. The platform picks up on captions, spoken audio, and even text layered onto videos. That means your product messaging can’t just live in the caption; it needs to show up in the script and on-screen text, too. Partner with creators who know how to weave search-friendly language into their storytelling, so your content has more ways to get picked up and more chances to be found.