Social search

Q: What is social search optimisation?

Social search optimisation is the process of making your profiles and content more discoverable in search results within social media platforms like TikTok and Instagram.

Q: How is social search different from traditional SEO?

Social search focuses on hashtags, captions and engagement signals rather than backlinks and long-form content.

Q: Which platforms matter most for social search?

Currently TikTok, Instagram and YouTube dominate, but LinkedIn and Pinterest are also key for specific audiences.

Be discovered where conversations begin

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What is social search?

Search behaviour has changed. People no longer just rely on Google to find answers.

Platforms like TikTok, Instagram, YouTube, and LinkedIn have become key tools for discovering products, services, and brands. In fact, almost 40% of Gen Z prefer TikTok or Instagram over Google for search. If your brand isn’t visible on these platforms, you’re missing out on an audience actively looking for solutions. Social search is where modern discovery happens, and your strategy needs to adapt.

At Circulate, we specialise in Social Search Optimisation (SSO). This approach blends proven SEO principles with social platform algorithms to make sure your brand is not just present, but also searchable and discoverable where it matters most.

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Our expertise

Technical SEO

Our Technical SEO expertise helps you maximise the reach of your website in organic search through improved crawling and indexation of high-quality content.

See Technical SEO

Data Insights

We define exactly who your search presence is built for, so every decision that follows is designed to attract people who are capable of engaging, converting, and driving real business value.

See Data Insights

Google Search

When your audience moves from AI answers to more in-depth research, we make sure your brand dominates the traditional SERPs.

See Google Search

AI Search

We build content around real questions and clear, authoritative answers, structured so AI models recognise, trust and recommend your brand.

See AI Search

Social Search

Social Search ensures your brand isn’t just visible, but genuinely searchable and discoverable in the places modern audiences now turn to for answers, recommendations, and inspiration.

See Social Search

Digital PR

As a search marketing agency, we help brands earn authoritative media coverage, quality backlinks, and brand mentions that directly support SEO growth and long-term brand value.

See Digital PR

Conversion

We analyse behaviour, remove friction and tighten your funnels so more visitors convert. The result? Higher sales, higher ROI and a website that works as hard as your marketing.

See Conversion

Our approach to social search

01

Social search audit

We assess how well your current profiles and content are set up for discoverability:

Keyword use in bios and captions
Hashtag strategy and content tagging
Engagement metrics compared to competitors

02

Profile optimisation

Your profile should work as hard as your content. We make sure:

Bios include relevant keywords and clear value propositions
Profile links are optimised for clicks and conversions
Branding is consistent across platforms

03

Keyword & hashtag research

We identify:

Trending keywords relevant to your niche
High-performing hashtags on TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube
Conversational queries for AI-integrated social search

04

Content strategy for social search

We plan content designed to rank in platform searches:

Short-form videos for TikTok, Instagram Reels, and YouTube Shorts
Captions are written for both engagement and search
Content calendars aligned with trends and audience intent

05

Video SEO & metadata

We optimise:

Titles, descriptions, and tags for maximum reach
Captions for discoverability and engagement

06

Authority & trust building

Platforms favour content from credible accounts. We:

Showcase expertise through valuable, informative posts
Use social proof like reviews and UGC to build trust
Increase brand authority through engagement-driven tactics

PRYA

45% increase in product revenue through eCommerce SEO

We saw a vast improvement across a range of metrics, including a 45% increase in organic product revenue as the visibility of both individual products and entire collections grew rapidly.

See case study

Social search

Social search focuses on short-form videos, keyword-rich captions, and engagement metrics like likes and shares.

While Google rankings can take months to build, social search rewards brands that create relevant, trending, and interactive content quickly. We provide a complete strategy to improve your discoverability across social platforms, helping you connect with users when they’re actively searching for answers.