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The Madison Avenue Field GuideA field guide to marketing & advertising, by Brandon Mina

GlossarySocial & CreatorSocial Search (Social SEO)

Social & Creator

Social Search (Social SEO)

Optimizing social content with keywords, captions and hashtags so it surfaces when users search inside platforms like TikTok.

By Brandon MinaCEO, BrandPilot AIUpdated November 2026

Short answer

Social search, or social SEO, is the practice of optimizing social content with keywords, captions and hashtags so it surfaces when users search inside platforms such as TikTok. Many people now use social apps to research products, places and ideas. Spoken words, on-screen text and profile details can all help platforms match content to searches.