Note: I am mentioning working with an AI tool (ElevenLabs 3.0) in this post, but only as one option; one can use the tactics below without it.
Recently, over the course of my work with my author clients, I have started experimenting with this thing called TikTok SEO. Basically, optimizing for TikTok’s search algorithm. The latter responds both to the literal text words on screen in the video and to the words in the audio (if any). Especially if those are in the first 3 seconds.
So far, the results had been good both in terms of views and targeting – the views jumped up 2x compared to last week, and the engagement rose 150%-ish (say, 100 likes + 58 favorites on a video vs. ones of comparable reach and similar hooks that only got 50-70-ish). Caveat: nothing viral yet; but it did yield some consistent 900-1200 view-posts.
So, here is the workflow I’ve been doing for the past week:
- Researching romance books-related popular queries (in English or in German, depending on whether I’m marketing a translation or not) (there are SEO keyword research tools for that; Answer the Public as a budget option, Semrush to splash out);
- Incorporating 1-2 (if it’s possible to combine them) keyword strings into the first-3-seconds text;
- Incorporating 1-2 into the voiceover. I used ElevenLabs 3.0 for that to get a nice male baritone, but it totally works if one just… speaks into the microphone the way one normally does. Then CapCut Pro.
- Combining with a fitting in-TikTok music. But make sure the voice audio is still audible, the transcripting needs to catch it.
Yeah, it’s kind of A Process… but one gets used to it after some time. Well. Usually.
(Or you can check my services out here, and we could work something out together!)