This is why your news organization should be prioritizing social media search

I know I have spent a lot of time talking about the importance of Google and SEO but in 2025 you should be shifting some of that attention to search on social media.

Why? Because it’s exploding, especially with younger generations who are increasingly favoring social media over traditional search engines. 

Here are the stats:

• A recent Forbes Advisor and Talker Research survey of 2,000 Americans showed that Gen Z is 25% less likely than Gen X to use Google for searches. 

• 94% of Baby Boomers rely on search engines for brand discovery, while only 64% of Gen Z does the same, according to the same survey.

Despite this, Google remains the dominant player, thanks in part to its integration with YouTube, where 57% of people search for information just as they would on Google. 

It’s just so critical that you optimize for both Google and platforms like TikTok and Instagram. I’m going to break down how to do that in today’s newsletter.

1. You just have to post daily

Consistency is really huge when it comes to getting your content seen on social media through search. If you aren’t creating daily posts and videos (regardless of your print frequency) it’s going to be really challenging to get your content seen on search.

Just think about the number of stories that are sitting in your archive that have the potential to be indexed and shown to readers through traditional SEO avenues. Now how does that number compare to the amount of content you have on social media? I am guessing, for many, it’s considerably less.

So focus on your posting schedule for social media and make sure that includes more than Facebook. Are you posting regularly (daily on Instagram), are you on TikTok and do you have a plan on how you are posting a variety of content (traditional posts, Reels, carousels and calls to action).

Here’s a tip: If you have a print product, do an inventory and see how much of your content could be broken up into individual posts. Often these posts, with a little touch and added content, can really help small publishers and niche magazines get more out of their print content for digital.

2. How to optimize on social media for search

When it comes to optimizing content on social media, these are the specific areas I’d focus on:

• Optimize Social Profiles: Include keywords in your bio or description that reflects your niche or expertise. This is similar to the words you’d use in a meta description and SEO title to describe your website for Google.

• Write Engaging, Keyword-Rich Captions: Include keywords naturally in post captions to help with search results. The same keywords you might use in your URL or meta description, can be used in these areas as well. Tip: Use hashtags on platforms like Instagram, LinkedIn, and TikTok to categorize content (shoot for 4-5 hashtags per post).

• Video descriptions: Incorporate keywords into video titles, descriptions, and tags on YouTube to help more people find your content. Your Google best practices will translate well here.

• Create Shareable Content: Create content that encourages users to interact, save, or share, as these actions increase visibility in social algorithms. Tip: Create a visual cue in your Instagram posts that encourages readers to save the content.

• Prioritize Video Content: Platforms like TikTok, Instagram Reels, and Facebook prioritize video in their algorithms. Optimize video titles, thumbnails, and descriptions with keywords when you are posting videos. Also, add closed captions or subtitles as they help with accessibility and better engagement.

A key point I want to leave you with in this section is that your No. 1 goal on social media should be to create engagement. That means writing conversational posts, asking questions, creating Reels and more, but you should start integrating these search best practices into your engagement best practices.

3. Using the platform to write, tell a story

I know that many view social media as a referral platform, a way to get traffic. And yes, we should get page views from social media.

But, things have changed where readers are seeking more information from these platforms, on the actual platforms, opposed to being pushed to click a link.

This means that those who tell stories are going to be rewarded more with reader engagement and truth be told, the platforms are going to reward your brand for using their tools to story tell.

This means that your captions on Instagram should fully tell the story about your images and that your Reel shouldn’t be a billboard to a link in your bio, but rather keep a readers attention with actual information they can use.

This is directly connected to search on social media because the more and deeper storytelling you do on social media, the more chances you will have to integrate keywords into your captions and posts.

Let us help you with search

We’re experts in helping media companies navigate Google and social media search. Send me an email today so we can talk about how we can help you at david@davidarkinconsulting.com.