Creator Search Insights: TikTok's Game-Changer for Content Creators and Brands

TikTok has changed how content creators and everyday users express themselves creatively and build a loyal following. Many of these creators and users are trying to understand how to grow their following and find topics their audience follows. Tiktok’s newest feature is perfect for social media managers & content creators looking to research these topics.

Now, TikTok is taking it one step further with the introduction of Creator Search Insights - a new tool that provides valuable insights into what users are searching for on TikTok.

What is Creator Search Insights?

Creator Search Insights is a Search Engine Optimization (SEO) tool that gives creators insight into topics people are searching for on TikTok. With these insights, creators can source inspiration for their content, tailor their creative strategies to meet audience interests, and create content that people want to see more of. Creator Search Insights empowers creators to make content that's relevant to searchers and positioned to perform well on TikTok.

How does it work?

Creators can tap into these SEO insights by typing "Creator Search Insights" in the search bar or by finding it directly from Creator Tools in Settings. Creator Search Insights will surface topics that are searched for often. Topics are sorted into two main categories Suggested and Trending. Along with the ability to search for specific words within the tool to see what's being looked for within that topic.

Suggested provides creators with three options to filter for topics. Content gap topics that are searched for often but aren't featured in a large number of videos on TikTok. If you have over 1,000 followers TikTok gives you information about what your followers are searching. The third option provides topics based on both along with suggested topics based on the content you're engaged.

Trending has presorted topics like Fashion, Food, Sports, Tourism, Gaming, and Science. You can easily click on a specific topic and see what is being searched for then look into related searches and videos.

Combining the Suggested and Trending topics gives creators and brands the ability to find both far-reaching generalized content and niche interests for their specific market. TikTok's goal is to make TikTok a search engine with answers to your questions in the form of content and creators can use this to their advantage in several ways.

How can different creators or brands utilize Creator Search Insights?

Creator Search Insights provides an immensely valuable SEO platform to give creators or brands words to mention, hashtags, and trends into what users are searching for based on that topic. Along with related videos, creators can see what similar creators are doing to shape their content strategies and chart their creative direction.

For example, if you're a fashion brand looking for potential influencers or clothing their customers are looking for, Creator Search Insights gives you trends your audience might be looking into as the weather gets nicer and people add to their wardrobe. Last month TikTok users were searching for cropped pants and Search Insights provides related videos and search topics that users who are looking for cropped pants are viewing. As a content creator, you can find topics that are searched for often but don't have many videos available, allowing you to create content on topics that have high search value but low competition.

Another example is for content creators who discuss and follow the NBA. Creator Insights provides related topics and videos so you can see what similar creators are doing. This is an immensely valuable SEO platform to gives you topics to mention, hashtags, trends, and insights into what users are so you can create videos to broaden your reach beyond your typical niche on a specific topic, team, or player that you discuss.

However, none of these insights are useful unless you have an understanding of what your audience is searching for or the words they are engaging with in the comments of videos. This feature is meant to encapture SEO capabilities within the platforms as TikTok wants users to search their platform to learn about new things, find restaurants, or engage with creators who cater to their specific interests. A great way to see what users are looking for is by checking the comments for a blue search tag.  

Connect Search with the Creator Rewards Program

Search value will also factor into the Creator Rewards Program, which means creating content related to in-demand search topics will increase creators' content's search value. Creators can see which topics are most popular based on a popularity score or the Recommended Topic label next to the search term.

TikTok recently announced new programs and resources aimed at empowering and rewarding creators on the platform. This includes hosting a major creator summit in Los Angeles to provide guidance on monetization tools, content strategy, and new trends. Additionally, they introduced the Creator Academy to further support creators in unlocking their potential.

You can read more about the announcement from TikTok and how they plan to help creators monetize their content. Empowering Creators to Succeed on TikTok with Enhanced Resources and New Monetization Tools

What does Creator Insights mean for Brands and Content Creators?

TikTok's Creator Search Insights is not just a tool that helps content creators or brands go viral, but it is a tool that helps them build sustainable content, find engaged audiences, and build out a niche within the platform. By tapping into these insights, creators and brands can create content that resonates with their target audience and boosts their search value on TikTok. So, if you're a content creator or a brand looking to level up your TikTok game, Creator Search Insights is a feature you don't want to miss out on.

However, brands and creators will need to pay attention not only to the creator insight tool but also to what users are saying. A great way to see what users are searching for is within the comments. Shout out to the Empire State Building (@empirestatebldg) on TikTok, for this screenshot, you can see the blue magnifying glass to indicate what users are searching for based on your video or the video you're watching. I would love to hear what others are doing to find good search engine operators beyond the creator insight tools and the comments.