It’s happening again. The United States government is discussing the possibility of changing how TikTok operates. This leaves many brands active on the platform scrambling to figure out how to continue promoting their content.
A Potential TikTok Ban Calls for a Better Alternative
It’s super tempting to get caught up in trying to be popular on social media, right? As a brand, there is a massive draw to the possibility of viral content, growing follower counts, and valuable user engagement through TikTok marketing. Altered State Production’s Eddie Castillo has a different take. He’s clear that being easy to find on Google is a smarter financial move than just jumping into the newest trend on TikTok or Instagram.
“Being TikTok famous is cool, but being ‘Google search famous? That’s where the real influence lies.” For marketers, focusing on search engine marketing is the key to online success.
Eddie Castillo, Media Director at Altered State Productions, warns about the risks of relying too much on social media. “Consider the what-ifs,” Castillo urges. “What if the United States decides to ban TikTok or any major app influenced by foreign powers, and you’ve anchored your entire brand’s visibility to it?”
The advice leans towards a stronger focus on a robust search engine marketing strategy. It’s the difference between building on sand or solid rock. With Search Engine Optimization (SEO), your brand remains visible and sturdy, no matter how TikTok’s algorithm changes.
Search Engine Optimization
Altered State Productions stresses the importance of increasing domain authority as the key to an automated online presence. The cornerstone of success lies in making your brand easy to find in search engine results, regardless of the ups and downs of social media or the types of content you are putting out.
Castillo invites brands to build a legacy with a message that cuts to the chase: “If you’re pouring thousands into social media influencers just to try to go viral, but your brand doesn’t show up on Google’s first page, you’ve got a serious problem.” This blunt assessment underscores the necessity of prioritizing SEO strategy as a marketing tactic to secure your online presence that won’t crumble with the next policy change or trend cycle.
The Problem with Social Media Marketing
Social media platforms tap into our innate desire for acknowledgment and connection, releasing endorphins that bring excitement and a sense of validation. Influencers amplify this cycle, driving engagement that seems to validate our need for a voice. However, this ecosystem has its authenticity challenges. This is something we discussed last year regarding virality and echo chambers.
Statista’s 2022 report shed light on a significant issue: 58.19% of Instagram mega-influencers worldwide, with over one million followers, were found to be involved in fraudulent activities to inflate their engagement and follower numbers. Additionally, an average of 49.32% of influencers engaged in deceptive practices, indicating a stark contrast between audiences’ need for genuine content and some influencers’ manipulative tactics.
This scenario, fraught with the risks of disappearing content, platform bans, shadow bans, and shifting marketing goals, underlines the volatility of relying solely on social media for brand visibility.
A Robust Solution
Meanwhile, Google processes over 3.5 billion organic searches daily, amounting to approximately 1.2 trillion searches worldwide annually. The Google Knowledge Panel offers a distinct advantage by providing a comprehensive snapshot of a brand or individual, including images, contact details, reviews, news, and direct links—all from a single search. This universal access extends reach far beyond existing followers, offering credibility and authority that cluttered social media profiles cannot match.
Recognizing that the impact of social media is short-lived, the emphasis shifts to developing a robust online presence. Despite discussions about AI potentially making traditional SEO metrics obsolete, the reality is quite the opposite. AI relies on the wealth of data from referring domains, press coverage, and distributed content as essential data points. A well-established online presence, therefore, becomes increasingly crucial as AI technologies advance.
Investing in an SEO specialist and your Google Knowledge Panel isn’t just smart; it’s financially wise. Brands caught up in the social media spending spree are missing out. While brands pour funds into social media, those focusing on SEO build lasting value in this space, ensuring their brand isn’t just another reel being passed on a feed but a dominant, enduring online presence that’s there to stay.
Altered State Productions is an award-winning agency partnered with Semrush to provide the most effective data-backed search engine marketing strategies for brands.
