Relying solely on Google for SEO is no longer enough.
Expanding your SEO efforts to platforms like TikTok, Reddit and Quora can help you reach new audiences, build brand credibility and foster authentic connections.
This article covers nine essential strategies for diversifying your SEO approach beyond Google. These will allow your brand to thrive on various channels and meet users where they are.
1. Even Google is telling us it’s important to look elsewhere
Whether it’s helpful content, the tenets of E-E-A-T or the SERPs themselves, Google has been uncharacteristically transparent over the last few years in nudging marketers to share their experience and first-party perspectives to connect authentically with users.
This effort is part of why the SERP looks dramatically different today than it did a few years ago.
Compare this:
To this:
You can see that sections like AI Overviews, Perspectives and Discussions and Forums, all of which prominently showcase content from Reddit, Quora and TikTok, are great real estate for building a brand footprint.
I call this Google’s big shift from engines to experiences – which essentially means that SEOs need to evolve their approach from Google-centric keyword strategies to content that meaningfully engages the users, no matter which platform plays host.
2. Reddit results are popping – if you do it well
Reddit is booming on many fronts.
The platform’s advertising capabilities have developed substantially over the last year. This signifies demand for placements on a platform where users engage with content that they find authentic and trustworthy.
This also raises the organic stakes. Doing Reddit content well means you have a great chance to build engagement and equity with users in highly relevant niches (sub-Reddits).
One big caveat on Reddit, though. Redditors will sniff out (and call out) things like clickbait or spam in very short order and very blunt terms.
If you decide to include Reddit in your strategy – and you should, since good content there often appears in Google search results – focus on providing real value for Reddit users and following the platform’s rules.
Otherwise, you might find yourself highlighted for the wrong reasons (imagine a BuzzFeed list of cringeworthy brand posts on Reddit).
Quora, unlike Reddit, is more focused on education and less prone to crowdsourced stunts like the GameStop stock surge. It rewards users who provide genuine value to those seeking insights on specific topics and questions.
As with Reddit, Quora works best when you focus on building a community of users in your particular topic or niche. This means your content should:
Answer questions directly and without overt agendas.
Use keywords strategically – that is, only if they flow naturally into the content.
Use links sparingly and only to add value (e.g., by providing deeper, richer insights relevant to the question).
In other words, don’t do this to answer a question like “How do I build my blog subscriber list?”
4. TikTok is inevitable
Many marketers are holding back on TikTok due to potential regulations, but this hesitation means missing out – B2B companies included.
TikTok’s For You page, user-focused approach, and new TikTok Shop are attracting a diverse range of users, far beyond Gen Z and younger millennials.
It’s quickly becoming a go-to platform for learning about various topics, from health and finance to legal insights and more.
5. TikTok is a different beast
Before you finally get off the fence and decide to get serious about your TikTok organic strategy, you need to understand that it doesn’t work like other platforms – especially not Google.
TikTok’s algorithm is centered more on users than keywords. This fuels user behavior oriented around questions and interests, not products or services.