Social search: what it is and how to embrace it

Search behaviour is changing fast and marketing strategies need to change with it.

More people now look for answers, inspiration and recommendations inside the platforms where they already spend their time – 48% of adult internet users engage in social search to research brands and products.

That shift has huge implications for how brands get discovered, earn trust and drive action.

Enter social search. It’s reshaping the path from question to purchase and opening new opportunities for brands that adapt. Read on to learn more about what it is, how it works, why it’s suddenly so important and some practical steps your team can take to build credibility and convert without wasting budget.

What is social search?

Social search involves finding information through social platforms and online communities instead of traditional search engines, such as Google.

Instead of turning up a list of webpages ranked by algorithms, social search surfaces results shaped by people – creator content, community discussions, comments and recommendations.

At its core, social search combines:

• Intent with community context: answers are influenced by trends, opinions and real experiences.
• Native formats with in-platform SEO: results prioritise posts, profiles, audio and hashtags that best match the query.
• Content discovery with social signals: engagement markers, such as likes, comments and watch time, influence relevance.

Why is social search suddenly so popular?

An estimated 65% of the global population was using social media in mid-2025 – that’s billions of opportunities for search behaviour to be influenced!

1 – Evolving user behaviour

People trust people.

Search is shifting from “What’s the correct answer?” to “What do people like me actually recommend?” Users want lived experience, not just publisher summaries – think unboxings, day-in-the-life use cases, side-by-side comparisons and honest “would I buy again?” takes.

Communities and creators have become the first port of call because they present relevant information in a way that is culturally relevant and credible.

As a result, social platforms feel closer to word-of-mouth than web pages ever did.

2 – More digestible formats

Short-form video, carousels and threaded explainers package complex topics into quick, visual micro-lessons.

A 30–60 second clip can show the setup, the outcome and the pitfalls in one pass, while captions and on-screen text make it more scannable.

Instead of trawling multiple articles, users get “show, don’t tell” content that’s easier to absorb on the go and better suited to multitasking.

3 – Deeper personalisation

Social graphs are powerful ranking engines. What you watch to completion, save, share and the creators you engage with all signal your intent and preference.

Over time, a social feed learns your style, budget and pain points, then tunes the content is offers you accordingly.

The effect of this is a bespoke search layer – a camera enthusiast sees technical breakdowns, or a first-time buyer is shown beginner guides and deals. Results feel more relevant without the user needing to input expert-level queries.

4 – Convenience

Social search offers research, validation and action live in one place.

Users can search, watch demos, skim community feedback, ask questions and save or make a purchase without needing to leave the app.

This “in-flow” experience reduces friction and keeps momentum high, especially on mobile where every extra tap increases the risk of drop-off.

5 – Shorter buyer journeys

Social search has the ability to collapse the sales funnel.

A query surfaces a content creator’s demo (awareness), credible comments and comparisons (consideration) and clear CTAs or product tags point to purchasing points (conversion) – all stacked vertically on one screen.

With fewer unknowns and instant validation, decisions can happen faster and be made with greater confidence.

Which platforms is social search most common on?

Some platforms are more common for social search because they combine strong intent signals with formats that answer questions quickly and credibly.

These platforms include:

• TikTok: built for rapid, visual answers, making it ideal for “how-to,” reviews and local recommendations delivered in seconds. Its in-app search, auto-captions, chapters and rich comments surface practical guidance fast, while engagement signals like watch time and saves help rank the most useful results.
• YouTube: this platform functions as the world’s video knowledge base, excelling at intent-driven queries such as “best…,” “how to…,” and “review.” Chapters, transcripts and a mix of long- and short-form formats make it easy to navigate depth and detail, and creator authority lends credibility for bigger or more complex decisions.
• Instagram: a discovery-first platform for lifestyle-led categories including fashion, beauty, travel and food. Hashtags, location tags, Guides and Reels make it simple to find inspiration, products and places, with instant social proof visible through comments, saves and shares.

TikTok and Instagram excel at fast, visual, mobile-first guidance where engagement quickly bubbles up the best content, while YouTube offers depth and clear navigation for more complex research.

However, not all social media platforms are built for social search. Reddit can deliver exceptional depth, but its thread structure and varying moderation make results inconsistent and time-consuming to review, while Pinterest is ideal for planning and finding inspiration, but lacks robust discussion and real-time validation.

How to optimise your digital marketing strategies for social search

Here are seven practical ways you could optimise your digital marketing strategies for social search.

1 – Craft an intent-led content plan

Start with the exact questions your audience asks inside apps – think “best X for Y,” “how to do Z,” “near me” queries.

This works because social search is driven by specific, practical intent, and matching that language makes your content far more discoverable.

You can find intent by mining in-platform autocomplete features, user comments, DMs and community threads, then map each query to a short-form video, a carousel and a longer YouTube piece. Keep the same phrasing in titles, on-screen text and captions for maximum results.

2 – Optimise titles, captions, and on‑screen text like SEO metadata

Treat your video title and the first line of the caption as your H1 and meta description, as this helps algorithms understand the topic and improves click-through from results.

Front-load the keyword and outcome (eg “How to fix frizzy hair: 3 steps that last all day”), add supporting terms naturally and use one to three highly relevant hashtags that describe the content, not just the category.

3 – Structure content for completion and saves

Design your posts to be finished, saved, and shared – these are the strongest ranking signals in social search. They work because completion and saves indicate usefulness.

Use a tight hook in the first two to three seconds, a clear step-by-step or comparison and a recap with a “save for later” prompt. You could also add chapters or timestamps where available and overlay key takeaways as text to help skim-readers.

4 – Clearly demonstrate EEAT

Demonstrate hands-on expertise and outcomes to increase credibility and conversions.

Platforms reward content that viewers trust and engage with, so feature named experts or creators, show before/after results, cite sources and be transparent about sponsorships.

Don’t forget to include credentials in bios, link to case studies and certifications, and answer follow-up questions in comments with additional clips.

5 – Make content more shoppable

Shortening the path from search to purchase so more people convert is key to crafting an effective digital marketing strategy.

Use native product tags, in-app storefronts and clear next steps so users don’t have to leave the app to act. Set up product catalogues, tag items in posts, add prices and variants in captions and include an obvious CTA such as “Shop the kit,” “Book now” or “Get the checklist” for that final push.

If you’re selling services instead, use lead forms or DMs with auto-replies to capture interest immediately.

Explore Submerge’s content marketing agency services.

6 – Do more with less

A key tenant of marketing is to go where your target audience is, not where you think they should be, otherwise you risk wasting time and resources shouting into a void.

For social search, meet users in the formats they prefer to widen your exposure area. This works because some queries need quick hits (Reels/TikTok), while others need depth (YouTube). Record one core piece of content, then cut a 9–15 second hook, a 30–60 second how-to, a carousel with steps and a five to eight minute explainer.

Keep keywords and outcomes consistent, and link versions together in descriptions and comments for maximum overall impact.

7 – Prioritise iteration

Social search rewards relevance over time, so learn from engagement signals to improve ranking and ROI.

Track which queries drive views, watch time, saves, and conversions, then double down on the winners. Use UTM tags on outbound links, review in-app analytics for search terms and retention drop-offs, and maintain a living FAQ sourced from comments.

You could even optimise and refresh top performing content semi-regularly with updated hooks, data and examples to keep it relevant.

Explore our digital marketing strategy agency services.

How social search works for brands

Social search puts your brand in front of people at the exact moment they’re looking for answers, options or recommendations.

It can also help brands better understand consumer behaviour and preferences, allowing them to more closely monitor trends and Share of Voice, and interact with their customer base in real-time.

The insights social search can provide, such as customer demographics, can help shape strategies to be more effective and targeted, keeping your brand consistently relevant.

What are the benefits of social search?

Social search blends discovery, validation and conversion all in one flow.

1 – Higher intent visibility

When people search on social apps, they’re usually looking for specific, practical answers like “best moisturiser for dry skin,” “how to style a blazer” or “brunch near me.”

If your content appears for those searches, you’re meeting them at the moment they’re ready to try or buy, not just browse. This may lead to better CTR and stronger conversions than broad, top-of-funnel discovery.

2 – Faster feedback loops

Comments and DMs show you exactly what people are confused about, what they love and what stops them from buying.

You can turn those questions into new posts, adjust your captions, update your product pages or record a quick reply video the same day. This short loop from feedback to fix helps your content perform better with each iteration.

3 – Lower acquisition costs through organic reach

Well-optimised, native content can rank in social search and ride trending queries without heavy ad spend.

If you structure your titles, captions and on-screen text to feature the questions users are asking, your posts can keep bringing in views and clicks over time (much like evergreen SEO) while paid campaigns support specific pushes.

4 – Rich first‑party insight

The exact words people use in searches and comments tell you exactly what their problems and goals are. You’ll see which features matter, which competitors they compare you to and what price points feel right.

Use this to shape your product positioning, FAQs, landing pages and future content so it matches how customers actually think and speak.

Learn more about our marketing competitor analysis services.

5 – Seamless path to conversion

Many platforms let you tag products, add prices, link to storefronts and answer questions in-thread. A user can discover your brand, watch a demo, see social proof, ask a quick question and make a purchase – all without bouncing between tabs.

Fewer steps between discovery and purchase means fewer chances for your potential customers to drop-off.

Where social search and SEO meet

Social search and SEO share the same goal: matching searcher intent with the best answer.

The two have a larger overlap than many realise, with only surface-level differences. Traditional SEO optimises web pages for search engines like Google, while social search optimises posts for in‑app discovery.

Keywords matter for both SEO and social search, but on social media platforms, they live in video titles, on‑screen text, captions, hashtags and alt text instead of H1s and meta descriptions.

Structure is just as important in social search as it is in SEO, with the hook, problem, steps, proof and next action the social equivalents of headings, schema and internal links.

Authority is still key for both. You could compare the number of quality backlinks to watch time, saves, comments and shares in social feeds.

This overlap means brands shouldn’t treat SEO and social as separate silos.

The best approach is to research intent only once, then publish it in multiple formats: a how-to guide on your website, a short demo for TikTok, a deeper explainer on YouTube and a supporting FAQ that captures the same questions you see in the comments on social media.

Learn our 5 steps to the perfect SEO strategy.

Here are a few quick tips to align your SEO and social search efforts:

• Use the same core queries across channels: reflect them in page H1s and in social titles/captions/on-screen text.
• Lead with outcomes, then steps: hook fast, answer clearly and show proof with demos, results and testimonials.
• Optimise for completion: design videos and articles people finish (watch time and dwell time both signal quality).
• Add EEAT signals: show real experience, credentials, and cite sources, including named authors and creators.
• Close the loop: link to landing pages that mirror the language and offer in your post to keep the next purchasing step obvious.

Up your SEO game with our SEO agency services, including everything from audits and link building to content optimisation and web migration.