Master TikTok Keyword Research: 4 Essential Steps to Boost Your Content’s Reach

With over 1 billion active users, TikTok is a competitive platform where TikTok keyword research is crucial for standing out. According to recent data, videos optimized with the right keywords are 30% more likely to appear on users’ For You Pages (FYP), significantly boosting visibility and engagement. In this guide, MKT Software will cover four strategies to help you leverage TikTok keyword research and boost your content’s reach.

I. Understanding TikTok keyword research

Before we dive into the different steps for TikTok keyword research, we need to understand how users find content on TikTok. The platform’s discovery can be broken up into two parts: active search and content discovery.

• Active search is when a user searches for content related to your topic using the search bar. This is where well-optimized “on-page” content stands a better chance of competing with content that’s getting a lot of engagement.
• Content discovery refers to the videos that show up on a user’s FYP. Users aren’t actively looking for a topic but rather using the platform for enjoyment. In these instances, it doesn’t matter how well-optimized for search a video is. The only thing that matters is what the video is about and whether it aligns with a user’s interests.

If you want to achieve success on TikTok, you need to optimize your videos for both discovery methods. And the best way to increase your chances of discovery is by creating good quality, engaging content that evokes emotion.

II. Why is TikTok keyword research so important?

Choosing the right trending TikTok keywords for your videos will greatly help your content creation and channel growth for several reasons:

• Reach more users and go viral: Using trending TikTok keywords will help your videos stay on top of what’s relevant, increasing visibility in TikTok’s search bar and allowing you to reach more users.
• Increase followers: Creating engaging, creative, and viral videos on TikTok can help you capture the attention of the TikTok community. The more relevant your content is to trending topics, the more views, shares, and followers you’ll attract.
• Boost sales: TikTok optimizes the customer journey by showcasing products to potential customers based on keywords and related topics they follow. Using trending TikTok keywords in your products and videos will help sellers attract customers interested in those products, making it easier to convert leads into sales.

III. 4 steps for TikTok research keyword

Using the right TikTok keywords will help your channel go viral and increase sales. However, the challenge is finding the right hot keywords for your content. Below are four steps to help you build your keyword list:

Step 1: Define your topic

The first and most important step is to clearly identify the topic for the product or service you want to promote on TikTok. By having a thorough understanding of the field your product falls under, you can easily select relevant keywords that closely align with the content you plan to share. This will give you a clearer direction when researching keywords and make the search process more efficient.

For example, if you’re building a TikTok channel to share cooking knowledge, simply defining the content as “cooking” might be too broad and difficult to develop. Instead, focus on a more specific niche like sharing vegetarian recipes. 

With this topic, you’ll be able to find more relevant keywords like “vegetarian nutrition,” “healthy vegetarian meals for kids,” or “balanced plant-based diet.”

Step 2: Conduct TikTok keyword research

Once you’ve identified your topic, the next step is to research popular keywords related to that subject. There are several ways to find high-search-volume keywords. 

1. TikTok’s search bar

You can use TikTok’s search bar to input related terms and view keyword suggestions that users are actively searching for

A quick list of some keyword prompts you can try:

• How (keyword)
• How to (keyword)
• How do (keyword)
• Why do (keyword)
• What (keyword)
• Do (keyword)
• Does a (keyword)
• Best (keyword) for
• Best for (keyword)
• Top (keyword)
• Top 10 (keyword)
• Best (keyword)
• (Keyword) or
• (Keyword) vs
• (Keyword) review

Another way to conduct keyword research within TikTok is by using hashtags. You can use the same search bar we used above to search for hashtags. For example, we’re going to search for “#laptopreviews”:

As you can see, there’s some good content for this hashtag, such as “Best Laptop for X Group” lists — and it’s a topic getting a ton of views. We’ve also stumbled onto a dedicated sub-community on TikTok known as #techtok.

This method is a great way to find content ideas within your niche, and see what’s popular with your target audience—even if it’s not what you expected.. 

2. Learn from top-performing videos

Another effective method is to learn from top-performing videos or popular accounts in your niche. Analyze why certain videos receive high engagement and use the comments to gain insights into your audience’s preferences.

3. Hashtag

Hashtags are also essential for categorizing your video’s content. You can track the search volume of hashtags to identify trending keywords. 

When searching for keywords, you can look at the volume (number of searches) of a hashtag. Hashtags with high search volume can be understood as trending keywords that are receiving a lot of attention.

4. TikTok account information finder tool

This article will provide you with a TikTok account information finder tool. This tool has been helping many businesses search for information about target audiences, ideas, and TikTok keywords that businesses need to target. It’s called MKT UID software, with outstanding features such as:

• Search for page IDs based on keywords and provide detailed information such as page name, number of followers, and number of likes.
• Keyword group searches into a “Scan Group Data” section in the software.
• Search group names, or group member counts, group status by keyword.
• Scan UIDs of users who have interacted with posts in the Group.
• Automatically search for UID of new members joining the group
• Supports searching UID of people who have interacted with posts on a page.

Step 3: Create a TikTok keyword list

After researching and compiling potential keywords, you should create a detailed list for future use in your videos. This list should be well-organized and include primary and secondary keywords, along with their competition level (low, medium, or high). This will allow you to track and choose the right keywords efficiently when creating content.

Step 4: Select TikTok keywords

Finally, once you have a list of potential keywords, the next step is to select the most suitable ones and determine the frequency of their use to optimize your TikTok SEO. You can categorize your keywords into three main types:

• Short-tail keywords: These are used for broad awareness and product exposure. They tend to have high search volume but also high competition and lower conversion rates.
• Long-tail keywords: These are more detailed and focus on specific aspects of your content, often leading to more engagement such as likes, comments, or inquiries.
• Detailed keywords: These are highly specific to your product or brand. While they may have lower search volume, they tend to have higher conversion rates.

IV. Successful brands master in TikTok keyword research

Several brands have mastered the art of marketing on TikTok. Some notable examples include:

• Gymshark: This activewear brand jumps on trends and adapts them to fit its brand voice. They know their niche well and collaborate with popular creators to reach their audience.
• Duolingo: The language-learning app quickly adopts trends with funny videos and actively engages in the comments on both their own and other brands’ content.
• Crocs: This iconic footwear brand has successfully entered the Gen Z market through TikTok. They aren’t afraid to poke fun at themselves, share styling tips, and showcase the versatility of their shoes.
• Red Bull: The energy drink brand has mastered creating engaging, high-quality content that resonates with viewers.
• Ryanair: The low-cost airline uses TikTok’s green screen filter with trending audio to create interesting and humorous content, often poking fun at themselves and their passengers.

V. TikTok banned keywords you should know

As of May 2023, TikTok has over 1 billion users worldwide, including children, teens, and adults. Therefore, TikTok takes content moderation seriously, based on its community guidelines. 

Make sure you know TikTok’s banned keywords and follow its rules to avoid serious consequences like muted audio, deleted videos, account suspension (potentially permanent), brand image damage, and legal repercussions.

Here’s a list of banned keywords on TikTok that you should avoid to keep your channel safe and trending.

• Muted TikTok audio, deleted videos
• TikTok account suspension (possibly permanent)
• Negative impact on brand image
• Legal consequences

Below is a list of banned keywords on TikTok. You should refer to it before uploading videos to prevent your channel from being flagged, suspended, and to make it easier to trend.

Containing contact information and other social media platforms

TikTok aims to prevent users from using content to promote or advertise other social media platforms on its site. These include terms like:

• Facebook
• Instagram
• Shopee
• Lazada
• Zalo
• Personal or organizational phone numbers (09…)
• Amazon

Containing the names or logos of large brands

Counterfeit and imitation goods are a significant issue in society. Therefore, TikTok strictly monitors videos containing keywords related to big brands, making such videos difficult to go viral. If you’re not an official distributor of these brands, avoid using the following terms:

• Dior
• Chanel
• Apple
• Adidas
• Gucci
• Nike
• Coca Cola

Banned keywords in the beauty and pharmaceutical industries

Some frequently used terms in the beauty and pharmaceutical sectors are prohibited on TikTok:

• Cure
• Completely healed
• Permanent cure
• Fully cured
• Definitive
• Weight loss
• Medicine

Claims with absolute guarantees that are not verified

TikTok aims to ensure all content shared on its platform provides accurate and valuable information. Therefore, avoid using keywords that imply absolute guarantees.

• World’s top
• Cutting-edge technology
• Absolute
• Permanent
• 100% guaranteed treatment
• 100% authentic
• Guaranteed success
• Guaranteed effectiveness

Deceptive user claims

This rule ensures accuracy and reliability of information and protects TikTok users’ rights.

• Free gifts
• Click the link to get money
• Follow to get free items
• Follow to receive 500k in your account
• Free for everyone
• Order now for the lowest price

Negative, offensive, or uncomfortable content for users

In order to build a positive and healthy community, TikTok prohibits negative language that causes discomfort to viewers:

• Cheating
• Homewrecker
• Fraud
• Suicide
• Killing
• Bullying, fighting
• Terrified
• Pornographic content
• Violence

Content that insults viewers or discriminates based on race, gender, or wealth

Videos containing offensive or discriminatory language create an uncivilized, negative environment. Accounts containing such videos may have their content removed, be suspended, and will not be accepted on the platform.

• Black people
• White people with big noses
• Mixed-blood
• Retarded, slow-witted
• Ugly
• Poor people
• Fat, short, mean
• Sexism
• Country names: England, Japan, Korea, Africa, etc.

Conclusion

It’s clear that TikTok keyword research is essential for creating an effective and cost-efficient marketing campaign. By using the right TikTok keywords, you can easily rank your TikTok channel, products, and TikTok Shop at the top of TikTok’s search results.