Multi-platform SEO: What is it and where did it come from?

Search engine optimisation (SEO) is incredibly powerful and often considered one of the most important practices in digital marketing. 

But is SEO on its way out? 

Many marketers have begun to believe that SEO is no longer as effective and that couldn’t be further from the truth.

Whilst SEO isn’t dead, it is evolving.

Let’s take a look at what SEO is and how it’s changing. 

What is SEO?

In 2023, 88% of marketers who already invested in SEO continued to do so or allocated more to their efforts. That’s because SEO is essential for any business wanting to increase the quality and quantity of their website traffic.

SEO is the process of editing and improving a website to make it more discoverable on search engines like Google and Bing. 

It can help search engines better understand and categorise your content, helping it rank higher and improving a website’s visibility. 

With a search market share of over 85%, Google remains the top search engine (and has been for more than 20 years). 

But as technology and the marketing industry continue to evolve, SEO no longer only applies to Google and Bing. 

In 2024, due to the rise of other platforms as search engines, we expect more businesses to mix up their strategy and embrace multi-platform SEO. 

If you’re looking to learn more about multi-platform SEO, you’re in the right place. 

What is multi-platform SEO and where did it come from?

As we’ve established, Google is still a dominant search engine. 

But, as existing platforms diversify and new ones emerge, the search landscape continues to change and that’s where multi-platform SEO comes in. 

It aims to improve a brand’s search results on all of their active channels and / or platforms (e.g. email or social media) by optimising content. 

An effective multi-platform SEO strategy can help boost a brand’s reach and engagement, create backlinks for your website, and better your overall SEO efforts.

Implementing a multi-platform SEO strategy is a must for any business and encouraged by platforms like TikTok. 

After taking short-form video content to a new level, TikTok is now becoming the go-to search engine for young people online. Whether you’re looking for a hotel in Tenerife or somewhere to eat in Liverpool, you can find it all on TikTok.

In fact, according to a survey by Her Campus Media, 74% of Gen Z use TikTok as a search engine and prefer it to traditional search engines like Google or Bing.

TikTok’s unique algorithm is highly personalised, it decides which videos to display on your ‘For You Page’ based on your interests and preferences.

This, combined with the platform’s in-depth, story style content makes users feel as though they’re getting more out of their experience and have a better understanding of what a place or product is like. 

Have you used TikTok as a search engine? We definitely have!

In an episode of The Girls in Marketing Podcast, Olivia sits down with SEO & Search Strategy Consultant Tasha Antwi to talk about working in SEO, the evolution of search and SEO, and TikTok’s impact on search engines.

You can tune into Tasha’s episode by searching ‘The Girls in Marketing Podcast’ on Spotify, Apple Podcasts or YouTube!

With many platform’s now encouraging users to use them as a search engine and creators to optimise their content, multi-platform SEO is more important than ever before. But how can this help a business?

How can having a multi-platform SEO strategy help a business?

From email to social media, we spend a lot of time online each day. 

In 2023, research from Data Reportal revealed that users around the world between age 16-64 had an average screen time of 6 hours and 37 minutes per day. 

We consume an eye-watering amount of content, even if we don’t realise it. 

For businesses, this means that their content needs to be engaging and as discoverable as possible. And, that’s why a multi-platform SEO strategy is crucial. 

Having a multi-platform SEO strategy can:

Aid reach and engagement

If a business is active on multiple platforms, their audience is never exactly the same and can differ in demographics, behaviours, and interests.

When a business optimises their content prior to posting (e.g. adding subtitles or relevant hashtags) it gives them a better opportunity to reach new people and boost engagement. 

Be less competitive

There’s no question that search engines like Google and Bing are highly competitive. Whilst having a multi-platform SEO strategy is becoming more popular, it’s still a working progress for many businesses so there’s more potential to gain an advantage and reach a target audience before competitors. 

Strengthen your marketing strategy

Focusing on multi-platform SEO can help strengthen your marketing strategy as a whole as you’ll gain a better understanding of your target audience, their behaviour, and be aware of emerging trends and technology. 

Make you less dependent

Like any other platform, a search engine’s algorithm is subject to change and this can affect a website’s traffic and visibility. A multi-platform SEO strategy diversifies a businesses efforts and reduces their dependence on search engines for organic traffic and engagement. 

A multi-platform SEO strategy can have a multitude of benefits for a business. Now, let’s find out how SEO looks different for platforms other than search engines. 

What’s the difference between other platforms and search engines when it comes to SEO? 

When developing an SEO strategy for platform’s other than Google or Bing, you must remember that this will look different!

No social media platform is the same, with their own unique algorithm and features, so you may have to tailor your strategy. 

Here are some of the key differences when it comes to non-search engine SEO. 

Keywords are used differently

As marketers, we know that keyword research and optimisation is significant. When operating a multi-platform SEO strategy, be aware that how keywords are used vary depending on the platform.

For example, on Instagram you should think about what search terms your audience would use and include these in your captions. 

Engagement metrics are essential

In 2024, there are estimated to be 5.17 billion social media users worldwide – that’s a lot of people consuming content.

On platform’s like Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok engagement metrics are pivotal. They measure how an audience interacts with your content, indicating their interest and involvement.

The amount of engagement your content receives can affect how it’s prioritised and shown on the platform, so you must take this into account. For example, Facebook’s algorithm favours engagement and displays pages that users have engaged with in the past.

Each algorithm is unique

A social media algorithm is a set of rules that control how a platform operates. It determines how content is grouped, filtered, chosen, and recommended to users – effectively they influence what we see on social media.

Each social media platform has a different algorithm that you need to understand to optimise your content effectively. 

Content customisation is key

Just as every platform has its own algorithm, they can require different types of content.

For instance, many of us go to YouTube for long-form content and turn to TikTok for entertaining, short-form content. It may seem like a lot of work, but you can repurpose your content to post on other platforms – 94% of marketers do so!

Whilst there are a handful of differences between traditional search engine and multi-platform SEO, as a marketer you’re more than likely to be familiar with them already. 

Finally, let’s discover what the non-search engine platform’s are. 

What are the alternative platforms? 

TikTok

With over 1 billion monthly active users, TikTok is the world’s 4th largest social media platform. More people are turning to the platform as it offers a new, fast-paced way to search that’s experiential and immersive. 

Instagram 

Like TikTok, people search on Instagram as they’re able to find visually-engaging and relatable results. From a reel of things to do in Amsterdam to a carousel styling pieces of clothing, on Instagram search results are fresh and tap into visual culture.  

Artificial Intelligence

The presence of AI in our day to day lives will only continue to increase. In 2023, 35% of companies were using AI in their business. AI tools like ChatGPT and Jasper have become a regular part of many people’s lives and have become a popular alternative to traditional search engines. 

YouTube

In 2024, the number of YouTube users worldwide is set to hit 933.39 million – that’s a 7.5% increase from the previous year. Although there’s been a boom in short-form video content, long-form content is here to stay and a favourite for audiences around the world.

On YouTube, users know they can find extensive content on whatever they’re searching for!

As technology continues to transform it’s clear that the days of only traditional search engines are long gone. If there’s ever a time to consider a multi-platform SEO strategy, it’s now! 

If you’re new to SEO or just want to refresh your knowledge we’d recommend checking out our beloved ‘Supercharge Your SEO Strategy’ course. 

This course aims to help you practically implement an SEO strategy from scratch. It’ll teach you the fundamentals of SEO, touch on each of the three key elements of technical SEO, on-page and off-page, and how you can successfully report and measure your campaign. 

You can take this course by joining the Girls in Marketing Membership.