The way people find information online, especially for products and services, has drastically changed in the last several years. People are increasingly using social networks to search for companies, resources, and information instead of solely relying on search engines like Google. Knowing that people are using social networks as their new search platforms means paying closer attention to your social media presence and posts in order to show up in search results.

Another change in online search is the use of AI by both search engines and social networks to deliver more context or answers, not just links. Here are some ways to improve your online visibility beyond traditional search engine optimization and to address the integration of AI in search results.

1. Have a presence on more than the big social networks

Having company accounts on Facebook, LinkedIn, and Instagram-and depending on your audience-on X, TikTok, Pinterest, and/or YouTube is still an important part of any social media strategy for most businesses. However, there are other sites where having an account could improve the likelihood of your company information being found online.

If you don’t already have accounts on these sites, you may want to consider signing up for the ones that are relevant to your business and that could likely reach your target market:

• Threads - If you have a presence on other Meta sites (Facebook, Instagram), it is easy to add and update Threads.
• Bluesky - If you were on Twitter or use X, Bluesky will feel easy and familiar and may reach a new audience.
• Yelp - If you’ve got a brick-and-mortar business, you should claim and manage your listing here.
• Reddit - This message board is a surprisingly powerful platform for customer feedback, reviews, and recommendations.
• Discord - Reach a younger audience, often gamers and hobbyists, on this platform.
• NextDoor - Get hyperlocal on this site where neighbors share news, requests, recommendations, and opinions.
• Patch - You can list your business for free on this local news and resource site.
• Quora - Showcase your expertise on this question-and-answer informational site.
• Medium - Publish longer form articles on this content site.
• Substack - Combine content publishing with community building on this platform.

While some of these platforms operate like the larger social networks, requiring frequent publishing, monitoring, and management, others are less time-intensive and more like listings that don’t need to be updated often. They should, however, still be monitored for messages and feedback.

2. Refine your content approach for searches

Some ways to optimize your social media content include:

• Using popular keywords in your captions
• Adding descriptive keywords to the Alt Text of your post images
• Leveraging your company’s frequently asked questions for post content
• Using actual questions in your captions along with the answers

Don’t simply follow traditional SEO tactics. Being more detailed in your captions could help improve the chances that your content will become a source in AI search results.

3. Emphasize text in video content

Adding videos to your posts should never eliminate the strategic use of text. The right text can help improve video visibility and increase viewing time.

• Add captioning onto your videos
• Use carefully selected keywords in your video titles
• Add location tags, particularly if geographic location is an important aspect of your business or target market
• Add keywords to the Alt Text on video like you should do on images and graphics

Implementing even some of these tactics could help you not only keep up with the constantly evolving way that online search works, but also the changing ways people seek out information.