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How The TikTok Algorithm Works in 2023
As we probably are all aware, what content we see on our social media feeds is no coincidence. In fact, what you see is based on systems of code that measure how users interact on the platform, what content they watch more, what content they don’t watch as much, etc. This is also known as the TikTok algorithm.
We’ve learned about how some other platform’s algorithms are working in 2023, such as Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter (X). But, how does the TikTok algorithm work?
In 2023, we have also launched a 2023 TikTok Study, answering some of the biggest questions that social media managers, content creators, and businesses. You can take this data to gain insights on how the platform is working, and improve your strategies.
How the TikTok Algorithm Originated
In 2020, when TikTok became a social mediaboom, there was complete silence about how the social network classified content. In fact, all those who succeeded with their content offered advice and theories on how to achieve success on TikTok, but it was all inferences.
Later, TikTok decided to make public the content rating they use for the For You section. Here they explained how they display content on the platform for each user, meaning that each user would have a feed specific to their behaviors, and the content they consume. And if your account is well-received by your audience.
In this article, they described a few different “ranking factors” or “triggers” they are often called as well. They categorized them as user interactions, video information, and device and account settings. Since then, the TikTok algorithm has been refined, updated, and improved, especially with the help of Artificial Intelligence.
How the TikTok Algorithm Works in 2023
So we just to three years later, and they have maintained the same ranking factors. However, as the platform expands with news feeds, features, and users, the algorithm has been improved and refined to reflect the networks innovations.
These changes have also affected what the platform is prioritizing in the feed, so let’s see how each ranking factor works, and how TikTok decides which content to display to each user:
➡️ User Interactions:
First, TikTok’s algorithm tracks how users are interacting and using the app. This tracks actions such as:
- Likes
- Comments
- Follows
- Shares
- Saves
- Watch time
Therefore, the more engagement a video receives, the more likely it will be pushed to audiences that interact with similar content. That is why it’s extremely important to create content that relates to your audience, so you can connect with your ideal community.
➡️ Video Information:
The next signals that TikTok looks for is the actual content in the video. Thanks to TikTok’s search abilities, you can focus on TikTok SEO to increase the chances of your videos landing in the right hands. Here’s how TikTok breaks down video information:
- Keywords
- Hashtags
- Sounds
- Effects
- Content topics
Aligning your keywords, hashtags, effects, and topics with those that are trending, or highly searched for your niche will help boost your videos.
➡️ Device and Account Settings:
The last “triggers” that TikTok takes into account are users device and account settings, such as:
- Language
- Location
- Mobile device type
- Interested categories
TikTok views users settings, to show videos that align with your personal preferences. Ideally, you want your video to reach as many people as possible, so, by making your video accessible to more users, your content will be ranked higher. You can utilize things such as auto-captions,
Make sure to look at this YouTube video from Robert Benjamin, to learn about the latest TikTok algorithm changes, and how you can grow faster on TikTok to monetize your account:
How to Customize Your Own For You Page
As you have seen, the For You page is not random, you can customize a large part of the videos that come to you.
#1. Interested categories and content preferences
Once you have created your TikTok account, the social network will ask you to select a few interests. With this selection of favorite topics for you, TikTok will try to show you what you have selected.
You can also go into your Content preferences, found inside your Settings and privacy, to do things such as refresh the For You page, turn on the STEM feed, filter video keywords, choose your preferred language, view your previous activity.
#2. Customize with your actions
The TikTok algorithm learns from every action you take within the app. Therefore, the interactions you have, the videos you watch until the end and the ones you share will define how the For You page of your account will be formed.
It is true that your feed will not only be influenced by that, because other types of content will also appear, but most of it will. Over time, you can start to train the algorithm to show you content you’re interested in.
Tips to Gain Visibility on TikTok
⭐️ Implement SEO tactics
You can use SEO tools such as Keyword.io and TikTok Keywords to view trending keywords. Try utilize the TikTok search engine yourself, and see what content you find related to your niche. This can help you gain insight on what is performing best, and what information users are looking for.
Then, you can sprinkle these keywords into your captions, on-screen text, thumbnails, and hashtags, so the search engine picks up these topics.
⭐️ Create content related to your target audience
Since user attention-spans are only a matter of seconds, it’s also important to grab your audience’s attention within the first three seconds of your video.
Additionally, creating content that helps answer your audience’s questions, creates solutions for their issues, or educates them on a specific topic, they are more likely going to come back to your account if they found value from your video.
⭐️ Take advantage of effects and templates
One of TikTok’s greatest assets is its editing capabilities. There is a huge on-demand library of effects, visuals, and editing capabilities that allow you to get creative with your videos. Additionally, there are TikTok templates that you can utilize for easy and guided editing. Many of these templates are made with CapCut, so you can read this article for using CapCut templates:
⭐️ Hop on trends
Although it’s impossible to jump on every trend circling on TikTok, creating content using a trending audio, or idea can create a sense of relatability and authenticity. Plus, this app is mainly for entertainment, so you don’t always have to stick to branded content. Bring these ideas to your niche and create a funny, memorable trending video.
Now that you know how the TikTok algorithm works, it is time to get down to work to succeed with your content strategy.
And if you want to know more about the social network of the moment, I leave you an essential article:
For more information on how the TikTok algorithm works, in this video we debunk some of the biggest myths on the platform: