Social Search

Your audience isn’t just scrolling through social feeds anymore – they’re actively searching them. At ROAST we’ve developed in-house technology that gives us a competitive advantage.

Contact us about Social Search

What is Organic Social and Social Search?

Organic social refers to the unpaid content you publish on social media platforms—posts, videos, stories, and other material that reaches your audience without paid promotion. It’s the foundation of your brand’s social presence and the primary way you build genuine connections with your community.

Social search takes this concept further. It’s the practice of users searching directly within social platforms to find information, products, recommendations, and solutions. When someone types “best coffee shops near me” into Instagram’s search bar or looks for “how to fix a leaking tap” on TikTok, they’re engaging in social media search behaviour. These platforms have evolved from purely discovery-based feeds into robust search engines in their own right.

The convergence of these two concepts—organic social and social search—creates unprecedented opportunities for brands willing to approach content strategically.

Why is Social Search More Important Than Ever Before?

Why is Social Search More Important Than Ever Before?

The numbers tell a compelling story. TikTok now processes over 140 billion video views per month, with a significant portion coming from search queries. Instagram has heavily invested in its search functionality, whilst YouTube remains the second-largest search engine globally after its parent company, Google.

But here’s what makes this particularly crucial: Google now indexes and ranks social content in its search results. A well-optimised TikTok video can appear on page one of Google search results. An Instagram post can show up when someone searches for product recommendations. Your social content isn’t just competing within its native platform—it’s competing in the broader search landscape.

AI search tools like ChatGPT, Perplexity, and Google’s Search Generative Experience are also pulling from social platforms to answer queries. When these systems reference real-world examples, user experiences, or trending topics, they often cite social content. Your organic social presence directly influences your visibility in AI-powered search results.

This convergence means that brands investing in organic social aren’t just building social media presence—they’re building comprehensive search visibility across every channel where their audience looks for information.

Contact us about Social Search

How is ROAST an Expert in the Organic Social Field?

ROAST isn’t a social media agency that dabbles in search. We’re a search-first agency that understands social platforms as search engines. This distinction matters because it fundamentally changes how we approach content creation.

Our team combines traditional SEO expertise with deep platform-specific knowledge. We understand Google’s algorithms, but we also understand how TikTok’s For You page works, how Instagram’s Explore tab surfaces content, and how YouTube’s recommendation system prioritises videos. We know that ranking factors differ across platforms, and we build strategies that optimise for each one whilst maintaining a cohesive brand presence.

We’ve worked with brands across sectors—from retail to finance to healthcare—helping them capture search visibility where their audiences actually spend time. Our approach is rooted in data, testing, and continuous optimisation.

What is ROAST’s Social Search Strategy?

Our strategy centres on creating content that performs across the entire search ecosystem. We identify the queries your audience is making, understand the intent behind those searches, and develop content that provides genuine value whilst aligning with your brand objectives.

This isn’t about gaming algorithms or chasing viral moments. It’s about sustainable, long-term visibility that drives meaningful business outcomes.

Our End-to-End Social Search Support

We manage every aspect of your organic social presence, ensuring consistency and quality at each stage.

Research/Ideation

We start by identifying search opportunities. Using our proprietary tools, we analyse search volume and trends across social platforms, competitor content performance, and gaps in the current content landscape. We map this against your business objectives to develop a content strategy that drives visibility and conversions.

Brief Production

We translate research insights into actionable content briefs. These aren’t vague instructions—they’re detailed documents that specify target keywords, optimal content length, required visual elements, calls to action, and platform-specific optimisation requirements.

Production Review

Before any content goes live, our team reviews it against our quality standards and optimisation checklist. We verify that metadata is properly configured, that content includes appropriate keywords without forced insertion, that visual elements meet platform specifications, and that the content genuinely serves user intent.

Measurement

We track performance across multiple dimensions—visibility metrics like rankings and impressions, engagement metrics like comments and shares, and business metrics like traffic and conversions. Our proprietary tools aggregate data from various platforms, giving you a unified view of how your organic social efforts contribute to business outcomes.

What Social channels do ROAST provide strategies for?

Our expertise spans the platforms where social search matters most:

YouTube: As the second-largest search engine, YouTube requires sophisticated optimisation. We handle everything from keyword research to thumbnail design to playlist strategy.

TikTok: We create content optimised for TikTok’s search function whilst maintaining the authentic, engaging style the platform demands.

Instagram: From Reels to carousel posts, we optimise content for both Instagram’s internal search and Google’s image search.

LinkedIn: For B2B brands, LinkedIn’s search function offers tremendous opportunity. We create content that positions you as an industry authority.

Pinterest: Often overlooked, Pinterest functions primarily as a visual search engine. We optimise pins and boards for maximum discovery.

Our proprietary tools make the difference

We’ve developed in-house technology that gives us – and our clients – a competitive advantage. Our tools track search volume trends across social platforms before they become obvious, identify content gaps your competitors haven’t filled, analyse sentiment and engagement patterns, and predict which content formats will perform best for specific queries.

These aren’t off-the-shelf solutions. They’re custom-built platforms refined through years of campaign data, giving us insights that simply aren’t available through standard analytics tools.

Other relevant services we offer

Organic social doesn’t exist in isolation. We offer complementary services that enhance your overall digital presence:

Influencer Marketing: We connect brands with creators who can amplify your message and improve your search visibility through authentic partnerships.
Social Listening: Understanding what your audience discusses and searches for helps inform content strategy. We monitor conversations across platforms to identify opportunities and threats.
Traditional SEO: Our roots are in search engine optimisation. We ensure your website, social profiles, and content work together to maximise visibility across all search channels.

Social Search FAQs

How Does Organic Social Benefit My Brand?

Organic social builds authentic relationships with your audience whilst improving your search visibility across multiple platforms. It’s cost-effective compared to paid advertising, generates long-term value rather than temporary spikes, and creates content assets that continue driving traffic months or years after publication.

What Channels Should I Focus on When It Comes to Organic Social?

This depends entirely on where your audience searches for information related to your products or services. B2B companies often find LinkedIn and YouTube most valuable. Consumer brands might prioritise TikTok and Instagram. We analyse your specific situation to recommend the optimal channel mix.

Can Organic Social Media Help to Benefit My SEO?

Absolutely. Google indexes social content, so optimised posts can appear in search results. Social signals contribute to brand authority, which influences rankings. And social platforms drive traffic to your website, creating positive user signals that search engines value.

What is Organic Social?

Organic social is any content you publish on social media platforms without paid promotion. It includes posts, videos, stories, and other content that reaches your audience through platform algorithms and social search functions rather than through advertising.

How to Increase Organic Traffic in Social Media?

Focus on search-optimised content that answers real questions your audience is asking. Use platform-specific features like hashtags, keywords in captions, and descriptive file names. Post consistently, engage with your community, and analyse performance data to refine your approach.