The Shift in How Consumers Search for Brands
Did you know that search habits are shifting, with Google search no longer being the only way brands get discovered?? More consumers—especially on visual-first platforms like Instagram, Pinterest, and TikTok—are discovering brands through social media instead of traditional search engines. If your brand isn’t visible where your audience is searching, you’re missing out on potential clients. More importantly, understanding where your audience spends their time is critical to staying relevant.
According to Statista, approximately 78% of global internet users utilise social media platforms to research brands and products. This highlights the growing importance of social search in consumer behavior. If your brand isn’t visible where your audience is searching, you’re missing out on potential clients. That’s why understanding where your audience spends their time is critical to staying relevant. This highlights the growing importance of social search in consumer behavior.
Why Owning Your Website and Email List is Non-Negotiable
With social search becoming a dominant discovery method, the key to success is knowing where your ideal clients are actively searching. Owning your own website ensures long-term stability and control over your brand’s visibility. It is the foundation of your digital presence. That you control. Beyond this, building an email list ensures you maintain direct access to your audience. Unlike social media, where algorithms dictate reach, an engaged email list allows you to communicate without barriers.
While social media is a powerful tool for discovery, it’s important to remember that these platforms are borrowed spaces. You don’t own them—at any time, your account could be suspended, restricted, or even lost. Owning your own website ensures that you maintain full control over your brand’s visibility and presence online.
At the same time, not every audience is using TikTok, Pinterest, Linkedin or Instagram in the same way, making it critical to align your strategy with your customer’s habits.
The Importance of Knowing Your Ideal Client
Understanding how your ideal client consumes content and searches for information is more important than ever. Audiences interact with social media platforms in different ways. For this reason, blindly following trends without a strategy can lead to wasted efforts. Take the time to research where your target audience is most active and how they engage with content. Are they searching for visual inspiration on Pinterest? Do they engaging with product reviews on Instagram? Knowing this will help you focus your efforts where they matter most.
For example, a luxury event planner might find that high-net-worth clients are still using Pinterest for inspiration rather than TikTok. On the other hand, a beauty brand targeting Gen Z should double down on TikTok tutorials. Understanding these behaviors allows you to position your brand effectively and avoid wasting resources on platforms that won’t drive conversions.
Once you understand how your ideal client searches for content, the next crucial step is ensuring you show up where they are most active. Different platforms cater to different audiences and search behaviors. TikTok, Pinterest, and Instagram are reshaping search and how you can use them to your advantage.
The Rise of TikTok, Pinterest, Linkedin & Instagram as Search Engines
Social platforms are now driving discovery in ways Google search never could. As a result, TikTok, Pinterest, Linkedin and Instagram have transformed into powerful search engines where users actively seek ideas, products, and brands.
TikTok: The Search Engine of the Future
TikTok has rewritten the rules of search. Gen Z and Millennials are turning to the platform for tutorials, recommendations, and real-world brand experiences. Instead of searching “best skincare for dry skin” on Google, they’re watching TikTok reviews from people they trust. The algorithm is built for discovery, meaning brands that prioritise video content can dominate.
SEO Tip: Use captions, hashtags, and relevant keywords in your video descriptions to make your content easier to find. Use TikTok Creative Center to discover trending search terms.
Key Takeaway: TikTok is best for brands that rely on storytelling, education, and community engagement through short-form video content.
Pinterest: The Ultimate Visual Search Engine
Pinterest is designed for intent-driven search. In other words, users go there to plan, shop, and visualise their next move. With features like Pinterest Lens (where people search using images) and rich pins that pull in website data, optimising your Pinterest strategy can position your brand as an authority in your niche.
SEO Tip: Create keyword-rich pin descriptions and use high-resolution images that align with trending search queries. Use Pinterest Trends to identify relevant keywords.
Key Takeaway: Pinterest is best for brands whose audiences plan purchases and seek visual inspiration. Optimise your pins with rich descriptions and keyword-driven content to rank higher in search.
Instagram: Where Search and Shopping Collide
Instagram’s search function has expanded beyond hashtags. Users now discover products, brands, and inspiration through keyword searches. This means businesses must ensure their content is optimised for these evolving search trends. Combine this with Instagram Shopping, and your brand’s visuals can lead directly to conversions.
SEO Tip: Optimise your profile with relevant keywords in your bio and captions while ensuring your visual identity remains consistent. Check Instagram’s keyword suggestions by typing into the search bar.
Key Takeaway: Instagram is ideal for brands that focus on visual appeal, influencer marketing, and direct-to-consumer shopping experiences.
LinkedIn: The Search Engine for Professionals
LinkedIn has become a powerful tool for brand discovery, networking, and industry leadership. Optimising your profile, using relevant keywords, and sharing valuable content can help your business get found by the right audience. Unlike TikTok or Pinterest, LinkedIn favours in-depth insights, authority-building, and professional engagement, making it an essential search engine for B2B brands and service providers.
SEO Tip: Optimise your LinkedIn profile with strategic keywords in your headline, summary, and featured content. Use high-quality branded visuals, both photos and video, such as a professional cover photo and engaging post images, to enhance credibility and attract search visibility. LinkedIn prioritises well-structured, keyword-rich profiles in both its internal search and Google search rankings.
Key Takeaway: LinkedIn is essential for service-based businesses, B2B brands, and thought leadership. A well-optimised profile combined with strategic content can help professionals and brands get discovered by the right audience.
How to Use Visuals Strategically for Brand Visibility
Since platforms like Pinterest and Instagram prioritise high-quality visuals in search, using professional images makes your brand more likely to be discovered. Generic stock photos won’t stand out (the audience has seen it and will keep scrolling) having images tailored to your brand’s aesthetic and message is key to attracting the right audience.
Your website should be the foundation of your brand’s online presence. Unlike social media, which can change algorithms or policies overnight, your website is an asset you fully control. Ensuring it is well-optimised for search and filled with high-quality, strategic visuals will increase long-term visibility and credibility. In a world where visual search is king, your brand imagery isn’t just important—it’s non-negotiable. To cut through the noise, your content needs to be high-quality, strategic, and optimised for discovery.
1. Craft Scroll-Stopping, On-Brand Imagery
First impressions matter. Because of this, the right visuals create trust and authority instantly. This means using professional, stock images or a custom photoshoot to elevate your brand. Forget overused, generic photos—your audience craves authenticity.
2. Master Image SEO
Your visuals are not just for aesthetics—they play a major role in social media discovery. Eye-catching, high-quality stock images increase engagement, shares, and saves, which signals to platforms like Instagram and Pinterest that your content is valuable, boosting your search rankings.
Google search may not be the only priority, but search still matters. As AI assistants and voice search grow, optimising content for conversational queries and structured data will make your brand more discoverable in new search environments. For that reason, ensuring your visuals are optimised is essential for better discoverability.
- Rename files with descriptive, keyword-rich terms (e.g., “luxury-event-styling-melbourne.jpg” instead of “IMG_12345.jpg”).
- Use alt text strategically—not only does it improve search discoverability, but it also enhances accessibility for visually impaired users relying on screen readers. Well-written alt text makes your images more inclusive while boosting SEO visibility.
- Embed metadata so search engines and social platforms can read your content accurately.
3. Optimise Your Social Profiles for Search
On LinkedIn, profile optimisation is key to search visibility. Ensure your profile headline, summary, and featured posts include relevant keywords that align with your expertise. Branded banners, professional profile photos, and engaging post visuals enhance credibility and help your content stand out in LinkedIn search results.
Your social pages are now your homepage. To maximise their impact, make them work for you:
- Use clear, keyword-driven bios (e.g., “Luxury Event Stylist | Melbourne” instead of just “Event Planner”).
- Incorporate searchable captions and descriptions to help users find you.
- Maintain a cohesive visual identity that stands out in crowded feeds.
Actionable Steps: How to Get Your Brand Seen Without Google Search
- Audit Your Social Profiles – Are they optimised for search? Ensure your bio, captions, and images align with what your audience is searching for.
- Invest in High-Quality, Unique Visuals – Your imagery should position you as an industry leader. Use exclusive stock images or custom photoshoots to differentiate.
- Use Image SEO to Your Advantage – Optimise file names, alt text, and metadata to enhance discoverability and accessibility.
- Leverage Platform-Specific Search Trends – Stay ahead by using trending hashtags, keywords, and platform features (TikTok Playlists, Instagram Guides, etc.).
- Diversify Your Discovery Channels – For e-commerce brands, search extends beyond Google. Optimising for Amazon, Etsy, and TikTok Shop ensures products are found where customers actively search. – Don’t put all your effort into one platform. Spread your visibility across TikTok, Pinterest, Instagram, and other visual-first platforms.
- Encourage Social Sharing – Encouraging user-generated content—such as reviews, testimonials, and tagged posts—builds social proof. Platforms like Instagram and TikTok prioritise this type of content, boosting brand visibility. – Add calls-to-action asking users to save, pin, or share your content, increasing its reach and engagement.
- Study Industry Leaders – Brands like Fenty Beauty dominate TikTok search by leveraging short-form tutorials and hashtag SEO.
Stand Out with Strategic, High-Impact Imagery
If you want to be discovered, you need to show up where your audience is already searching—whether that’s through Google search or social platforms. With that in mind, prioritising your brand’s visibility is essential. And in today’s world, that means prioritising Google search alongside social discovery platforms.
The brands that will thrive are those that embrace this shift with confidence, expertise, and creativity.
SEO Tip: High-quality visuals are essential, but they also need to be optimised for performance. Large image files can slow your site down, affecting both user experience and SEO rankings. Keep your website fast and efficient by compressing images with tools like TinyPNG—this way, you maintain stunning visuals without sacrificing speed. Search engines and social platforms reward visually appealing, fast-loading content, helping your brand stand out.
Your audience is searching—are they seeing YOU or your competitors? The right visuals don’t just grab attention, they drive conversions. Whether you need exclusive, feminine stock images or a custom photoshoot to match your brand, we help you create content that performs. Don’t let them scroll past. Instead, make your brand impossible to ignore. Invest in visuals that captivate, engage, and convert. Browse our exclusive stock image library or schedule a free strategy call today to create content that truly stands out.
