To get found in TikTok and Instagram search, put the exact phrase people type into the first line of your caption, say it in the first seconds of the video, and show it as on-screen text. Then repeat that phrase in your profile name or bio. Search on both apps works from the words you give it, so every field where you can write a word is a place to put your phrase.
TLDR: Pick one search phrase per post (2 to 4 words, taken from the app's own search suggestions). Put it in the caption's first line, the spoken hook, the on-screen text, the cover and the alt text. Skip hashtag stacking: in Mydrop's data, hashtag count moved engagement by 5% at most.
Mydrop data, September 2026: across 7,945 posts on 336 accounts connected to Mydrop, hashtag count moved median engagement by at most 5% in either direction. Posts with 6 to 10 hashtags ran 5% above their account's typical post, posts with none 4% below. Method and full tables in the Mydrop social media benchmarks.
Pick the phrase from the search bar, not from your head
You do not need a keyword tool. Both apps show you what people search.
- Type your topic into the TikTok search bar and write down every suggestion that appears.
- Do the same in Instagram search.
- Read the questions in your comments and DMs. They are search phrases in disguise.
Choose phrases of 2 to 4 words with a clear need behind them. "Meal prep for one" tells the app what the video is about. "Food" does not. One main phrase per post, plus one backup you say once.
Put the phrase in every field that accepts words
Each field is a separate chance for the app to read your phrase. Most creators fill one and leave the rest empty.
| Where | Platform | What to write |
|---|---|---|
| First line of the caption | TikTok, Instagram | The phrase inside a real sentence, before any emoji or tag |
| Spoken hook | TikTok, Instagram | Say the phrase in the first sentence, in plain words |
| On-screen text | TikTok, Instagram | The phrase as a title card in the first 2 seconds |
| Cover text | TikTok, Instagram | A short version of the phrase, large enough to read in the grid |
| Alt text | One plain sentence describing the post, with the phrase if it fits | |
| Name field | Your name plus the one thing you want to be found for | |
| Location tag | Both | Only if the post is truly about that place |
Turn on auto-captions as well. They put your spoken words on screen as text, which gives you the phrase a second time for free.
Write a sentence, not a keyword list
Captions that read like a list of tags look spammy and say little. Write one or two natural sentences that include the phrase and the answer to it.
Length matters less than you think. In Mydrop's data, captions under 80 characters ran 9% below the account's typical post, but from 80 characters up every length sat within 3% of the median. So aim for two honest sentences and stop.
For hashtags, use 3 to 5 that describe the post. TikTok counts hashtags inside its 2,200 character caption limit, and Instagram's API rejects more than 30, so a long tag block only eats space you could use for words.
Run one phrase for five posts in a row
One post with a phrase proves little. A run of posts on the same phrase gives the app and your audience a clear picture of what you are about. In our experience, accounts that return to one topic for a few weeks get found for it faster than accounts that jump around.
Plan the run in a calendar so the phrase does not get lost between posts. Mydrop's content calendar shows every scheduled post per account, and AI captions can draft the first line from a phrase you give it. You still edit it into your own voice.
If you want the same method for buyers rather than viewers, read how to find customers with social search, and for shops and venues see the near me search guide.
Check after two weeks whether the phrase worked
Use the app's own numbers.
- TikTok: open the analytics for a post and look at the traffic source called Search. If it is empty after a few posts, the phrase is too broad or your spoken hook does not say it.
- Instagram: compare the reach from non-followers on the phrase posts against your last ten posts.
- Both: if a phrase brings views but no follows, the video did not match what the searcher wanted. Rewrite the first 3 seconds, not the keyword.
Keep a short list: phrase, post date, reach, follows. After two weeks, keep the phrases that pulled and drop the rest.
Next step: choose one phrase from the search bar today and write it into the caption, the spoken hook and the cover of your next post. If you run several accounts, start free with Mydrop and schedule the run for each of them in one place.
Google review
Trustpilot review
Product Hunt comment
