Social SEO in agriculture - how to increase brand visibility where farmers are looking?.

Until recently, online marketing in the agricultural industry had a clear divide: social media was for building relationships, and SEO was for positioning pages on Google. Today, those boundaries are fading. Google officially indexes social media content, and more importantly, the habits of farmers themselves have changed.

The research „Channels to Reach Farmers” conducted by Martin&Jacob using the CAWI method on a sample of 447 farms between 1.09 and 30.10.2023 shows that as many as 90% of them regularly use YouTube and 62% use Facebook, actively seeking information, opinions and advice.

For agro brands, this means one thing: content must be visible not only on Google, but also on internal social media search engines, exactly where the customer is looking for it.

What is Social SEO in agriculture and why does it have a double meaning?

Social SEO (Social Media Search Engine Optimization) is the strategic optimization of profiles and published content on social media. It has a dual purpose:

External target - visibility on Google

Traditional Search Engines (Google) When a farmer types „what spray for weeds in corn” or „tractor test [Model Brand]” into Google, for example, properly optimized social content is likely to appear high in search results. Content from platforms such as Instagram, TikTok and LinkedIn is increasingly being analyzed by Google and presented alongside traditional websites.

Internal goal - visibility on social media platforms

This is an equally important, and often more important, goal. Farmers, Martin&Jacob's research confirms, actively seek information inside platforms. The data shows that as many as 90% farmers use YouTube and 62% use Facebook. They are looking for specific content there, such as „opinions of other farmers about products, machinery, etc.” or „information advising on running a farm.” Optimization helps the internal algorithms of these platforms understand the subject matter of the content and precisely match it to users' queries.

Ignoring social SEO in agriculture, in the current digital landscape, is tantamount to giving up on reaching a significant and growing audience that has changed its search habits.

Where is the farmer looking and where is he discovering content?

The key is to understand the two modes in which the recipient operates:

• Active search mode - when the farmer is looking for a solution to a problem,
• Passive discovery mode - when he browses content for entertainment or inspiration.

Active search platforms (e.g., YouTube)

YouTube is a major source of active information search. According to a study done by Martin&Jacob, 90% farmers use it, and they mainly search there:

• product reviews (34.35%),
• examples of managing others (37.4%).

Strategy: Create content that directly responds to specific queries: e.g., „seeder test”, „[fertilizer name] reviews”.

Passive discovery platforms (e.g., TikTok)

TikTok is mainly used for entertainment. The aforementioned survey “Channels for reaching farmers.” conducted via CAWI method by Martin&Jacob on a sample of 447 farms between 1.09 - 30.10.2023 shows that 25% farmers use it, of which 64.5% are looking for entertainment there. 

This is confirmed by the second “Channels for reaching farmers” survey on Martin&Jacob, using the CAWI method, on a sample of 387 farms between November 29-12, 2024. In this context, the reliability of TikTok as a source of information is zero (0%).

Strategy: The conclusions are clear. This is not a channel for sales or specialized consulting. It is a „discovery” channel. The role of SEO here is to help the algorithm categorize content so that the farmer remembers the brand and later searches for it on Google.

How to implement Social SEO in agriculture? 5 key steps

You already know why Social SEO is crucial and where farmers are looking. Now it's time to practice. Here are 5 steps to optimize your social media presence to get found by customers.

Step 1: The foundation - Keyword strategy for the agro industry.

The basis is knowing what keyword phrases farmers realistically use. To identify these keywords, combine traditional SEO tools (such as SEMrush) with analysis of the platforms themselves. YouTube or Facebook search suggestions (e.g., „tractor test...”) and tools that track seasonal trends (e.g., TikTok Keyword Insights) are extremely valuable.

Step 2: Optimize your profile - your digital business card

The profile is the first point of contact. Make sure strategic key phrases (e.g., „agricultural consulting,” „machinery distributor”) are in the username (@handle), profile name and, most importantly, in the Bio or Information. Also make sure the name and link to the site are consistent across all channels.

Step 3: Content that positions - How to create posts for SEO?

Every social media post is a chance to be found.

• Descriptions (Captions): Treat them like mini-articles, naturally weaving in keywords.
• Video (YouTube/Reels): Say your main key phrases or keywords out loud at the beginning of the video - the algorithms analyze the transcripts! Optimize video titles and descriptions, too.
• Alternative text (Alt text): Always add descriptive text to graphics. This is a key signal to Google's algorithms and platforms as to what is in the image (e.g., „Tractor [Model Brand] while plowing”).

Step 4: Modern hashtag strategy - precision, not quantity

Instead of 30 generic tags, use 3-5 highly relevant ones, combining industry tags (#growing), niche tags (#corncrops), location tags (#targetKielce) and brand tags (#YourBrandName).

Step 5: Putting it into practice - Good SEO practices on Facebook.

Optimizing your company's website is a must. Set a custom URL (vanity URL) and fill in the section Information keywords and contact information (address, opening hours). 

Remember to be regular and avoid the biggest mistakes: „stuffing” keywords by force (known as keyword stuffing) and publishing low-quality content that doesn't provide value to your audience.

Social SEO vs AI - new search engines

The visibility game is entering a new level. In addition to Google and the in-house search engines, a game-changing player is emerging: generative artificial intelligence, such as Google's AI Overview (AIO) module. These are automatic summaries at the top of results that often answer a user's question before the user gets to the list of links

Where is AI getting this knowledge from? Increasingly from social media.

A recent market report (Insightland, AI Overview in the UK market) showed that as many as 42% of AI Overview responses featured YouTube or TikTok content.

This means that social SEO in agriculture is now a key part of „feeding” AI algorithms. AI search engines are primarily looking for valuable video content and in-depth tutorials, as evidenced by the data according to which AI Overview activates in 76% informative queries. Taking care of Social SEO, and therefore the quality and structure of published content, thus becomes a direct investment in being recognized as an expert by the new search engines.

Social SEO in agriculture as key to customer attention

The shift from treating social media as a bulletin board to viewing it as a search engine ecosystem is a fundamental change in agricultural marketing. As we have shown, farmers are actively seeking information there, and Google is increasingly bold in indexing this content.

Implementation of Social SEO in Agriculture. - From phrase strategy to profile optimization to conscious content creation (descriptions, videos, alt text) and precise hashtags, this is a direct, practical response to these new habits.

Agribusiness brands that ignore this change and don't help the algorithms (both Google and internal) understand their content risk losing visibility to their competitors. The winners will be those who understand that the key is to provide real value and make it as easy as possible for the customer to find it. Social SEO in agriculture is the most effective tool today to be with your answer exactly where the farmer starts his search.

Read also: Social Media in Agriculture: 5 steps to a successful strategy

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