Posted In: Uncategorized by
Zoe Perkin,
July 8, 2026
By Zoe Perkin, Senior SEO Account Executive
Google quietly announced a new feature for Search Console this week. Over the coming weeks, brands will be able to see how content from platforms like Instagram, TikTok, YouTube and X performs within Google Search.
Useful? Absolutely. But we don’t actually think that’s the most interesting part – the most interesting part is what this says about where Google thinks search is heading.
For years, SEO has largely been about making your website easier for Google to understand. This is still crucial, and it always will be, but Google is making it increasingly clear that your website is only one part of how people discover your brand through search.
People are discovering brands through TikTok videos. They’re searching YouTube for reviews before buying. They’re finding Instagram posts directly in Google Search. In many cases, they interact with a brand’s content long before they ever visit its website. This latest Search Console update reflects that reality.
Google isn’t saying social has replaced SEO. Instead, it’s giving brands a clearer view of how content beyond their website contributes to their visibility across Google Search and Discover. SEO and organic social are becoming increasingly connected, and understanding both is becoming more important.
It’s tempting to look at this as another dashboard with a few extra metrics, but it’s much bigger than that. Google doesn’t tend to invest in reporting unless it believes something is important enough to measure.
By introducing Platform Properties, Google is acknowledging that content published across social and video platforms can play a meaningful role in how people discover brands through Search. Rather than asking, “How is my website performing?”, marketers can begin asking, “Where are people discovering our content across Google?” Those are two very different questions.
We don’t think this means brands need to suddenly become TikTok creators. Nor does it mean every Instagram post needs to be written with SEO in mind.
Instead, it’s another reminder that useful content performs well wherever it’s published. If you’re creating content purely for engagement, you could be missing opportunities to appear in Google Search and Discover.
If you’re creating content that answers questions, demonstrates expertise and solves customer problems, you’re giving both your audience and Google more reasons to surface your content.
As this rolls out, there are a few practical things worth reviewing.
First, make sure your key social and video platforms are verified in Search Console so you can access the new reporting.
Then look beyond vanity metrics. Which platforms are generating impressions in Google Search? Which pieces of content are driving clicks? Which topics repeatedly appear? These insights can help shape future content, showing you where Google is already recognising your expertise and where there are opportunities to build further visibility.
If you’re reviewing your content strategy over the next few months, we’d suggest focusing on a few key areas.
Your website is still one of your most important owned assets, but it shouldn’t be the only place you share your expertise. Social and video platforms are increasingly becoming another route for customers to discover your business through Google, so they deserve the same strategic thinking as your website.
Give guidance and expertise around the things your customers genuinely care about. Consider the questions they’re asking throughout their journey and create content that answers them, whether that’s on your website, YouTube, Instagram or elsewhere.
Not every Reel or TikTok needs to follow the latest viral format. Educational content, FAQs, product demonstrations and expert advice often have a much longer shelf life and are far more likely to support long-term discoverability.
Not every Reel or TikTok needs to follow the latest viral format. Educational content, FAQs, product demonstrations and expert advice often have a much longer shelf life and are far more likely to support your visibility in search.
Likes andLikes and followers still have their place. But as these new reports roll out, businesses should start asking different questions.
Those are the insights that build a much stronger content strategy.
At Boutique, we’ve always believed that SEO, content and organic social shouldn’t operate in silos, and this update reinforces exactly that.
Rather than planning channel by channel, businesses should be thinking about how they build organic discoverability as a whole. Every useful article, video or social post is another opportunity to be found, wherever someone starts their search journey.
The brands that perform best won’t necessarily be the ones posting the most. They’ll be the ones consistently creating genuinely useful content across multiple platforms, making it easier for people to discover them wherever they’re searching.
If you’re looking to build a stronger organic discoverability strategy across SEO, content and organic social get in touch here, we’d love to help.
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