Can the TikTok Algorithm Really Help Your Business Grow? PPC Management Agency Sydney Explains

If you’ve found yourself scrolling on TikTok, or rather doomscrolling for hours, wondering how the app is suggesting exactly what you are thinking of, the secret sauce is the TikTok algorithm. This technology is a personalised search engine that delivers hyper-relevant content by analysing different signals.

TikTok recommends content based on three main factors:

1. User interactions: This is the content you like, share, comment on, and watch in full or skip, as well as accounts of followers that you follow back.
   
2. Content information: Includes sounds, hashtags, the number of views, and the country in which the content was published.
   
3. User information: Device settings, language preference, location, time zone and day, and device type.
   

User interactions are weighed in more than the other factors when deciding the nature of content that appears on an individual’s For You page (FYP). The TikTok algorithm is the reason why each user has a uniquely tailored FYP.

Since the TikTok algorithm rewards signals such as watch time rather than the creativity of the content alone, your business can shape content and TikTok ads to work with the system.

The PPC TikTok marketing strategies below focus on what actually improves reach and lead quality, so your content attracts the right people:

1. The 3 second hook: The algorithm watches how quickly users disengage. A strong hook instantly shows who the content is for and why it matters.
2. High-quality content: The content quality immediately impacts watch time. Videos that have a good structure progress logically, tease what’s coming next, and avoid long intros. This sends stronger signals than punchy clips that spike and drop.
3. The right time to post: You need to post when your target audience is most active on the app. A leading PPC management agency Sydney will analyse your target audience and guide you on the best time to post for better reach.
4. Trending hashtags: TikTok recommends using 3 to 5 hashtags which include trending and niche tags. If too many hashtags are used, your caption will be cluttered, and it will confuse the algorithm.
5. Trending sounds and music: According to TikTok Creator Academy, videos with background music get 98.31%+ more views per video than those without audio. Participating in ongoing musical trends can make the TikTok algorithm lean into your content. Do note that the music you use should resonate well with your target audience too since that’s what improves watch time.
6. Consistent messaging across creatives: Consistency is your best bet for optimisation considering how the algorithm learns patterns. When multiple TikTok ads or videos communicate a similar offer to the same audience, the algorithm can find matching users faster.
7. On-screen text: Many users watch without sound. On-screen text anchors attention and improves completion rates. It also helps the algorithm understand context faster. This strategy is especially important for service-based businesses.
   

Since the algorithm doesn’t optimise for sales and optimises for engagement instead, if you attempt to generate leads via cold traffic, your PPC marketing budget will be wasted.

Instead, your business should send TikTok traffic to educational landing pages, lead magnets, or low-friction forms without forcing immediate conversion. This will lead to better performance.

Before you bring in outside help, it’s worth asking a simple question:

Is TikTok actually starting to work for your business, or is it still just an experiment?

A few early signs usually show up when TikTok is becoming a real growth channel:

• People are actually watching your ads without skipping straight past them.
• The same users keep coming back, commenting, or clicking more than once.
• TikTok traffic starts helping other digital marketing strategies (e.g.branded searches or retargeting ads).

If you’re seeing the above signs, TikTok isn’t a random posting hub anymore. It means the algorithm is picking up on something even if leads and sales aren’t fully consistent yet.

This is also where things tend to get messy. You might know TikTok can work, but you’re not sure what to test next, which ads to pause, or how much budget to push without wasting money.

A PPC management agency in Sydney that businesses trust can help. Our trusted PPC marketing specialists at atdigital.io step in to add structure with clearer testing and tracking, so you can focus on leads and revenue.

Book a free consultation with a TikTok PPC specialist to check if your business’s TikTok account is worth scaling.