Seed Merit: How Early Trend Participation Creates Massive Traffic Growth

Social media seed merit refers to the initial boost in visibility or traffic that platforms give to content when you are among the first to engage with a trending topic. By creating content before a subject gains popularity, you take advantage of social media seed merit because algorithms are more likely to promote your posts as the trend expands.

For example, imagine you were one of the first creators to post a video about “portable bathtubs.” If “portable bathtubs” later became a major trend, your early content would benefit from social media seed merit, meaning the platform’s algorithm would favor your video and even boost future content you create on the same topic.

This early advantage can result in massive exposure and rapid growth. Many successful brands and creators credit social media seed merit as a key factor in their success, as the initial traffic they received helped them scale quickly.

The traffic surge from social media seed merit can come from several sources, including:

• Search results (SERPs) on social media platforms and even Google

• Main platform homepages and recommended feeds

• Relevant hashtags on trending topics

• Features like “original sound” recognition on TikTok and similar tools on other platforms

Understanding social media seed merit is essential for creators and brands looking to leverage early trend participation for maximum reach and engagement.