There are thousands of channels in certain niches. How to break into the top 3 search results when competitors have already taken the first positions? Let’s analyze Telegram SEO promotion using clear examples.
Although Telegram does not use such complex algorithms as Google, it does not mean that Telegram SEO does not work. On the contrary, the right channel name, description, and structure can generate 20-30% of organic traffic every month. For affiliates in the in-game, betting, or crypto space, these are potential additional leads.
How does the search for Telegram channels work?
The algorithm of searching for Telegram channels consists of three stages: crawling public channels, indexing by keywords, and ranking by factors that can be controlled. Unlike Google search, there is no complicated E-E-A-T scheme, but there are clear technical rules that must be followed.
Telegram’s internal search only indexes titles, usernames, and descriptions, while Google indexes public content from channels through the web version.
The name is the first ranking factor in Telegram SEO. If you work in crypto, the word “crypto” or “trading” should be in the title. Not in the description, but in the title. The username (@yourname) is also indexed: the shorter and clearer it is, the better it is for channel search.
For example: the channel “@crypto_invest” appears in the top 5 for the query “crypto investment” because the key is in the name and username. A channel with the same audience, but the name “@mastery_cinvest” will be on the 15th position in the search for Telegram channels.
The description is the second most important element after the name in Telegram SEO. Here, you need to specify 2-3 key phrases naturally, without aggressive marketing. Important: the minimum length of a search word is 4 letters, which should be taken into account when choosing keywords.
Only public Telegram channels are indexed in the search. Private and closed channels do not appear in the results, even if they have the perfect name. The verification badge also increases the position, it is one of the markers that forms the Telegram channels that can be trusted.
According to analytics from LiveDune, Popsters, and others, the average Engagement Rate for Telegram for 2025 ranges from about 20-30% within 5 days after the content is published. This means that about 20-30% of subscribers interact with posts (through views, reactions, comments, or reposts). If you have 10,000 subscribers and 50 views, the algorithm realizes that the audience is dead. This lowers your position in the search for trending channels, even if everything else is set up correctly.
The older the channel, the more it is trusted by the Telegram channel search algorithm. Therefore, a channel created 2 years ago will have an advantage over a new one even if it has the same number of subscribers. It works like Domain Authority in Google – time builds authority in Telegram SEO.
Telegram channels that are referenced by other major channels or media get a ranking bonus. If your post is reposted in a channel with 50,000+ subscribers, it can be a successful signal for the algorithm.
5-7 posts per week is the minimum to maintain activity in Telegram SEO. Long pauses (2+ weeks without posts) cool down indexing, and the channel starts to fall in the channel search results. Automation through Scheduled Messages helps to maintain a stable schedule for Telegram SEO promotion.
Hashtags work as internal navigation and help the algorithm categorize content. Optimal: 1-2 hashtags per post will be enough. Spamming with hashtags (#cryptocurrency #bitcoin #trading #earnings #money) may not work in Telegram SEO and look like spam.
The structure of posts also matters: use subheadings, lists, emojis to break up the text. The longer the user reads the post, the higher the engagement, because it is also a signal for the search algorithm for the target channels.
Geolocation and language
Ukrainian-language Telegram channels have a priority in the search results for Ukrainian users who have a Ukrainian-language gadget layout. Telegram determines the country by the phone number code specified during registration. This means that the @crypto_ua channel appears above @crypto_pl for users from Ukraine in the search for Telegram channels, even if the latter has more subscribers.
What does NOT work in 2025
Faking followers, buying reactions and bots is a direct path to a shadow ban in Telegram SEO. Telegram detects unnatural activity and demotes the channel in the search results or removes it from the Telegram channel search results altogether. Keyword stuffing in the description (repetition of one word 10 times) also does not work in Telegram SEO promotion, because the algorithm filters it out.
It is a proven fact that a channel with 20,000 paid subscribers and an ER of 2% does not even appear in the top 50 for targeted queries in the search for Telegram channels, while a channel with 1,500 live subscribers can have an ER of 40% and be consistently in the top 10.
Metrics to track
CTR from channel search, retention rate of subscribers (how many remain a month after subscribing), time spent viewing posts – these are the things that need to be monitored weekly for effective promotion in Telegram SEO. Services like Telemetr provide detailed analytics of ER and growth dynamics of Telegram channels.
Telegram search on Google
There is indexing through Google’s Telegram search. Public Telegram channels are indexed by Google through the web version of t.me, which brings additional traffic from regular search. For this purpose, it is important to have structured content with keywords in posts, not just in the channel description.
Conclusion
In Telegram SEO, you need to understand that it is a specific set of technical settings and content strategy. The name, description, ER, regularity of posts, and external mentions are what really propel a channel to the top of the Telegram channel search. Cheating and spamming do not work in 2025, relying on a live audience and high-quality content is the only way to achieve stable positions in Telegram SEO promotion.