Young people of Gen Z increasingly use Instagram and, above all, TikTok as a search engine for tutorials, restaurant and travel suggestions, and even to keep up with current affairs. What does this mean for the future of online searches (and for the presence of brands)?
TikTok has built its popularity, at least in the West, starting from viral videos of dances and pop music, fun and “light” content (recently also entering political communication). But for many young people of Gen Z, those born between 1997 and 2012, TikTok is now also a search engine.
It has in fact become a daily operation to exploit TikTok’s powerful personalised algorithm to search for information suited to one’s own tastes. And some have tried to replace Google with TikTok for every online search, and were quite satisfied.
The rise of TikTok as an online search tool is part of a broader transformation of search engines. While Google, for now, remains the world’s dominant “generalist” browser, more and more users turn to Amazon to search for products. Or to Tripadvisor to find businesses and restaurants, to Instagram to stay up to date on trends, and so on. With the continuous transformation of the digital world, the universe of ways to search for and find information within it is also expanding. So much so that, for the new generations, the verb “to google” as a synonym for “searching online” may no longer be an unchangeable dogma.
TikTok as a new search engine: Google’s responses
Google has noticed that TikTok is entering its domain. Prabhakar Raghavan, Senior Vice President of Google’s Search activities, stated this in July.
«Almost 40% of young people, when looking for a place to have lunch, no longer use Google Maps or Search, but TikTok or Instagram.»
So it wasn’t enough that TikTok videos and Instagram Reels threatened YouTube’s territory (which had responded with the Shorts feature). Now even the ubiquitous Google search is at risk.
In response, at September’s Search On, Google presented the changes it intends to make to attract a younger audience (you can read all the details here). Among the new features, the function Search with Live View, which allows you to get a live overview of an area and instantly obtain information. Or Neighborhood Vibe, which promises to help users discover the most interesting places in a neighbourhood, through Google Maps content.
In general, Google will enhance every aspect linked to Visual Search, that is, online search for and with images, enriching pages with even more photos and videos. The result will thus be very similar to a social network feed, to be scrolled continuously to find inspiration. Obviously optimised for mobile viewing, which is now the primary means of accessing the web for the vast majority of users.
How is the way we use search engines changing?
Overall, all of Google’s updates over these years (we wrote here about the redefinition of the conversion funnel) attempt to change the dynamics that made its fortune. And all this to meet the needs of the new generation.
For two decades, the standard functioning of Google searches has been the same. Type a few words, scroll through the results and, if you weren’t satisfied, try another query. The only tool available was the keyword string.
Today, instead, search in TikTok’s “For You” section is not oriented towards the question-answer dynamic, but towards the discovery of new content related to the initial input. An uninterrupted stream of videos that are immersive and captivating, with the aim of capturing the user on the platform (which makes it difficult to verify that the information accessed is real). A system that indulges a spirit of digital “wandering” as an alternative to the need to find the correct answer in the shortest possible time. Also because it is clear to the Gen Z of digital natives that — especially online — there is no single correct answer.
Besides some “technical” features — searches that are fast, interactive, more straightforward to interpret and sincere (it’s easier to empathise with a person who “puts their face to it” than with a written review, right?) — using TikTok as a search engine is a symptom of a new sensibility in online behaviours.
A hashtag or a search on TikTok generates not only answers, but related content that is culturally relevant, such as music, new creators and live events. Along these lines, in Southeast Asia the app is testing a new feed with local content, which allows you to find nearby businesses and events. Alongside this, also a feature that identifies keywords in comments and makes them accessible in search results.
What will happen to brands in search engine positioning
Let’s start from the assumption that, in the digital universe, no objective should be considered unchangeable. It is always essential to constantly update one’s beliefs (in the coming years, will we see many TikTok SEO guides?).
It is, however, very likely that, in order to adapt to these updates in search engines, brands will have to make further efforts to humanise themselves. It will also be necessary to realise that, unlike other social media, TikTok was created with the user first and foremost in mind. Its appeal, today, is the fact of being a space that is (still) not too “curated”, which users visit for the same reason that makes it challenging for brands: unpredictability. Ironically, it is precisely this that guarantees greater trust. The personalised algorithm (which according to many users even anticipates the content of interest) suggests searches that come from a recognisable creator.
What is the key to this new type of positioning for brands? Today, companies don’t only have to find the right keywords and voice within search, but also think and act like the consumers they are trying to reach. So being flexible, agile and timely in capturing attention and taking part in a type of search that favours relationality and authenticity.
Not only does TikTok provide more up-to-date, timely and varied options for a single keyword. It also suggests ideas that (if not already today, certainly in the near future) could turn out to be more accurate even in terms of pure search compared to what you might find on Google.
