For nearly two decades, Google continues to dominate the search engine market. It has even become a verb we all use. In 2021, Silicon Valley company held a global market share of 92.47% in a worldwide online search. But, don’t be surprised if you might hear a “TikTok it” instead of “Google it” because, for Gen Z, their favorite app is a place they are turning to search for answers. This could sound impossible, but hear us out – TikTok could dethrone Google and become the top search engine in near future.
Even Google has noticed! “In our studies, something like almost 40 percent of young people, when they’re looking for a place for lunch, they don’t go to Google Maps or Search. They go to TikTok or Instagram,” Prabhakar Raghavan, a Google senior vice president, said at a technology conference in July. It is now known to each and every one of us what made TikTok so popular -viral dance videos and pop music. But what really makes the video app a first-choice search engine for Generation Z, too?
Why you should try searching on TikTok?
Young people use TikTok for queries like recipes to cook, films to watch, how to do things and where are nearby places to eat because they get feedback on their questions from real people. Instead of just scrolling through walls of text on a faceless websites, this way they get to see and hear what are they looking for. The Internet is just becoming a more visual space and if we look at it this way, there’s not much surprising about this trend, then. Even Google had to include images and videos in our queries, release Shorts on Youtube and come up with a new feature named “Multisearch,” which lets users search with a combination of text and photos. But, lately, TikTok is also leaning into the discovery field, with a range of new features, aside from its main focus on eCommerce upgrades. With their latest experiment, certain keywords, including product names, are now auto-linked to search results for that term, helping to facilitate more search activity, and get users engaging with product discovery in the app.
It seems that TikTok is especially appealing to Gen Z users, who feel the format gives them a more comprehensive search result compared to the information they get from Google. They get to see a three-sixty view into the desired destination, experience or product and can always double-check their results quickly back at Google. Recent surveys show the same trend about a news source, finding that TikTok is the fastest growing for users aged 16 to 24.
Adding TikTok to your SEO Strategy
All you have to do is tap the search bar and the “Tiktoking” can begin. You can search for words, phrases, or topics. As you type, the most popular results will appear. We all want answers fast and the nature of TikTok is just that. Quick, scrollable videos that must right away catch one’s attention force creators to be much more efficient with time and information they share with viewers. This makes TikTok often more interactive than typing in a query on Google because through watching video after video to obtain the answers!
So, should you be considering the development of a TikTok SEO strategy for your business? It may seem unexpected, but the stats and actions of the Chinese-based giants suggest that this step will quickly become a must-have.
While the product, service and places discovery is rising in the app that is without any doubt the fastest-growing social platform at the moment, big opportunities for brands and marketers are once again expected to come along in the near future. Maybe, now is the right time to get in, establish your presence and be among the first that will wield the power of optimization for TikTok search.
You should also think about having a team of experts to make your way to the top of the search list even easier. Here, at GrowMojo, we will gladly help you take your business to the next level. Our team specialized in TikTok is always up to date with the latest trends and features of the app, so feel free to contact us with any questions or ideas you might have. Let’s deep dive into any topic that will help get the best out of your brand when it comes to TikTok!
