Is TikTok Becoming A Search Engine?

The popular and controversial network TikTok launched in September 2016 and was the most downloaded app in the United States in October 2018. As of 2022, TikTok has over 3 billion downloads and over 1 billion active monthly users. 

Since then TikTok has evolved from dancing videos into younger people’s number one tool to find out information about a topic. 

A recent study by Adobe suggests that TikTok is currently deemed the fourth most-popular search engine among digital natives, falling just behind YouTube, Bing and Google. 

There has been a bit of chat in regard to TikTok being on the path to become the new Google, but does this claim have any substance to it? Should you consider the platform in your latest SEO strategy?  Let’s find out together. 

How has TikTok become a “search engine”?

One of the driving factors in TikTok’s success is that there’s something for everyone and every age group on there. 

While Gen Z makes up the lion’s share (around 40%) of users, people from various age brackets engage with and create content for the platform regularly. 

Did you know that 1 in 5 users are between the ages of 40 and 49?

Another reason for TikTok’s success is its ability to evolve with the change in the digital world. 

To show their commitment to providing a seamless user search experience, the brand launched an interesting marketing campaign in the UK to make the most of its new search-focused appeal. 

The campaign featured 2 big UK influencers HardestGeezer (The man who ran the entire length of Africa) and MadeWithMud (a creative pottery artist). The video-based campaign clearly showcases TikTok’s information-giving and community-serving value beyond dance trends. 

What are TikTok’s key search features? 

Discover page 

The Discover page on TikTok showcases personalised recommendations based on users’ interests, interactions and browsing history. It included a mix of trending videos and curated content recommendations to facilitate content discovery. 

Hashtag Search

Users can search for specific hashtags to discover content related to their personal interests or curiosities. TikTok’s search algorithm ranks content based on relevance and popularity among other users on the platform. This commonly used feature on social media makes it easy to keep up with trending topics and other news around the world. 

Keyword Search

In addition to hashtag search users can search for specific keywords in content they’re interested in. TikTok’s search algorithm analysed video captions, user profiles, and other key pieces of information to provide the most relevant search results. 

Sound Search

Like a specific sound or music genre? You can search for that too on TikTok. TikTok’s extensive and ever-growing library of audio clips allows users to discover content based on their favourite songs at the moment. 

Trending Searches 

TikTok highlights trending hashtags, sounds, and challenges in the search results, allowing users to explore popular content and join in on the latest viral trends. 

Recently Watched Videos 

If you’ve recently watched a video about a certain topic when users go to the search bar there will be a preloaded search of the video you’ve just watched, further showing the lengths TikTok will take to make sure users have the best user experience on the app. 

Does TikTok have a future as a search engine?

TikTok’s awesome search-based content discovery features certainly make it an intuitive tool for seeking answers to questions and connecting with valuable information. 

Did you know that video-based search results tend to have a click-through rate that is 41% higher than their text-based counterparts? So it’s fair to say that visual search is a firm part of any solid SEO strategy. Also, it’s easy to see why many digital natives regard TikTok as an essential search engine. 

How should marketers respond to TikTok and search?

Like any new digital marketing trend or concept, the response to TikTok as a search engine has had somewhat mixed feelings. But, the general consensus is that TikTok is just as valuable as other search engines when it comes to functionality and content discovery. 

In a LinkedIn thread, several markets share Phoebe Sophia Russell’s sentiment. Others don’t believe that TikTok can become a genuine search engine, debating that the platform only shows search results within its own network rather than returning results from a range of sources around the web. 

So, the short answer is to test it out. Take TikTok’s “SEO” features for a try and see if they work well for your business. And if it doesn’t, you still have regular old SEO on regular Search Engines to come back to. 

Looking beyond Google vs TikTok

It’s important in marketing to not compare things such as Google vs TikTok but instead approach all new marketing angles with an open mind. 

The world of digital marketing is very fast-paced, it comes with ups and downs of brand-boosting opportunities. 

But, by focusing on creating visually inspiring, value-driven content tailored to a balanced mix of leading content discovery platforms, marketers can tap into the search engine power of Google, YouTube Bing, Instagram, TikTok and so on. 

Do your own research and your own testing, depending on the business type and the appeal your business has on the platform, don’t rule anything out. 

If you’re looking for a marketing agency that’s daring enough to try these types of new digital marketing aspects, book a call with our founder Matt. No sales jargon or fancy marketing terms. Just a friendly chat to see if we can help your business get where it needs to be. 

‍