TikTok as a Search Engine: What Content Are Users Looking For?
Meet TIkTok as a search engine
TikTok has rapidly conquered the market thanks to its unique format of short videos, perfectly suited for quick content consumption. Launched in 2016 by the Chinese company ByteDance, TikTok offers a platform where users can create and share 15-second videos with a variety of effects.
The main features of TikTok include powerful video editing tools, music overlays, special effects, and an extensive collection of masks and filters. TikTok’s music library makes it easy to add popular tracks to videos. Hashtags and challenges are given special attention, promoting the viral spread of content, while personalized recommendation algorithms suggest videos based on users’ interests.
The social network has long moved beyond mere entertainment videos – today, it’s an entire ecosystem shaping the tastes, interests, and even the perceptions of its audience. Users share experiences and life hacks, recommend movies and games, and publish educational content in various fields – from psychology to home improvement. The stream of recommendations influences lifestyle choices and preferences, from interior design to the type of bouquet women want to receive on International Women’s Day.
TikTok not only entertains but is increasingly being used as a full-fledged search engine, especially by Generation Z (born 1997-2012). The platform offers an experience unlike traditional search engines: users quickly find concise, visual, and relevant answers to their queries, supported by the video format. TikTok’s algorithms tailor content based on user interests, enabling highly personalized answers, while hashtags and trends help users quickly grasp the essence of the discussed topic. While Google requires searching across different resources, reading texts, and extracting key points, a TikTok user can swiftly understand an event on an emotional level and grasp the facts.
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One vivid example of how TikTok is becoming the primary voice of events is the trial of the former Minister of National Economy of Kazakhstan, Kuandyk Bishimbayev.
Short TikTok clips, cut from eight-hour-long YouTube streams of the court proceedings, featured the defense of the accused, the judge’s responses, expert testimonies, and statements from relatives of Bishimbayev’s deceased wife, Sultanat Nuklenova. These clips turned the trial into a gripping true-crime series.
Hundreds of thousands of viewers, longing for open court sessions, fervently discussed the trial and Bishimbayev’s behavior for a month and a half. Thousands of TikTok videos about the relationship between Sultanat and Bishimbayev fueled interest in the case across the CIS. The widespread resonance did not go unnoticed – on April 15, 2024, Kazakhstan’s President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev signed a law on domestic violence.
he primary advantages of TikTok as a search engine include the ability to gain valuable insights directly from real people and experts in their fields. The number of steps to obtaining trustworthy and useful information is significantly reduced compared to searching on Google. It’s no surprise that companies are actively leveraging TikTok to promote their products, tailoring their content to meet users’ demands for educational content, trends, and memes.
Will TikTok replace traditional search engines?
Is this shift really that significant, and will TikTok soon replace traditional search engines? How many people, according to statistics, use TikTok as a search engine?
Driven by the idea of exploring this trend, Adobe conducted a comprehensive study involving 808 consumers to understand their behavior. Simultaneously, the company’s representatives surveyed 251 business owners to examine how brands are adapting their marketing strategies to meet consumer search demands.
TikTok Search Trends
Americans are radically rethinking their relationship with search engines, and TikTok is emerging as an unexpected competitor to Google. Let’s explore how different generations are turning to TikTok for search and why.
According to the chart, 64% of Generation Z (born 1997-2012) use TikTok for search. Among Millennials (born 1981-1996), almost half do. TikTok is less popular among Generation X (born 1964-1980), with only 29% of respondents using it, which is still significant. Among popular search resources, TikTok ranks 4th, trailing only Google, YouTube, and Bing.
Studying the evolving search habits of Americans, Adobe discovered a surprising trend: more than two out of five used TikTok as a search engine. Consumers most frequently turned to TikTok for new recipes, music, fashion tips, physical exercises, and beauty recommendations.
This shift is particularly pronounced among the younger generation: 64% of Generation Z and 49% of Millennials reported using TikTok as a search engine. Generation Z members are also 29% more likely than Millennials to search for new recipes on TikTok. Nearly one in ten Gen Z members prefer TikTok over traditional giants like Google for their search queries.
Why Do Users Love TikTok
Why are consumers attracted to using tiktok as a search engine and what type of content captures their attention the most?
According to respondents, TikTok offers video content that is often easier to perceive and more informative compared to text. Users can see the actual product, its usage, or the result. Short videos help avoid lengthy immersion in long reads, conveying the essence quickly. An important element is storytelling, which helps emotionally experience the effect of using the product.
TikTok uses powerful algorithms that adapt to user interests, offering the most relevant content tailored to the viewer’s preferences. Among Generation Z, two out of five stated in the survey that they are captivated by content that deeply matches their tastes. Interestingly, 1 in 4 baby boomers (1946-1964) said they love TikTok for personal stories and narrative videos.
Business Strategy in TikTok Search
After surveying consumers, Adobe focused on business owners trying to navigate TikTok based on user search queries. Below is the statistics on how entrepreneurs use TikTok and what advantages they find compared to promotion on traditional search engines.
Business owners are beginning to recognize the untapped potential of TikTok as a tool to meet search queries. More than half of entrepreneurs (54%) have used TikTok to promote their brand, making an average of 9 posts per month.
Some entrepreneurs leverage influencer marketing: one in four small business owners uses TikTok bloggers to sell or promote their products.
On average, business owners allocate 15% of their marketing budget to creating TikTok content. The survey shed light on the types of content they invest in. 43% of respondents prefer creative content related to their product.
Following this are:
- Product or service reviews (36%)
- Tutorials (35%)
- Trending memes (25%)
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♬ original sound - sephora
Sephora, the popular French cosmetics brand, provides an excellent example of engaging with consumers through TikTok content.
The company regularly posts videos showing how their cosmetics help solve everyday problems. One such video demonstrates the use of Sephora products to restore hair shape after a run.
Despite the platform’s promising potential and the fact that 53% of business owners plan to increase their investments in TikTok affiliate marketing next year, challenges remain. Nearly a third of surveyed entrepreneurs found increasing engagement levels through TikTok to be a difficult task, while over 25% faced issues with consistently creating high-quality content and expanding their audience reach.
Online tools, such as free video editors, help business owners address some of these challenges by saving money and allowing them to create TikTok videos in minutes without video production experience. However, when it comes to reaching a broader audience beyond Generation Z, the results showed that most viewers enjoy educational content and reviews, especially those featuring trending memes and compelling storytelling. This requires a deep immersion in the TikTok user ecosystem.
What to Remember About TikTok
More and more consumers are turning to TikTok not just for entertainment but as a search engine.
Key Search Advantages of the Platform:
- Flexible Content Personalization: TikTok’s algorithms tailor content to match the tastes of the audience.
- Informative Short Videos: Short videos provide quick insights into products or events.
- Popularity of Tutorials and Reviews: Video tutorials and product reviews are highly popular on TikTok.
- Engaging Storytelling: Storytelling based on personal experiences captures attention effectively.
- Timely Information: TikTok users can access current information faster than through traditional search engines.
As this trend gains momentum, small and niche businesses have an excellent opportunity to leverage TikTok’s vast potential by integrating useful content into trending queries.
When publishing content, use current memes and trends to highlight your brand, and construct videos that showcase real-life situations where your product can be most beneficial.
