Understanding the Importance of Meeting Searchers’ Needs: Evaluating TikTok’s Functionality as a Search Engine
The debate about whether TikTok should be considered a search engine has been ongoing within the SEO community. However, what really matters is how users perceive and utilize TikTok as a platform for searching and discovering information. Brands that overlook TikTok as part of their search strategy risk missing out on valuable visibility and engagement opportunities.
The concept of what constitutes a search engine is rapidly evolving. While SEOs argue over technical definitions, users are searching for information everywhere, including platforms like Siri, Alexa, TikTok, Pinterest, Reddit, ChatGPT, Gemini, and SGE. These platforms are now fulfilling similar roles to traditional search engines like Google and Bing, and users see them as effective search engines.
According to WARC’s 2023 Consumer Trends report, Gen Z users prefer personalized, algorithm-led social networks over traditional search engines when looking for information about brands, products, or services. This shift in user behavior broadens the definition of a search engine and calls for an innovation in search marketing strategies and platform thinking.
Younger audiences, particularly Gen Z and Millennials, value platforms like TikTok for their speed, convenience, and relatability. They prefer the visual and interactive content format that TikTok offers. In fact, a survey found that 51% of Gen Z women prefer TikTok over Google for search purposes.
Today’s SEO strategies need to meet users where they are. Someone might search for a cooking tutorial on TikTok instead of Google because they are interested in the platform’s engaging presentation and community aspect. Search engines must adapt to these developments to stay relevant. Google, for example, has created “Perspectives” to challenge platforms like TikTok and Instagram and bring users back to a Google SERP for certain types of queries. Google has also been testing TikTok videos in SGE and featured snippets.
The key takeaway from this debate is that what actually matters is meeting the needs of your audience. If users are searching on TikTok and your brand is not present, you are missing out on valuable visibility. Brands should prioritize platforms that best meet their strategic needs and develop search content accordingly. It could be TikTok, Google, or a combination of both. The focus should be on creating content solutions that align with audience expectations and preferences.
In an expanding search universe, it’s important to react to the signals provided by your audience and create content solutions where they are conducting searches. Ultimately, it’s not our job to dictate to users where and how they should consume content. Instead, we should adapt our strategies to provide the content they desire on the platforms they prefer.
