The debate over whether TikTok should be considered a search engine continues to divide the SEO community.
But here’s the thing: users don’t care about definitions or technicalities. For many, especially the younger audience, TikTok is a place to search and discover information.
So while we discuss semantics within the SEO community, brands that don’t consider TikTok as part of their search strategy risk missing out on visibility and engagement opportunities.
We explore why users aren’t interested in our slang-based definitions and why they treat TikTok as a search engine.
The change in search engine dynamics
As SEOs, we traditionally view a search engine as a system designed to perform web searches. It systematically crawls the web to locate specific information specified in a search query.
Classic examples include giants like Google and Microsoft Bing. These platforms index and rank web pages based on keywords, backlinks and other factors, presenting them in an ordered list in response to user queries.
However, the concept of what constitutes a search engine is evolving rapidly. While we argue about which platforms are really search engines, users just search everywhere.
This evolution is not only in the technology that powers search engines, but also in their form and functionality. Siri, Alexa, TikTok, Pinterest, Reddit, ChatGPT, Twins (formerly Bard) and SGE signify this change.
Platforms that were not traditionally considered search engines now serve functions similar to those of Google and Bing. As far as users are concerned, they are doing it more effectively. They see these platforms as search engines, so why not SEOs?
And please don’t take my word for it.
Gen Z users favor more personalized and algorithm-driven social networks (48%) over search engines (44%) when looking for information about brands, products or services, for WARC 2023 Consumer Trends Report (subscription required).
This change is expanding the definition of a search engine, in my opinion. It should mean innovation in executing search marketing strategies and thinking about platforms.
Central to this transformation is user behavior. The way people search for information has changed dramatically.
There is a growing preference for quick, concise and visually appealing content, especially among those Gen Z and millennial audiences (which I tend to focus on).
We’ve all seen “40% of young people, when looking for a place to eat, don’t go to Google Maps or Search. They go to TikTok or Instagram” quote from Prabhakar RaghavanSenior Vice President of Google.
When it comes to user behavior, younger audiences value the speed, convenience and relatability of these platforms, often preferring the visual and interactive content format that TikTok offers.
Dig deeper. Survey: 51% of Gen Z women prefer TikTok over Google for search
Get the daily search newsletter marketers trust.
SEO Today: Know Your Users Where They Are
Someone might search for a cooking tutorial on TikTok instead of Google. Maybe they’re looking for more than just the recipe.
They might be interested in the platform’s attractive presentation, improved user experience, and community aspect. This may be because certain searches are tailored to visual content or because of its connection to a certain creator.
Search engines are no longer limited to indexing and retrieving web content. They need to know users where they are and in the format they prefer, and Google recognizes this shift.
In response to these developments, “Perspectives” has been created to challenge these platforms (TikTok, Instagram, Reddit) and their search capabilities and bring users back to a Google SERP for these types of queries. Google has also recently been testing TikTok videos in SGE and highlights.
The EEAT has been iterated, putting more emphasis on the first-hand experience of the content and its creator. This is a crucial factor that drives people to other platforms in the first place. This demonstrates a further commitment to improving the relationship and reliability of content solutions.
Dig Deeper: The modern search landscape: how and where to reach your target audience
What really matters
This debate can drag on indefinitely, with arguments about semantics and definitions trying to sway people to one side. However, this will make no difference to our brands.
Instead, we should look to our audience for guidance. Because as much as we can argue that TikTok isn’t a search platform, if your audience is searching and your brand isn’t there, you’re leaving valuable visibility on the table.
Ultimately, we should prioritize activations on the platform that best fits our brand’s strategic needs and develop search content there.
If this results in a TikTok search strategy, great.
If instead we focus solely on Google because that’s what’s going to move the needle, then great.
It can even be a combination of both, leveraging a more holistic “search everywhere” approach.
The key here is not to reject a platform because it doesn’t meet your definition for a search engine right now. Because while we’re debating this, it’s likely that a brand competitor is running on these observations and gaining visibility.
In short, as has always been the case, it is not up to us to dictate to users what content they should consume and where they should consume it.
Rather, we react to the signals our audiences provide and create the content solutions they want in the format they expect to appear.
And, in an expanding universe of search, across platforms, they’re conducting those searches.
Dig Deeper: Search Universe Analysis: A Deep Dive
The views expressed in this article are those of the guest author and not necessarily Search Engine Land. Staff authors are listed here.
[ad_2]
Source link
