Have you ever stopped to think that Google is not the reference search engine for your public? There is an entire generation that is guided by TikTok Search , prioritizing TikTok search over Google discovery. If you ignore this habit, you can leave your brand off their radar.
What is TikTokSearch?
The TikTok mobile app is actually a social network open to the user’s video content. Those who have an account can unleash their imagination and let themselves go when it comes to creating and editing videos of a maximum length of 1 minute, to later share them with their network.
These are not your usual short videos, but elaborate pieces of content, in some cases, which can include filters, music and special effects powered by the latest advances in artificial intelligence.
TikTok has more than 1.023 million monthly active users around the world, a milestone reached after only five years of activity . You will be interested to know that:
- 56.7% of TikTok users globally are 25 years or older. Of these, 56% are women and 44% men. TikTok reaches 20.3% of Internet users over the age of 18 in the world and, in fact, more than half of the content creators on this social network are in the age range of 18 to the 24 years.
- TikTok has had more than 3.5 billion downloads worldwide since its launch, perhaps for this reason it can be said that TikTok ads reach close to a fifth of the world’s population (specifically, 18.3%).
- About a third (30%) of TikTok users use the app for one hour or less per day and approximately 23.6 hours per month. There are exceptions, such as those who use it less and that 6%, who spend 10 hours a day there.
TikTok Search: what is the TikTok search engine like and what is its audience?
Not only representatives of generation Z prefer image searches . There are many of the X, millennials or baby boomers who resort to this way of discovering content to find infographics, graphs or images with which to complete their work.
The main difference is where each starts the search. TikTok Search is the preferred option for those born between 1997 and 2012. Around 4 out of 10 consider it a reference point, along with Instagram. Searching on this channel has a different purpose than searching on Google and that is precisely what makes it so attractive in the eyes of this waiting generation:
- Being surprised by results that you wouldn’t find with an exact search match.
- Being able to access results with a culturally relevant element.
- Have the option to apply filters, based on views or personal preferences.
These characteristics confirm what can be intuited, that TikTok was created with the consumer in mind. What for brands represents a challenge or an added difficulty, for the end user it is an extra incentive.
Today TikTok Search is the medium that allows you to stay updated and latest while enjoying a more convenient and satisfying search experience. Its popularity shows that the unpredictability of this approach is not incompatible with greater trust, which comes from the relationships that are created in the social network.
How TikTok impacts the new way of searching online
TikTok Search’s approach forces brands to flex and encourage a more agile approach to communication. Remaining attentive to new trends is as necessary as attending to the needs of the audience.
Far from prioritizing the validation obtained from traditional engines like Google, discovery and novelty take first place in this new consumer landscape.
Companies that want to capture the attention of their public need a presence on the social network, the place to spread their message in a more authentic way , harness the power of immediacy and forge relationships.
Google searches vs. searches on TikTok
While Google is still the number one platform for search, there is a target that has now shifted to TiktTok, so your business and content creators need to know which audience to target.
The following table will help you better understand the focus and key points of TikTok Search to compare this option with Google searches:
Searches on TikTok don’t necessarily match the results exactly, unlike on Google. This peculiarity decisively influences positioning. A hashtag will generate alternative results on the social network, where, in addition to those that exactly match the entered keyword, other culturally relevant ones will be shown.
Despite the advantages of this approach, we must not forget that it involves a challenge: searches on TikTok are visual and limited, while on Google you can find more depth in the results, mostly in text format.
Taking all this into account, when asked , has TikTok surpassed Google as a platform? the answer may be ambiguous, although time will tell how the competition between the two search engines evolves.
10 SEO Tips to succeed on TikTok with your brand
Despite the differences, the use of this social network for searches forces brands to take their particularities into account when defining positioning strategies. Achieving better results depends on applying these tips:
1. Define the target audience
Although it is a platform that is more attractive to generation Z, there are users of all profiles and ages on it, therefore, depending on the product or service you offer, the content can be adapted to that audience to increase the probability of reaching she.
2. Know the trends
On TikTok, as on other social networks, there are also trends, from filters, songs, type of content… That’s why it’s important to take into account what has gone viral and use it to your advantage.
3. Optimize TikTok Post Titles with Keywords
It is not bad to analyze Google keywords and their search volume, and then use them in the title of the TikTok post. Doing so increases the chances of being found. Also remember that there are no exact match limitations.
4. Use keywords as hashtags
To make it easier for your audience to get to your content, you can help TikTok’s search engine find you. You just need to convert the hashtags in your posts into keywords.
5. Create optimized original content
Creating original content will always be attractive, but it is important that you do not forget that SEO criteria, such as the user’s search intention, must be taken into account. This ensures that you can rank and appear not only on TikTok, but also on other search engines, such as Google.
6. Be frequent in the publication of content
Posting frequently on TikTok is also relevant, just as it is for Google. The more content you upload to the platform and share with users, the more likely you are to rank. The same applies to the update.
7. Use keywords in the audio too
TikTok uses voice technology, it can even have subtitles in videos, so the algorithm identifies these words, even if they are not written. Don’t forget to use them in the audio.
8. Take your audience to your website
You can include links in the TikTok bio and thus take your audience to your website. The purpose is to nurture your target audience with all the information they need.
9. Post TikTok content on other social networks
Publishing TikTok content on other social networks can also be an option (you just have to be careful that this social network does not penalize you for doing this, something that happens with the Instagram algorithm, for example).
10. Analyze the statistics
Review the statistics and data that TikTok gives you so that you can analyze the interactions of your publications and thus create action plans to optimize your content and improve your user profile.
This list of best practices will help you achieve goals on this social network , although everything can improve. Did you know that your user can also be optimized? There are many ways to achieve this, from creating your username with keywords, to using hashtags and a good optimized bio. Everything adds up and every detail can help position you. Do not delay in updating your positioning strategy in TikTok Search.
