When it comes to searching for information, services, products, entertainment and more online, Google is still by far the dominant search engine that most people turn to. However, the rising popularity of TikTok means that some younger users are now searching directly within the TikTok app to find content, rather than going to Google first.
Google Still Reigns Supreme for General Search
With over 3.5 billion searches per day, Google processes nearly as many searches in one day as TikTok has in monthly active users globally (which is around 1 billion). So in sheer volume, Google handles vastly more searches.
Google’s share of the global search engine market is estimated to be around 85-90%, with niche search engines like Bing, Yahoo, DuckDuckGo and others making up the remainder. TikTok does not even register as a search competitor yet in terms of market share.
For broad, informational queries like “how to change a tire” or “best Mexican restaurants in Houston”, Google is still the go-to search engine for finding this kind of content quickly. Its search algorithms excel at understanding intent behind search queries and surfacing the most relevant information.
Google also provides a massive breadth and depth of search results that cannot be matched by searching within TikTok. Performing a search on Google gives you results in the form of web pages, images, videos, news, shopping options, maps and more. TikTok search is limited to surfacing TikTok videos and a relatively small index of content compared to the entire internet.
TikTok’s Strengths for Certain Types of Search
While TikTok’s search capabilities are still very limited compared to Google, the platform does have some strengths when it comes to discovering entertaining short-form videos and trends quickly. Some examples where searching on TikTok can be more effective include:
- Finding the latest viral dance trends
- Discovering popular TikTok songs and sounds
- Seeing examples of a particular meme or challenge
- Watching funny videos on a specific topic
- Seeing the most popular videos using a specific hashtag or effect
Rather than sifting through pages of Google video results, TikTok can zero users into the most viral and entertaining videos around a particular trend or topic directly within the app. TikTok’s recommendation algorithm is very adept at serving up more of what you like to watch.
So for a user who already spends time scrolling through TikTok for entertainment, it can be faster and more effective to search directly in TikTok to fuel that video binge, rather than tabbing over to Google and back.
Younger Users Tap TikTok Search More
Since TikTok’s user base still skews young, with over 60% under 30, younger users are more likely to search directly on TikTok than older users set in their Google habits.
Teens and college students who have grown up consuming lots of video content online rely on TikTok not just for entertainment but increasingly for some types of information and discovery.
A 2021 Google survey found that around 40% of TikTok users ages 18-24 turned to TikTok when searching for information online, higher than any other age group on the platform. So TikTok is gaining ground as an informational search resource for youth.
Brands and Influencers Research on TikTok
Beyond individual users, brands, marketers and content creators are also utilizing TikTok’s search features for research purposes, such as:
- Monitoring branded hashtag performance
- Seeing what content performs best for competitors
- Analyzing audience engagement for different trends
- Testing viral video concepts before creating content
- Researching music and hashtags to maximize views
This kind of TikTok-specific research helps brands create content tailored for the platform and stay on top of the latest trends and strategies within TikTok marketing.
TikTok Investing Heavily in Search
Recognizing that limited search functionality is one of its biggest disadvantages versus Google, TikTok has been pouring resources into improving search capabilities in the app.
In 2020, TikTok tripled the size of its search team, pointing toward major upgrades and expansion of search features on the horizon.
Some recent search developments on TikTok include:
- Enhanced auto-complete and search recommendations
- Increased support for English variations of search terms
- Expanded search results beyond just video posts
TikTok is also using machine learning models to better index and retrieve video content based on nuances like emotions, objects, settings and contexts portrayed in videos.
So while still in its early days, expect TikTok’s internal search functionality to continue gaining capabilities to better compete with the Google juggernaut, at least for a subset of search use cases.
Google Still Dominates Overall But TikTok Gaining Ground
In summary, when it comes to informational search for content found primarily outside of TikTok, Google still enjoys an essentially insurmountable lead over any other search platform, including TikTok.
However, for searches aimed at finding entertaining TikTok videos, viral trends and platform-specific research, TikTok’s native and algorithmically-charged search has advantages that make it a compelling alternative to Google for some users and use cases.
As TikTok continues enhancing its search technology and indexing vastly more video content, its scope as a search destination is likely to expand, especially among younger demographics already highly engaged on the platform.
While TikTok has an extremely long way to go before it could be considered a true Google competitor, its specialized search capabilities pose a unique value proposition that may complement, rather than fully displace Google for many users’ searching needs.
