Is TikTok the New Google? The Rise of Social Search
Here’s where things get really interesting. According to Adobe’s 2024 survey, around 41% of Americans have used TikTok as a search engine. But when you break it down by age? 64% of Gen Z respondents in the United States had used TikTok as an online search engine – the highest rate across all generations.
This isn’t just some small trend either. Nearly 1 in 10 Gen Zers are more likely to rely on TikTok than Google as a search engine. Google’s own executives have admitted this. According to Google’s internal data, nearly 40% of Gen Z users prefer to use TikTok and Instagram over Google search.
Think about that for a second. Google’s own research shows young people are choosing other platforms over them.
The Growth Is Real
TikTok’s search functionality isn’t just getting lucky with a few users. Recent data from Datos shows that in May 2024, 15.4% of TikTok’s desktop users engaged in search activities, up from 11% in May 2023.
But here’s the kicker: the number of searches per TikTok user jumped from 3.7 in May 2023 to 5.3 in May 2024, with a peak of 8.3 in March 2024. People aren’t just trying TikTok search once – they’re using it more and more.
Why TikTok Search Feels Different
It’s Visual and Real
Unlike Google’s wall of blue links, TikTok shows you real people actually doing things. Rise at Seven found that 49% of users say TikTok is a source for discovering something new, and 62% say video tutorials are the most helpful content when evaluating brands or products.
When you search “best pizza in Chicago” on Google, you get reviews and articles. When you search it on TikTok, you see someone actually eating the pizza and giving you their honest reaction while cheese is still stretching from their mouth. Which one feels more trustworthy to you?
Local Search Is Getting Disrupted
Here’s something that should worry Google: TikTok is beating them at local search among young people. Google has been dethroned as the most popular platform among Gen Z when searching for local businesses to shop in-person. Instagram leads with 67%, TikTok has 62%, and Google comes in third with 61%.
For a generation that’s about to have the most spending power, this is a big deal.
Community Trust Beats Algorithms
TikTok provides something Google can’t easily replicate: community validation. When someone on TikTok shows you how to fix something or recommends a product, you can see their face, hear their voice, and check out their other videos to see if they seem legit. It’s social proof on steroids.
TikTok's Money Game: From Fun App to Search Competitor
The Revenue Numbers Are Insane
TikTok isn’t playing around with this search thing – they’re putting serious money behind it. According to Oberlo’s analysis, TikTok’s ad revenue worldwide is projected to reach $33.1 billion in 2025, a 40.5% increase from 2024.
In the US alone, TikTok’s ad revenues are forecast to hit $9.5 billion in 2025. To put that in perspective, MediaRadar data shows advertisers spent $4.8 billion on TikTok during 2024, with a 27% year-over-year increase from 2023.
TikTok SEO Is Now a Real Thing
You know something’s legit when people start making jobs out of it. Demand for TikTok SEO services is up 116% in 2024 in the US, with 19,000 monthly searches worldwide for “TikTok SEO.”
Companies are hiring people specifically to make their content show up in TikTok searches. That’s not happening unless the results actually matter.
Search Ads Are Here
TikTok officially launched search advertising, going head-to-head with Google’s bread and butter. Now when you search on TikTok, ads appear right in your results, just like Google. The gloves are off.
Google Feels the Heat
The First Cracks in the Armor
For almost two decades, Google has been untouchable in search. But according to StatCounter data, Google’s global market share in search fell below 90% in late 2024 and has stayed in the high 89% range for most of 2025.
That might not sound like much, but this is the first time Google’s been below 90% since 2015. When you’re used to total domination, even small drops can signal bigger problems.
Google’s Executives Are Worried
Google isn’t pretending this isn’t happening. Their SVP Prabhakar Raghavan has publicly said that “new internet users don’t have the expectations and the mindset that Google has become accustomed to.”
Translation: younger people search differently, and Google knows they’re losing ground.
The Reality Check: Where We Actually Stand
TikTok’s User Base Is Massive
TikTok currently has 1.5 billion monthly active users worldwide, making it the fifth most popular social media platform. The average US adult spends 58.4 minutes a day on TikTok, and people open the app about 20 times per day.
That’s a lot of opportunities to search for stuff.
Content Creation Is Off the Charts
Here’s a mind-blowing stat: every second, 272 videos are uploaded to TikTok. That’s over 16,000 per minute and 34 million each day. We’re talking about 707 million videos per month of fresh content.
Google indexes the entire internet, but TikTok is creating an ocean of new, searchable video content every single day.
People Actually Buy Stuff
This isn’t just about browsing – TikTok search leads to real purchases. Around 33% of users have bought something after discovering it on TikTok, and 37% discovered something on TikTok and immediately went to buy it. Users spend 14% more when TikTok is part of their purchase journey.
What Works Best on TikTok vs Google
TikTok Owns Certain Categories
Research shows that searches for cars and automotive queries are now bigger on TikTok than on Google. TikTok is also stealing “how to” search volume from Google, especially for things like:
- Recipes and cooking tips
- Beauty and fashion advice
- Home improvement projects
- Product reviews and unboxings
Google Still Rules Complex Searches
Let’s be honest – if you need to research tax law or find academic papers, you’re not going to TikTok. Google maintains 91.5% of the global search engine market share and has a search index of over 100,000,000 GB that’s constantly updated.
Google is still the king for:
- Academic research
- News and current events
- Technical documentation
- Complex B2B information
- Medical and legal information
How TikTok Search Actually Works
The Algorithm Factors
If you want your content to show up in TikTok searches, here’s what matters: TikTok analyzes keywords in captions, hashtags, and on-screen text to surface content in search results.
But the ranking factors are different from Google:
- Video completion rates and engagement (likes, shares, comments) heavily influence rankings
- The first 3 seconds are critical – videos with higher retention rates rank higher
- Over 60% of users watch videos with sound on, so spoken keywords matter
- Voice and what you say in the first 5 seconds has higher impact than written words
Creators Beat Brands
Here’s something important: TikTok has found that content created by creators with high engagement rates ranks above content created by brands.
So if you’re a business trying to show up in TikTok search results, partnering with creators might work better than making your own corporate content.
What This Means for Businesses
You Need Both Strategies Now
Smart companies aren’t choosing between Google SEO and TikTok SEO – they’re doing both. 53% of business owners plan to increase their TikTok marketing investment in 2025, and 82% of Gen Z are most likely to have TikTok profiles.
If your customers are young, you can’t afford to ignore where they’re actually searching.
Content Formats Are Changing
The rise of TikTok search means your content strategy needs to include:
- Short-form video content optimized for mobile
- Authentic, person-to-person communication styles
- Visual demonstrations over text explanations
- Community engagement and response videos
The Future: Coexistence, Not Replacement
Different Platforms, Different Purposes
TikTok isn’t going to completely replace Google, and Google isn’t going anywhere. What’s happening is more interesting – we’re seeing different platforms become the go-to choice for different types of searches.
Think of it this way:
- Google: When you need comprehensive, authoritative information
- TikTok: When you want to see real people’s experiences and quick visual answers
- YouTube: For longer tutorials and educational content
- Instagram: For visual inspiration and local businesses
The Multi-Platform Reality
Users are increasingly relying on TikTok not just for entertainment but as a tool for finding specific content, but they’re not ditching Google entirely. Instead, people are getting smarter about using the right platform for the right type of search.
Bottom Line: What You Need to Know
TikTok isn’t the “new Google” – it’s something completely different that happens to be really good at certain types of searches. While Google excels at providing detailed, authoritative information, TikTok offers authentic, visual, community-driven content that’s perfect for product discovery, lifestyle questions, and local recommendations.
TikTok is the 4th most helpful platform to find information online, which means it’s earned its place as a legitimate search alternative, not just a social media app.
The real story here isn’t about one platform killing another. It’s about how people search for information changing completely. The companies that figure this out first – and start optimizing for both Google and TikTok – are going to have a huge advantage.
The age of putting all your eggs in the Google SEO basket is over. Welcome to the multi-platform search world.
