{"id":744,"date":"2024-02-09T14:00:00","date_gmt":"2024-02-09T14:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/cherylroll.com\/tiktok-search-engine-ux-vs-semantics-437349\/"},"modified":"2024-02-09T14:00:00","modified_gmt":"2024-02-09T14:00:00","slug":"tiktok-search-engine-ux-vs-semantics-437349","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/cherylroll.com\/tiktok-search-engine-ux-vs-semantics-437349\/","title":{"rendered":"Is TikTok a search engine? Why meeting searchers\u2019 needs matters more than semantics"},"content":{"rendered":"
The debate around whether TikTok<\/a> should be considered a search engine continues to divide the SEO<\/a> community. <\/p>\n But here’s the thing – users don’t care about definitions or technicalities. For many, especially younger audiences, TikTok is a go-to place to search and discover information.<\/p>\n So, while we argue semantics within the SEO community, brands that are not considering TikTok as part of their search strategy risk losing visibility and engagement opportunities.<\/p>\n Let’s explore why users aren’t interested in our jargon-fuelled definitions and why they treat TikTok as a search engine. <\/p>\n As SEOs, we traditionally see a search engine as a system designed to conduct web searches. It crawls through the web systematically to locate specific information specified in a search query. <\/p>\n The classic examples include giants like Google and Microsoft Bing. These platforms index and rank webpages based on keywords, backlinks and other factors, presenting them in an ordered list in response to user queries.<\/p>\n However, the concept of what constitutes a search engine is evolving rapidly. While we are arguing over which platforms are actually search engines, users are just searching – everywhere.<\/p>\n This evolution is not just in the technology that powers search engines but also in their form and functionality. Siri, Alexa, TikTok, Pinterest, Reddit, ChatGPT, Gemini<\/a> (formerly Bard), and SGE<\/a> signify this shift.<\/p>\n Platforms not traditionally considered search engines are now fulfilling similar roles to the likes of Google and Bing. As far as users are concerned, they are doing so more effectively. They see these platforms as search engines, so why can’t SEOs?<\/p>\n And, please, don’t take my word for it.<\/p>\n Gen Z users favor more personalized, algorithm-led social networks (48%) over search engines (44%) when looking for information about brands, products or services, per WARC’s 2023 Consumer Trends report<\/a> (subscription required)<\/em>.<\/p>\n This shift is broadening the definition of a search engine, in my opinion. It should signify an innovation in executing search marketing strategies and thinking about platforms.<\/p>\n Central to this transformation is user behavior. The way people search for information has changed dramatically. <\/p>\n There’s a growing preference for quick, concise, and visually engaging content, especially within those Gen Z and Millennial audiences (which tend to be my focus).<\/p>\n We’ve all seen the “40% of young people, when they’re looking for a place for lunch, they don’t go to Google Maps or Search. They go to TikTok or Instagram” quote by Prabhakar Raghavan<\/a>, Senior VP at Google.<\/p>\n When it comes to user behavior, those younger audiences value these platforms’ speed, convenience, and relatability, often preferring the visual and interactive content format TikTok offers.<\/p>\nThe shift in search engine dynamics<\/h2>\n