“I don’t Google, I TikTok” 
One of the most interesting things happening on social right now is users shifting from using Google search to TikTok search.
This is the first time Google’s monopoly over search has been threatened in any real way.
Gen-Z in particular has been preferencing TikTok search to Google.
Gen Z prefers to see “visually rich” content than to read.
Nearly 40% of Gen Z prefers searching on TikTok and Instagram over Google Search and Maps, according to Google’s internal data reported by TechCrunch.
A major reason for this shift is ad sensitivity.
For many Google searches the top 3-4 results are ads – which Gen Z are shown to be particularly sensitive to. This experience is illustrated in the screenshots below using the search: “Things to do in Paris”
Another factor in this shift is time.
TikTok videos get to the point very quickly. Google owns YouTube and its content is often used in results. However, the average YouTube video length is 12 minutes. TikTok’s is less than a minute.
What does this mean for creators or businesses?
This is likely leading to a future where brands and creators that consistently produce great video content within their niche will be found by the masses. Whereas those who have a high search budget and focus on traditional SEO may not reach certain demographics.
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