TikTok “overwhelms” Google to become Gen Z’s favorite search engine

Tram Ho

TikTok is not only known for its viral dances or cool cooking recipes, Gen Z has started using TikTok as a primary search engine to replace Google.

TikTok "lấn lướt" Google trở thành công cụ tìm kiếm ưa thích của Gen Z - Ảnh 1.

More and more young people prefer the TikTok algorithm with the ability to personalize the videos shown to them based on interaction with the content, to find information that matches their interests.

On TikTok, “you see how someone really feels about where they’ve eaten,” said Nailah Roberts, 25, who uses the app to search for restaurants in the area where she lives.

TikTok "lấn lướt" Google trở thành công cụ tìm kiếm ưa thích của Gen Z - Ảnh 2.

TikTok’s rise as a discovery engine is part of a broader transition in the digital search arena. While Google remains the dominant search engine, people are turning to Amazon for products, Instagram for trends, and Snapchat’s Snap Maps to find local businesses.

Google also noticed TikTok’s “overwhelming”. “In our study, almost 40% of young adults when looking for a place to have lunch, they didn’t go to Google Maps/Search. They choose TikTok or Instagram,” Prabhakar Raghavan, Google’s senior vice president, publicly commented on the rival app’s search capabilities at a tech conference in July.

TikTok "lấn lướt" Google trở thành công cụ tìm kiếm ưa thích của Gen Z - Ảnh 3.

Doing a search on TikTok often results in more engagement than on Google. Instead of walls of text, Gen Z gathers recommendations from TikTok videos to pinpoint exactly what they’re looking for, watching multiple videos to organize content. They then verify the authenticity of a recommendation based on comments posted in response.

This search method stems from young people using TikTok not only to search for products and services, but also to ask questions and find explanations for things.

Alexandria Kinsey, 24, media and social media coordinator in Arlington, Virginia, uses TikTok to search for questions and concerns: Recipes, movies, promotions. She also looks for less popular content, such as interviews with actor Andrew Garfield and weird conspiracy theories.

TikTok’s results “seem less biased” than Google’s. At the same time, she shared that she often “have a different opinion” with Google-optimized ads and websites.

TikTok "lấn lướt" Google trở thành công cụ tìm kiếm ưa thích của Gen Z - Ảnh 4.

Kinsey also likes how the TikTok videos present information quickly. Although she sometimes has to verify information on Tiktok with Google, she said, “I rarely see something that requires so much thought.”

TikTok gradually becomes a tool to find information. The app is testing a feature that identifies keywords in comments and links to search results for them. In Southeast Asia, they are also testing a feed with local content so people can find businesses and events near them.

According to Sensor Tower, building search and location features will likely continue to attract Tiktok, the world’s most downloaded app for young people aged 18 to 24.

Lee Rainie, who directs internet and technology research at the Pew Research Center, said: “TikTok is becoming a place to deliver content like a one-stop shop in an unprecedented way. yes.

TikTok "lấn lướt" Google trở thành công cụ tìm kiếm ưa thích của Gen Z - Ảnh 5.

This is true for Jayla Johnson, 22 years old in Newtown, Pennsylvania (USA). It is estimated that she watches TikTok 10 hours a day. At the same time, she said she has started using the application as a search engine because it is more convenient than Google and Instagram. “They know what I want to see. I really don’t have to search anymore.”

Johnson, a digital marketer, added that she especially appreciates TikTok for finding places to visit and experiences to try. She said her parents regularly scroll through Google’s search results pages, while she only needs to scroll through a few short videos to get the same results in seconds.

Share the news now

Source : Genk