Google has always taken the lead when it comes to search engines. However while TikTok's making its mark in the social media field, is TikTok being used as a search engine?
A recent poll on LinkedIn by Annie-Mai Hodge generated an interesting outcome, 698 people answered the question Do you use TikTok as a search engine? 56% said yes and 36% said no. While it’s obvious users won’t be using TikTok for factual evidence, Google is losing popularity with more generalised searches. In fact, TikTok offers a more pleasurable experience with videos and users’ personal reviews. Is it because it’s more trustworthy?
This may sound unusual, but think about it, when you’re looking for things to do, or any sort of support, TikTok offers videos explaining everything from low-cost meals, personal training and even support for your business. Again the 1 billion users create content for so many genres there’s so much information!
How do we navigate through so much information & how do we make it work for us?
TikTok’s Algorithm has made quite an impression! It's a system that targets content to your niche.
This is usually based on:
• The time you spend looking at each video
• The keywords you type in in the search engine
• The type of content you create yourself.
Lets look at an example of using TikTok as a search engine:
If you're curious about investing in cryptocurrency, simply search it and bam users have access to top tips in a simple video. In fact TikTok may have revolutionised the concept of a search engine. With the algorithm constantly monitoring users activity, TikTok is targeting content you may in fact be searching for. If you are spending more time on fashion content, the for-your-page will then target more fashion based content. This algorithm also works based on: which creators you have ‘hidden’, which accounts you follow, videos marked as ‘not interested’ or videos you favourited. This way of using TikTok can make your experience more personalized and time-efficient.
How to appear at the top of searches:
Creating videos popular in your niche or using sounds and hashtags that have gone viral can put you on the TikTok train to success.
One of the best ways to go about this is to:
- Look up the most viral videos for your chosen category
- Create similar content with your own original tone (all viral videos share the aspect of originality)
- Use the most popular sounds circulating on the TikTok charts
- Finally hashtag it with relevant hashtags
This is the way to put yourself on the ‘radar’ of people looking at videos in your niche. It means that a lot of people will turn to TikTok to find out how to fix a bug on their phone, change a tire, edit a photo in Photoshop or how to make a cake. Use your account to help people, answer the most commonly asked questions in your niche and build a relationship with them, as they are, very likely, your future customers.
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