Is TikTok a search engine?

TikTok is a short-form, video-sharing app that allows users to share 15-second videos on any topic. When it first made its appearance in 2018, very few people could have predicted the major influence it has today. 

This app currently has one billion active users. Although TikTok is associated with dancing trends and trendy references, many businesses are using TikTok and have started to achieve amazing results. Just look at Duolingo and Auntie Anne’s TikTok accounts, to name a few.

TikTok’s popularity is so huge that in 2021 it became the most visited and used social media platform. It even surpassed Google, which usually held the top spot for the most visited site. Besides entertainment purposes, many people are using this app to conduct searches.

Now the question that many users have is TikTok a search engine? Our digital marketing agency Omaha team wants to break it down and how you can optimize your TikTok videos for search.

What is a search engine?

Before we get started, you need to know what a search engine is? A search engine is a website that allows Internet users to do searches online. How it works is users enter keywords or terms into search engines, and then they receive content, images, videos and other online data. 

Some of the top search engines that Internet users are using right now are: 

Google, with 4.3 billion users

Bing, with 126 billion users

Yahoo, with 223 million users

DuckDuckGo, with 80 million users

Is TikTok a search engine? 

If you have ever used TikTok and gone to the search bar, you may have noticed that the app offers suggestions. For example, if you type in “chicken”, you get a few suggestions like “chicken recipes” or “chicken dinner recipes.” This raises the question: is TikTok considered a search engine?

Although it may not officially be one, it could be. The reason is that many people are already using it like one. They are opening the app and searching the app for information they need, like recipes, how-tos, or their next purchase.

The reason why people are turning to TikTok to find information is that people have short attention spans and are visual learners. Some counter-arguments about why TikTok cannot be a search engine because of its lack of reliability. People are more likely to trust Google rather than TikTok.

How to optimize your business’s TikTok for search

Search engines are taking notice of the major popularity of TikTok and now showing TikTok videos on search engine page results. So whether TikTok becomes a search engine or not, it is still very beneficial for companies to optimize their TikTok videos for searches, especially for e-commerce. There is a lot of potential for TikTok to become the future of social e-commerce. 

Our digital marketing agency Omaha experts want to share these ways to make sure your TikTok videos show up on search results:

Add a title to your video

Write a caption that includes keywords

Create a hashtag strategy

Add location 

Let the best digital marketing agency Omaha team handle your social media and SEO! 

Our team of digital marketing experts takes the guesswork out of digital marketing strategies. We use technical and cutting-edge marketing strategies that help a company increase its organic ranking in search engines over time and target its audience through social media platforms. Contact us to learn more today!