TikTok competes with Google in the field of advertising
TikTok is taking a new step in its search ambitions by allowing advertisers to target the search results page, after building its search product over the past few years to take on Google.
The platform announced the launch of Search Ads Campaign , a new keyword-based search solution that allows brands to appear in search results.
The platform's search results page includes ads, although brands now have full control over how their content appears on the page.
Given TikTok's influence on users' shopping behavior, it makes sense for the platform to give brands a way to reach consumers while they're actively searching for something.
The launch is a challenge to Google's search advertising business, especially given that the search giant has acknowledged that younger users are turning to social media apps for searches rather than its search engine.
TikTok's research shows that more people are using its app as a search engine, with the platform saying that up to 57 percent of its users use the search function and up to 23 percent of users search for something within 30 seconds of opening the app.
With this new capability, brands can reach users when they are actively exploring content and searching for something specific, the platform says.
Brands can align their ads with the different search behaviors of TikTok users to increase the impact of their ads.
Based on its testing, TikTok found that advertisers who run search ads in addition to feed ads see a 20 percent increase in conversions on average.
The platform also found that search ads provide a greater opportunity for conversion than feed ads.
“TikTok has become a place of discovery and a place where users come to search,” said David Kaufman, TikTok’s head of global monetization products and solutions.
“We’re excited to introduce a new way for advertisers to tap into TikTok’s multifaceted search behaviors, where users discover content both intentionally and by accident,” he added.
The platform is now rolling out its Search Ads campaign in the US, with testing in other markets.