Google that on TikTok

?“It’s been well documented that TikTok is the go-to social app for Gen Z. However, a surprising?statistic?came out recently, showing that 40% of Gen Z users prefer using TikTok for search over Google”.

Let’s elaborate this paragraph to the most profound details until we discover what this is about.

Depending on our behavior as users, we know that:

Google is for search?- TikTok is for entertainment.

Google Inc. was officially born in August 1998 with a clear mission to organize the world’s information and make it universally accessible and useful. They now manage eight products with more than 1 billion users.

TikTok is a video-sharing social media app launched in 2017 as the international version of the popular Chinese platform Douyin, TikTok quickly rose to global popularity after the acquisition of Musical.ly in 2018. TikTok not only consolidated its global audience but also “increased its first-time installs by almost 400 percent year-over-year, reaching 740 million new users in 2021.

Years come and go, Internet traffic continues to grow (some with the help of other factors e.x pandemic). Internet applications, websites, and a lot of devices or mobile apps continue to evolve throughout the year, and depending on how they attract and interact with human beings is a fundamental functioning role.

Speaking about the other factors that can give a big push-up to any new innovation... let’s stop at the pandemic and the rise of TikTok that today is considered to be a threat to giants like Google, Facebook, and Instagram.

Back when the whole world was traumatized, people only had the technology to keep the company somehow. Collectively, nobody had no idea how to deal with this level of suffering - but at least they had access to social media, and often, in that space, people were more creative than anyone could have ever imagined.

Some intriguing statistics from Cloudfare brought us a very interesting duel for the number 1 spot in global ranking during?2020 - 2021 as the rise of TikTok went from #7 to #1.

Is it possible that younger audiences (especially Gen Z) prefers newborn platforms like TikTok instead of giants like Google for search purposes due to their high visual engagement..?

Let’s try to search for something on both sites and wear the hat of the judge.??

Colors, music, real people, high visuals, creativity...Honestly, which one do you think is more helpful?

(I highly recommend you try it yourself for a better experience).

TikTok algorithm?

With each video you watch, TikTok learns something about you. Within a few hours, it can detect your music tastes, sexual orientation, mental health, and sense of humor. So if you watch a video of a cute dog, TikTok will show you another pet video until you find yourself knee-deep three hours later in pet videos… ??

How does it hack your brain??

“When you’re scrolling… sometimes you see a video or something that’s delightful and it catches your attention,” Albright says. “And you get that little dopamine hit in the brain… in the pleasure center of the brain. So you want to keep scrolling.” — Digital Crack Cocaine: The Science Behind TikTok’s Success

Also, “Our brains are changing based on interactions with digital technologies and one of these is time compression,”. “Our attention spans are lowering.”

(You probably skipped some parts of this article too, right?) ??

With all these being said and done, what is Google’s take on this?

Google (like every other platform) understands the threat of audio-visual platforms like Tiktok. Although Google does not yet consider it a cause for concern, the company is attempting to introduce more engaging features to stay competitive.

?"Our goal with ‘Search’ is to provide people with the most relevant and useful information available. People have more ways to search for information than ever before—and increasingly this is happening outside the context of only a search engine”, Google explained in a blog post.

?In an attempt to attract younger users to its platforms, Google announced an immersive view for its ‘Google Maps’.

?“With our new immersive view, you’ll be able to experience what a neighborhood, landmark, restaurant, or popular venue is like—and even feel like you’re right there before you ever set foot inside. So whether you’re traveling somewhere new or scoping out hidden local gems, an immersive view will help you make the most informed decisions before you go”, says Google.

Personal Conclusions:

We can collectively agree on some points that maybe, just maybe, there are two or three statements for this situation:

- Google is a giant and it has been here for so long. Up to everything else, Google now is even a verb. Google’s competency is undeniable!

- Not everyone is using TikTok as a search engine, and the people who are using it are doing it for a specific search type. TikTok’s rise is undeniable!

As a TikTok fan, I found pleasure finding absorbing articles and facts about TikTok, and with great pleasure I worked my own article on this topic.

Let me know your thoughts and suggestions via:????

LinkedIn or Email

Thank You!