So, you’re hungry. You want to find a restaurant near you with great burgers. Most of us might think to switch on our phone’s location settings, pop into Google Maps, and type in “best burger places near me” – sounds pretty standard, right? Well, gone are the days of relying solely on Google Search or Maps to help us find the best sushi or closest Target near you. Social platforms like TikTok and Instagram are now sharing the spotlight when it comes to search options, specifically with Generation Z.

Internal Google data shows that nearly 40% of Gen Z prefers using TikTok and Instagram’s search functions over Google. This trend is primarily due to TikTok’s powerful algorithm, which personalizes videos to individuals based on previous content interactions. Additionally, a TikTok search experience is typically far more interactive than a Google Search experience, allowing for immersive video viewing and research via comments made by real people. This situation essentially means that, with the proper use of influencers, hashtags, and organic and paid social advertising, your brand can capitalize on this massive shift in search behavior. And this isn’t just limited to restaurants and stores, it can be expanded to several verticals, including finance, retail, fitness, and more.

One way to capitalize on this trend as a marketer is to have your Google and paid social strategies intertwined – ensure you’re applying the same keyword research to both creative strategies. Expand that keyword usage into influencer partnerships – instead of providing your influencer partner with a script to promote your brand, just make sure they’re using certain keywords or hashtags that support your search data. This same strategy can be applied to your organic TikTok and Instagram videos. That way, when these keywords are searched, your content will appear more often in TikTok and Instagram.

While TikTok does appear to be entering Google’s domain, that doesn’t mean the two can’t work together, so embrace the digital search behaviors and become a powerhouse marketing tool.