We’re slowly seeing the migration from the Internet age to the Social Media age, with increasing reliance on platforms like TikTok, Facebook, and Instagram as the primary information source for Gen Z consumers. Thanks to content creators spanning the full spectrum of human activity, social media platforms are sources of inspiration, information, and consumerism. Infotainment blurs the lines between education and entertainment, and social media dominates the search landscape for this kind of content. With the evolution of social media, we can expect to see some key changes in search and SEO in the coming years. Here’s what we’re seeing and how you can get ahead of the curve!
Customer Service Delivered to your DMs
Let’s be honest, picking up the phone to deal with a customer service query feels really…outdated. From the “blast-from-the-past” jingle, to the ensuing panic based on the fact that none of the voice prompts actually match your query, down to the frustration of being placed on hold, indefinitely. In fact, the whole process feels very counterintuitive and not at all like a service is being rendered. What we do know for sure is that a company that posts daily, and interacts with comments, is far more likely to have a dedicated person behind the phone, managing the brand. And so, the logical thought here is, “Wouldn’t it be easier just to send a DM?” The research seems to think so. 29% of Gen Z and Millennial customers prefer using social media searches over traditional search engines like Google. This isn’t surprising, considering this is the same demographic driving online purchases.
X, formerly Twitter, has an interesting use case in this regard, where companies and brands are able to use their public-facing tweets, comments, and reposts to boost their public profile, particularly as it pertains to managing queries and complaints. Additionally, the Direct Messaging function allows them to handle customer service requirements privately, especially when private and personal information is needed to fulfil requests. Regardless of the platform, direct messages are also seen as a far more efficient way to resolve queries. Unlike emails and telephone calls, direct messages are less formal, and require less time from the customer. The informal nature can also lend itself quite nicely to a display of personality, through GIFs and/or memes.
According to Hubspot’s UK and Ireland Marketing Director, Julie Lock, “The future of marketing is no longer about interrupting what people are interested in; it’s about being what people are interested in.” And it’s more important than ever for organizations to truly understand where their customers are and adapt their engagement strategies to meet them on their preferred channels, as attracting and retaining key audiences will ultimately grow their business.”
Social Media Search is Driven by Younger Consumers
While X makes a great case for businesses looking to resolve queries, it’s really TikTok leading the charge for online searches among social media platforms. Statistics show that 55% of businesses look to TikTok when considering growth potential, in stark comparison to the 8% who opt for Instagram. The TikTok-as-a search-engine trend is strongly driven by a younger demographic, particularly Gen Z. In just eight years, TikTok has become the preferred search platform for 74% of Gen Z users because they enjoy the video format, the relatable answers, and the personalized results. Users are able to find everything from recipes and book recommendations to educational and makeup tutorials. Naturally, when discussing the topic of search engines, SEO comes up too.
The Impact of Social Media on SEO
Internet users increasingly turn to social media platforms for search; wedding vendors are found on Pinterest, local restaurant recommendations come from Yelp, and YouTube is the go-to platform for how-to tutorials. But none of these platforms have enjoyed the success of TikTok as a social media search engine.
With these sites and platforms churning out search results, we’re all curious about the impact this will have on search engine optimization. While social media isn’t a factor that affects ranking, marketers can already start to implement SEO strategies in video content. This means that while their results on search engine result pages won’t be positively impacted by keyword use on TikTok, they will be making their content visible to the early adopters using social media as a search engine. It’s also a really smart move for future-proofing your content; in the not-so-distant future, when we see the merge of social media and traditional search engines, all the ‘old’ content will already be SEO-aligned, giving your brand a competitive edge.
This is an area where TikTok once again seems to be ahead of its time. They’ve increased the capacity for creators to incorporate SEO into their content by increasing the length of video descriptions, which provides creators with more space for keywords. There are also ample opportunities to include keywords across the platform, including, username, bio, hashtags, captions, and in-video text. As a video-first platform, keywords are also taken into consideration based on what’s actually said in a video, and the actual content is also used to generate search results. In a number of ways, TikTok is gearing up to be a social media search engine, and with a bit of foresight, marketers can get ahead of the curve.
How Social Media Impacts Google
Throughout this article, we’ve talked about “traditional search engines” in an effort to really set the scene for what the future looks like. But the reality is Google still ranks (pun wholly intended) as the number one search engine, and social media platforms have a long way to go. However, two things can be true at once, and it’s also an accurate assertion that Google’s relevance is waning among younger users. What Vine couldn’t do (usher in the age of short-form video) has been successfully accomplished by TikTok. Short-form video is ubiquitous, and everyone wants in. From YouTube Shorts to Instagram Reels, and now even Google Web Stories. The next wave is here, and it’s impacting how we want information relayed to us.
Conclusion
We’re undoubtedly living in an era where change begets change. The Internet changed our lives, social media changed our interpersonal interactions, and now, new-age platforms are changing our Internet interactions! We get our news on X, we scope out decor on Pinterest, and learn new skills on YouTube. It’s not far-fetched to imagine a future where Google is relegated to the same existence as MySpace, and the first port of call for search is TikTok. For marketers looking to hop on as early adopters, incorporating SEO strategies into social media content is a great way to prepare for what’s to come.
