WARC Study Reveals TikTok’s Growing Search Dominance
A comprehensive study by WARC of over 1,000 U.S. consumers found that TikTok search now rivals Google for younger audiences when it comes to product discovery. The research shows TikTok users increasingly rely on the platform’s search function for product insights, particularly in beauty, fashion, entertainment, and recipes.
The study data indicates that TikTok search even outperforms AI search tools for discovery purposes among younger demographics, highlighting the platform’s unique position in the search landscape.
Enterprise Advertisers See Even Greater Returns
For enterprise-level advertisers, the impact becomes even more pronounced. TikTok campaigns incorporating dedicated search elements achieved a 2.2x purchase lift compared to standard campaigns. Enterprise retail specifically saw a 1.9x purchase lift, along with notably higher incremental return on ad spend (ROAS).
These performance metrics suggest that TikTok Search Ads could be particularly valuable for holiday marketing strategies, offering brands a direct way to connect with consumers actively seeking product information.
The growing search activity on TikTok presents a significant opportunity for marketers to reach audiences at the moment they’re researching purchases, making Search Ads an increasingly important component of social media marketing strategies.