TikTok, a social media platform for creating and sharing short videos, has gained significant popularity in recent years and has garnered millions of people to use it.

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Most recently, Tiktok is reportedly expanding its offerings by entering the search ad market, which puts it in direct competition with tech giants Google and Microsoft, which have long dominated this market.

As reported by Business Insider, several advertising agency sources said that Tiktok is preparing to launch Search Ads very soon.
TikTok is known to have been beta testing Search Ads since March of last year, where it becomes another way to reach Tiktok viewers through the search terms they use.

According to Brendan Gahan, partner and chief social officer at ad agency Mekanism, Tiktok is taking their Search Ads, and they will be able to generate a whole new ad revenue stream.

Tiktok’s plan to launch Search Ads, which is currently still in closed beta more broadly, can be an excellent opportunity for Google Ads Specialist for the following reasons:

1. Gen Z uses Tiktok as a search engine

It is undeniable that Tiktok’s user base, which mainly consists of Gen Z and millennial users, is undoubtedly more challenging to reach through traditional advertising channels. This is evident from research released in July 2022, which showed that nearly 40% of consumers between 18 and 24 prefer Tiktok and Instagram to access information rather than Google Maps or Search.

2. Marketing Budgets Are Shifted to Tiktok

The rising costs of digital advertising and the fact that people are exploring new ways to search outside of Google undeniably drive advertisers to diversify their marketing budgets from Google to TikTok.

3 Most marketing teams are still working in silos and not optimizing holistically.

However, behind the high potential of Tiktok Search Ads in the future for Ads Specialist, there is one big problem facing the Tiktok Search Ads expansion plan where Tiktok media buyers do not have sufficient PPC experience. At the same time, PCCers lack experience with the Tiktok platform itself.

Even so, you don’t need to worry, considering that several solutions can be applied to overcome this problem, including:

Collaborate with your TikTok media colleagues.
Leverage their experience and knowledge of creatives
Use search term data from Google to target ads on TikTok.
Use search term data from TikTok to target ads on Google.
Analyze the differences in search term data from both platforms
Adapt based on the channel (what works on Google may not work on TikTok).

Our team is currently requesting access to TikTok Search Ads with one client. As soon as we have it, we will share exciting learnings with all of you.

So what do you think about Tiktok expanding into the search advertising market? Will it compete with Google, or will it fail and eventually disappear?