In 2024 we wrote here that social networks were turning into search engines, and asked whether social search would overtake Google Search. Two years on, the answer is more nuanced than the headlines of the time suggested, ours included. People search on TikTok, Instagram and YouTube more often, but they haven’t left Google. They search in several places, depending on what they want to know.
- More searching on TikTok. 49% of US consumers used it as a search engine in 2026, up from 41% in 2024.
- Google still comes first. 89% of Gen Z still prefer it, and only 4% would rely on TikTok instead.
- Each place has its own questions. On social, people look for tutorials, reviews and personal stories. For everything else, Google and AI assistants come first.
01What the 2026 data shows
The most quoted study on the subject is Adobe Express’s, first run in 2024. The February 2026 edition asked 807 US consumers how they look for information.
The growth is real: 49% say they have used TikTok as a search engine, up from 41% in 2024. The other half of the study gets quoted less: only 4% of Gen Z would rely on TikTok rather than Google, down from 8% in 2024, and 89% still prefer Google. The full study is on the Adobe Express blog.
In other words, people use TikTok to search, but they don’t treat it as a replacement. Only a quarter of Gen Z say TikTok actually helped them find what they were looking for. The study is US-based, so the percentages don’t carry over automatically to other markets, but the pattern is useful.
People haven’t switched search engines. They’ve changed the question they ask each place.
02What people search for on social, and what on Google
Adobe’s respondents said what content they look for on TikTok:
- Video tutorials
- 61%
- Product reviews
- 45%
- Personal stories
- 41%
- Influencer recommendations
- 33%
These are questions a person on camera answers better than a page: what the product looks like in use, whether it’s worth the money, how to do something step by step. For opening hours, an address, an exact price or a technical comparison, people still go to Google or the brand’s website.
The illustration comes from a 2023 Slate article on the future of search.
For brands, this changes how content gets planned. A site optimised for Google plus social accounts “for awareness” is no longer enough. The questions customers ask about your product need answers in both places, in the format that suits each.
03Meanwhile, Google started answering on its own
The bigger change of the last two years didn’t come from TikTok but from Google itself. AI-generated summaries now sit above the results, and people click less.
Pew Research Center analysed almost 69,000 searches made by 900 US adults in March 2025. And assistants like ChatGPT have become one more way in: 14% of the consumers in the Adobe study say they would rely on ChatGPT rather than Google.
We wrote more about what this means for a brand’s visibility in What are 100,000 views worth?
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04SEO on TikTok, in short
If people look for you on TikTok too, your content has to be findable there. The platform reads the words in:
- The post text. The caption you write.
- Subtitles and on-screen text. Everything written in the video.
- What is said in the video. Speech, voice-over included, is transcribed.
- Hashtags. Used sparingly.
To see what people are searching for and watching right now, TikTok Creative Center shows rising hashtags, sounds and creators, filtered by country and industry. And the suggestions in TikTok’s search bar show you the long phrases people actually type.
The screenshot comes from AdAge’s article on TikTok search ads.
05What’s worth doing now
- Collect your customers’ real questions. Gather them from sales, customer care and the comments, and answer them in short videos.
- Use the words someone would search for. Say them and write them on screen, not just the campaign line.
- Keep the website for what people look up on Google. Prices, specs, comparisons, contact.
- Track how your brand shows up in AI answers. Not just your position on Google.
06Frequently asked questions
What is social search?
Social search means looking for information directly on social networks such as TikTok, YouTube or Instagram instead of a classic search engine. People use it mostly for video tutorials, product reviews and personal stories.
How many people use TikTok as a search engine in 2026?
According to Adobe Express’s February 2026 survey of 807 US consumers, 49% have used TikTok as a search engine. In 2024 the figure was 41%.
Is TikTok replacing Google search?
No. In the same survey, 89% of Gen Z still prefer Google and only 4% would rely on TikTok instead, down from 8% in 2024. More consumers, 14%, would rely on ChatGPT.
How do you optimise content for TikTok search?
TikTok reads the post text, captions and on-screen text, what is said in the video and the hashtags. Use the exact words someone would search for and answer your customers’ real questions in short videos.
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