After developing its search tool over the past few years to compete with Google, TikTok is now taking its strategy even further. The platform will allow advertisers to direct their ad campaigns toward its search results page. On Tuesday, TikTok introduced the “TikTok Search Ads Campaign,” a new keyword-based advertising option that will enable brands to appear in the app’s search results.

Although TikTok’s search results already displayed ads, this new approach gives brands complete control over how they position their content on the page. Given TikTok’s ability to influence users’ purchasing decisions, it makes sense that the company offers brands the opportunity to connect with consumers at the exact moment they are actively seeking information.

This new development presents a direct challenge to Google’s search ad model, especially considering that the tech giant has acknowledged that many younger users now prefer to conduct their searches on social platforms like TikTok and Instagram instead of using Google.

TikTok has shared data supporting this trend, stating that 57% of its users utilize the search function, and 23% of them initiate a search within the first 30 seconds of opening the app.

With this new functionality, TikTok claims that brands will be able to reach users when they are actively searching for specific content. Companies will have the ability to tailor their ads based on users’ search behavior on TikTok, maximizing the impact of their ad campaigns.

In its tests, TikTok found that advertisers who combine search ads with feed ads saw a 20% average increase in conversions. Furthermore, they discovered that search ads tend to convert more than feed ads: 18% of users who don’t interact with an ad in the feed end up engaging with it after seeing it in the search results.

David Kaufman, TikTok’s Global Head of Product Monetization and Solutions, stated in a blog post: “TikTok has become a destination for discovery and a platform users turn to for search. We are excited to offer advertisers a new way to tap into the multifaceted search behaviors on TikTok, where highly motivated users discover content both intentionally and serendipitously. This is just the beginning of our journey with search ads, and we are eager to learn, grow, and advance alongside our community to help advertisers find incremental value.”

By: Nestor Castillo, ForAllTechNews Director