New generations always teach their predecessors new ways of using technology. A couple of years ago, some search engine optimization experts discovered that a lot of kids weren’t using regular Google searches, they were doing it directly on Google Images. Now, a new threat hangs over Google, as some directors of the California company assure that the youngest do not leave TikTok to search for information .
A lot of text: the youngest already go from searching on Google
TikTok is being a tough competitor for Instagram, and even an alternative that is eating more and more ground on YouTube. A few months ago, the first statistics began to be seen that ensured that the Chinese social network was beginning to gel with an increasingly adult audience, this being worrying for a leading company in its sector such as YouTube. However, those from Mountain View certainly did not expect that this social network could also end its reign of more than 20 years in the search engine market .
According to internal Google data revealed to TechCrunch , nearly 40% of Gen Z prefer to search TikTok and Instagram over Google Search and Maps . A priori, this maneuver could be meaningless, but keep in mind that TikTok offers more and better features, so users who are used to this platform feel more comfortable using it than leaving it to search Google , where they will only see very unattractive text results .
Prabhakar Raghavan, senior vice president of Google, has commented with concern that 4 out of 10 young people do not use Google when they are in a city and go looking for a restaurant . An average user would first do a search on Google and then enter Maps, TripAdvisor or any other result that may be useful when discovering a place to eat or knowing in advance the type of service that is going to be found. Apparently, Generation Z prefers to stay on TikTok or Instagram to do this type of search.
A new challenge for lifelong seekers?
We have seen how TikTok turned Instagram’s plans upside down. But what we would never have imagined is that Google would end up also concerned about this new competition , because apparently, they are totally different services. This is not just a threat to the browser, but to the entire company . Services like Ads or Adsense depend completely on the Google search engine . A reduction in the percentage of searches on Google could cause the entire investment made in this company to cascade. And more, considering that TikTok already has its own ad system .
Apparently, Google is already working to make its search engine attractive to younger people again . These changes seem to be an evolution of what we already know with Google Lens . Those of Mountain View are thinking of giving a touch of fresh air to the search engine also using augmented reality that is so present in other Alphabet projects. However, recovering the attractiveness of the Google search engine will not be so simple. If there is a reason why this company has practically a monopoly on search engines, it is because of its power and its ability to solve the problems of its users. If TikTok – much more visual and easy to use – achieves the same end, the most famous search engine in the world will begin to be in trouble for the first time in its history.
