After months of rumors, TikTok finally announced its newest advertising tool that will take on Google and other search engine marketing tools. This month, the short-form video giant rolled out its long-awaited Search Ads Campaign tool which will help advertisers target their ads based on keywords that users are actively typing into the search bar at any given time. This rollout is currently U.S. only, with an expected global rollout in early 2025.
Up until now, the TikTok advertising model was fairly unique compared to other leading digital advertising channels; advertisers were unable to manually select specific keywords like they are used to doing. Instead, TikTok used its user behavior and relevance data to determine placement for you. The Search Ads Campaign feature will allow advertisers more control over how and when their ads will appear.
What This Means For Businesses
Don’t expect TikTok to take over Google’s search dominance overnight, or any time soon. TikTok is still a culture-led content discovery platform at its core. Users who gravitate towards TikTok want to be fed user-generated content. As the TikTok algorithm, platform features and advertising opportunities continue to rapidly evolve, one marketing principle remains true: video marketing is here to stay. Before considering spending advertising dollars on TikTok, businesses must first establish an organic content strategy for your brand on the platform.
Once you have an established TikTok presence, Search Ads Campaigns can help elevate your presence, increase your reach and get your ad content in front of highly-engaged target audiences. Your TikTok search ads should not replace your Google search ads. Google is still by far the most dominant search engine with over 8.5 billion searches per day around the world. It plays a vital role in the consumer journey and brings the most relevant purchase-ready consumers back to your website. TikTok, on the other hand, is best for brand awareness and discovery, as well as community building. Your paid search strategy (and budget) should blend the giant platforms together to create a seamless experience across multiple marketing channels that will drive your target audience through your sales funnel. Regular monitoring and analysis of your paid campaigns will help you take the guesswork out of allocating budgets in the future.
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