The Rationale Behind Gen Z Search Behaviour

By Robbie Ashton 

Across 2024, we were bombarded with articles heralding the end of Google, with Gen Z treating social media platforms as their new search engines. 

The statistics behind these articles have been widely misreported, and the data behind them is often misunderstood. I won’t dig too deeply into that here, especially as Thomas Haynes has a far more eloquent summary in his LinkedIn post – explaining that TikTok isn’t overtaking Google, but a number of people, specifically younger generations, are using TikTok as a search engine. 

The way Gen Z search is different. While Google is not about to topple (despite its global search engine share falling below 90% for the first time in almost a decade, though this is still an overwhelming majority), research suggests 1 in 10 Gen Zers are more likely to rely on TikTok than Google.

And, when we consider the rationale behind this, it actually makes a good deal of sense. 

 

The Difference Between Google and TikTok

The last time you needed to find a definition for a new word, did you open a dictionary to search for it? I’ll take a wild guess and say no. So when we’re looking for something, why is it our default to search on Google?

Of course, Google is not a dictionary, and has an algorithm that is constantly and intricately tailored to serving you the content that will best match your search, which is fairly different (and a lot less time consuming) to manually searching through a dictionary. 

But, the point is one of capacity; people envisage Google as a search engine that returns a list of results, which it does, but 75% of people never scroll past the first page, and positions 8-10 have a functionally identical click-through rate (CTR). So, in reality, we’re no more inclined to process a list of results than flip through the pages of a dictionary.

What makes TikTok the go-to platform for Gen Z users is its ability to produce authentic and relatable search results without the need to filter through hundreds of thousands of generic ones. 

TikTok is a video and image platform where users can connect with influencers that represent their interests, cultural nuances and reflect their identity. Gen Z feels deeply connected to influencers – they often share interests and cultural affinities and often reflect their identity to an extent. 

When Gen Z uses TikTok as a search platform, they have a directory of influencers they already trust and whose content likely answers their search query. Searching for a good restaurant to try in Shoreditch? Where are the best burgers in London? Local foodies have been publishing content with the exact answers. Even better, they’ve taken their audience with them, offering an authentic look into their experience. 

 

What Does This Mean for Businesses and Marketers? 

As the lines between social platforms and search engines continue to blur, it’s important for brands to understand how to ensure their content is meeting the target audience where they’re at. 

The priority for marketers is to create authentic content, jumping on trends where relevant to their audience. TikTok is all about influencers and user-generated content, so make it feel as authentic and natural as possible. There’s also a great opportunity for brands to engage with their audience – whether that’s through replying to comments or resharing user-generated content. 

We asked Neil Baker, Tug Agency’s Head of Paid Media, for a few tips:

“Don’t underestimate your audience! When you’re marketing to them, remember you’re the one approaching them, on their platform,” he says.

“Make sure you’ve carefully considered why you’re on that platform, what you’re trying to say and make sure your creative is the holy trinity of rights; right for your brand, right for your platform, and right for your audience.”

The biggest factor for marketers to consider in this ever-changing landscape is to ensure that your channel strategy takes into account what your audience is on that platform for and how you can use this to present your message in a way that resonates with them, otherwise you’ll stand out like a video in a dictionary. 

Want to learn more about engaging with Gen Z audiences in 2025? Register for our webinar on February 26th, with practical tips from Snapchat and Thorpe Park.