July 27, 2022
I just read something that kind of blew my mind.
And although I’ve suspected something like this for a while now, based on what’s happening in my own household, it still caught me a bit by surprise.
It seems younger people are going to TikTok first to search out information. Forget about Google (or Bing, or Alta Vista, or Ask Jeeves, or whatever else the oldsters are using); they go straight to TikTok. According to data shared by a Senior VP at Google, about 40% of young people use TikTok or Instagram instead of Google for search. But isn’t TikTok just filled with lots of silliness, dances, practical jokes, and assorted mayhem? Well, yes, but it’s also filled with information. And it’s information in a very visual format, which seems to be preferred by Generation Z.
I conferred with my resident expert (my 13-year-old daughter) to confirm.
“Yep,” she said. “it’s true.” It’s TikTok first, and then Google. And Pinterest is also in there somewhere as a source. And Instagram.
Wow. This will change the lens we look through when we're advising clients on SEO, social media, website building, etc.
Much to think about.
What do you think? Are we looking at a paradigm shift, or is it much ado about nothing? Please tell us your thoughts!
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