Picture this, your next adventure away is on the horizon and you’ve had no time to plan. Where would you go to find the best restaurants, activities and hidden gems?
Increasingly, more and more people are finding their answers on TikTok. This change is being mainly by Gen-Z, where EMarketer report that 74% of Gen-Z internet users use TikTok for search and 51% favour it over Google.
But is this trend going beyond Gen-Z? Below, we look into how Search behaviour for travel inspiration has changed over time.
How did we do this?
We took two terms (holiday and day out in London) and input them into Google Trends and TikTok Creative Centre. You can’t search for keywords specifically on TikTok, so in this instance, we used #holiday and #londondayout to see how the search volume has changed over time.
Neither platforms provide a search volume figure, but instead uses a ranking system. The day with the most searches scores 100, and the least scores zero. As well as this, we looked at the performance over a three-year time period.
What did we find?
In the graphs above, the red line shows how #holiday has trended on TikTok, and the blue line shows how ‘holiday’ searches have trended on Google.
The data shows that interest typically peaks over summer on both platforms, which is to be expected. Search volume is down on both platforms in 2021 vs 2022, 2023 and 2024, which we can assume is down to restrictions and caution surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic.
The interesting reading here is that whilst the trendlines on both platforms are broadly similar, we see a growing peak on TikTok and a decreasing peak on Google, showing how people are flocking to TikTok with the #holiday hashtag.
The audience insights show that the bulk of Search is being led by Gen-Z and looking at the data in the past year vs past three years, the proportional split hasn’t changed.
This shows that an increased number of users in both Gen-Z and older are using the platform for search, given the interest over time has peaked this year.
We know that holidays are seasonal, but London has great things to do all-year round. How do the trends look with a non-seasonal search? Let’s look at ‘Days Out In London’…
The graphs above show more pronounced trends than before. You can see how the search volume on TikTok has grown exponentially in the past three years, peaking this year. On Google, the search volumes peaked way back in 2021.
Even though the trendline regression on Google is less exaggerated overall than with the ‘Holiday’ search, there is a clearer difference in how the data reads in 2024. You can see overall that this is at it’s lowest on Google, and highest on TikTok.
Similarly to #holiday, #londondayout is primarily searched and viewed by Gen-Z. The proportional split again hasn’t changed in the past three years vs the past year, so again more people from each demographic are coming to TikTok for inspiration.
How do we relate this to TikTok content?
Just as you optimise your website content, you can use strategic techniques to enhance visibility of your TikTok videos. By integrating keywords and analysing performance, your videos can gain more exposure on TikTok and appear in search engine results like Google.
Keyword Research
You can use TikTok’s keyword tool to search for trending keywords and use Google’s Keyword Planner tool to search for semantic keywords. Semantic keywords help you target a broader audience, because not everybody searches the same way. Look at monthly search volumes and use Google Trends to analyse when search trends for travel related keywords are at peak.
Incorporate these keywords into your video captions, descriptions, and hashtags to improve your visibility.
Powerful Thumbnails and Titles
Create eye-catching thumbnails and captivating titles that entice users to click and view your TikTok videos. Optimise these elements by including relevant keywords while maintaining a clear and concise message.
Cross-Platform Promotion
Share your TikTok videos across various social media platforms, your website, and blog. Embedding TikTok videos on relevant web pages can boost engagement, drive traffic, and provide Google with additional content to crawl and index.
Why Google Search & TikTok need to be treated as friends and not enemies
Integrating TikTok into your SEO strategies can really help enhance your reach and online visibility. By using the above tips around keyword research and optimisations, you can use TikTok to boost your Google search rankings and drive brand awareness which in return means more traffic.
Remember that Google also serves TikTok Video content on its results pages for certain queries, so it is important to consider SEO analysis to reach a wider audience.
Here’s some tips on how to enhance your visibility on Google Search through Tiktok:
- Research, research & research: look at the intent behind the keywords, are searchers trying to find more information about a specific location (informational intent) or is there intent to compare two travel locations before they make a decision (commercial)? This will help structure your TikTok content accordingly
- Experiment with your content: Your keyword research and Google SERPs analysis will help inform types of content you can create. Keep testing different keywords and strategies to test what works best for your account
- Consistency is key: Are you being consistent on your TikTok, your website and other channels? Sounds like lots of work! But being consistent digitally will drive better awareness and conversions too!
What can you do next?
We would love the opportunity to discuss our TikTok services with you, please get in touch using the contact us button below and a member of our team will be in touch to discuss your brand’s objectives in more detail.