When thinking about online searches, what strikes first? Google or TikTok? If your answer is the former, you may be lagging behind contemporary developments. While you’re enhancing your content for Google, almost 40% of the younger generation is relying on social media to seek out information. Should this have an effect on your content strategy? Additionally, is this just a fleeting fad, or are social media platforms truly replacing traditional search engines?
Appeal Of Social Media As a Search Engine
In the midst of the chaotic internet, the younger generation (especially Gen Z) resorts to social media to conveniently discover the desired information. And what exactly do they seek? Authentic content. They crave videos produced by authentic individuals who narrate their personal encounters with a particular topic, product, or service.
However, the younger generation is also fond of concise material. TikTok and Instagram have restrictions on the duration of videos, resulting in more pertinent information in a brief period. Consider this: would you opt to scan through an extensive text wall of Google search results or view a video that is less than a minute long? The latter is certainly more productive.
Importance Of Social Media
In order to respond to this inquiry, we must consider certain facts. Let’s commence with the most evident one: what is the number of individuals who use social media? Roughly 56% of the global population utilizes it. This represents a little more than half of the population. The typical individual dedicates 2 hours and 25 minutes daily to social media. Therefore, it is undeniable that there are advantages to having a presence on social media as a business. Nevertheless, when compared to the astonishing 6 hours and 37 minutes that people spend on the internet, one might assume that social media is less valuable than having a website and optimizing it for search engines.
Social Media Is Not All About Sales
Social media is not just about revenue. Studies have revealed that the perception of a brand has become progressively crucial to customers. In the year 2022, customers indicated that they would be willing to spend extra money to buy from a brand that they have faith in, and what more effective approach to cultivate that trust than by utilizing TikTok or Instagram, a platform that necessitates enterprises to promote the individuals behind their organizations? Hence, even though social media may not be your primary platform, it can undoubtedly be a great one to create a favorable impact on your target audience.
Search Engines Are More than Just Search Engines
Is it not surprising that social media is gaining more popularity as a search engine while Google has transformed into a social network? Google has undergone significant changes in its functioning in recent years. One of the major changes was the shift from text-based results to visual results. Nowadays, when you search on Google, you get to see more visual results including videos, images, and reviews with photos attached. Instead of displaying monotonous text-based search results, Google now provides you with authentic and visually appealing results. This transformation by Google begs the question: if Google considers social media as a significant threat and has altered its functioning accordingly, should you not do the same?
Therefore, it is very obvious that SEO cannot bypass social media in the SEO optimization plan. If you are looking for further help with social media SEO Bournemouth, do reach out to Outrank.co.uk.