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For years, Google and Bing dominated paid search results. Brands have spent most of their time focused PPC budgets for these two search titans.
However, the search landscape is rapidly evolving. Platforms like TikTok, Pinterest, YouTube, Reddit and Instagram offer exciting new opportunities for savvy advertisers looking to expand their reach.
These alternative platforms are packed with engaged users who are actively searching for products, inspiration and information. Each also allows targeting options using keywords, interests and more. This allows you to expose your brand and products to a vast new audience beyond just Google and Bing.
This article explores how you can leverage these additional search platforms to complement your existing PPC efforts and connect with customers across more touchpoints in their journey.
Redefining search advertising: Other platforms to explore
Search advertising is the act of placing advertisements in search engines when a user searches for a particular product or service. With this in mind, any platform with a ‘search bar’ could deliver potential as part of a search advertising strategy.
This helps us redefine platforms that we don’t typically associate with search advertising. Let’s take a look at the platforms that I think have the most potential to support and complement your search advertising in a traditional way.
Dig deeper: Analysis of the search universe: a deep dive
TikTok
Known by most as a social media platform, TikTok has taken huge steps to disrupt Google’s search dominance.
The platform has created a gap in the market by offering e-commerce brands the most potential TikTok store. It is currently being positioned as a disruptor, as shown in a study by Adobe 41% of people surveyed who have used it as such.
TikTok’s growth as a search engine is tied to a surge in usage by Generation Z, but its user demographics have grown, creating new opportunities for brands.
There are many reasons why users are attracted to TikTok as a search engine, including:
- Short video content, making information more digestible.
- Personalized content experience.
- Higher user reviews for products.
- User Generated Content (UGC), making the content more recognizable.
To further position itself as a search engine, TikTok has released a search volume tool, TikTok Keyword Insightsto help businesses understand popular keywords within their platform content.
From inspiration to impulse purchases, TikTok Shop offers the most potential profits for ecommerce businesses on the platform. TikTok was the the second largest social media platform for purchasingbehind only Instagram in 2023, according to Statista.
Dig deeper: Is TikTok a search engine? Why satisfying searchers’ needs is more important than semantics
Pinterest is a social and search platform. Users go to Pinterest to find inspiration through searches and recommended content.
From an advertising perspective, brands can benefit from keyword targeting. Those familiar with Google Ads will know these as the building blocks of search advertising.
Like Google Ads, Pinterest lets you choose match types, including negative keywords. But unlike Google, Pinterest search types still work as their name suggests.
While Pinterest focuses on user searches, advertisers should keep in mind that while Pinterest is higher in the purchase funnel, it can be used effectively as part of a multi-touchpoint strategy.
Dig deeper: 8 new and updated Pinterest products for advertisers
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YouTube
YouTube is the second largest search engine, after its sister engine, Google.
While Google is typically used to find products or services, YouTube is more often used for inspiration, information and education.
YouTube’s billions of views provide advertisers with a huge opportunity to influence users at various points in their purchasing decisions. You can create the initial need and support post-purchase campaigns to build retention.
YouTube ads can be targeted based on interests, demographics and keywords.
Dig deeper: YouTube Ads: The Ultimate Guide
Users take to Reddit to express their opinions and seek advice from individuals and communities with experience in a particular field.
This often includes product reviews and suggestions, which provides the opportunity to reach an already engaged audience.
The caveat is that you want to ensure that the community is positively engaged with your product or service. You also want to check to see if an active community is talking and sharing about your product or service.
In Reddit you can target specific communities, but in true search engine fashion, you can also target based on keywords.
Dig deeper: 5 Essential Reddit Ads Tactics for B2B Marketers
As TikTok gains popularity as a search engine, Instagram is repositioning itself as an alternative, which is evident from its recent advertising campaign.
Instagram’s ad targeting options match Facebook and other metaplatforms.
Nevertheless, there is an opportunity to optimize your organic Instagram posts for better visibility in search results and to improve ad delivery within search results and Discovery pages.
Dig deeper: Instagram ad formats: best practices for effective creative
How to incorporate more search engines into your PPC strategy
Changes in consumer behavior create opportunities for companies to innovate in responding to user searches. This includes integrating creative visuals to more effectively engage and inform potential customers.
To understand which platforms will benefit your business, consider the following:
- Your sector.
- Where you have an active community.
- How they might respond to seeing your brand in any environment.
Tools like KeywordTool and Glimpse provide insights into search volumes, helping you understand search intent and trends within each platform.
Glimpse works as an add-on to Google Trends.
Adapt your creative to each platform environment and user intent, and start each activity with a testing budget. Develop a comprehensive measurement plan so you can determine what success on each platform might look like.
By expanding your search ads across multiple platforms, you expand your audience reach, increase engagement with existing audiences, and increase brand awareness and recognition, ultimately creating more demand for your product or service.
Dig deeper: How to optimize your social media pages for search
The opinions expressed in this article are those of the guest author and not necessarily those of Search Engine Land. Staff authors are credited here.
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