TikTok Will Start Showing Ads in Search Results
People on TikTok searching for specific videos in the app will now find sponsored content embedded in their search results.
In an announcement today, the company unveiled the ability for advertisers to place ads alongside organic content that appears in-app searches. By clicking on an ad, users can seamlessly scroll through search results, which are presented in a feed-like format. These ads come from other videos that the brand is actively promoting on the platform.
These ads are provided with a semi-transparent “Sponsored” label on the video thumbnail, which clearly indicates their advertising nature. This is what they will look like.
A screenshot showing a TikTok search results page for “my product” with a video thumbnail. A featured video is a My Product ad with a sponsored tag.
Similar to ads that are already embedded as videos in organic content in users’ For You feeds, these search ads are labeled sponsored. Specifically, advertisers find search ads enabled by default.
TikTok’s decision to include ads in search results comes as no surprise. This year, Instagram took a similar approach, integrating sponsored content tailored to the user’s search. On Instagram, search ads appear when a user clicks on a post and scrolls for additional content.
The inclusion of ads on TikTok’s search pages underscores the importance of this placement for advertisers. For young people, TikTok is increasingly replacing Google, making it easier to find products, restaurants, or entertainment recommendations. Surprisingly, it turned out to be more effective than expected.
However, it’s important to note that TikTok’s search feature isn’t as sophisticated as Google search. Queries based on keywords and hashtags often return limited results.
Additionally, TikTok has faced the challenge of effectively moderating content that appears prominently in search results. Last year, the platform ran into significant trouble when videos promoting prescription weight-loss drugs appeared in search results. TikTok has removed all of this content.
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