TikTok has made a significant move into the world of search marketing with the launch of its updated Search Ads Campaign, enhancing the features of its earlier search ad offerings.

The new feature gives brands and advertisers enhanced control over how their ads appear in the app’s search results, improving precision and performance. By positioning itself as more than a social engagement platform, TikTok is evolving into a powerful tool for product discovery and conversion, attracting businesses keen to tap into high-intent audiences.

The Rise of Social Search

Consumer habits are changing, and social media platforms are increasingly becoming the go-to for product research. Traditional search engines are no longer the first port of call for many users. Instead, platforms like TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube are being used to search for product information, reviews, and recommendations. This phenomenon, often referred to as “social search,” reflects the evolving nature of how consumers engage with content and discover new products.

More than half of people now prefer to research products on video and social platforms rather than traditional search engines. TikTok is at the forefront of this trend, with 57% of its users utilising the app’s search functionality and 23% searching for something within 30 seconds of opening the app. These shifts have major implications for advertisers. Instead of relying solely on search engines like Google, brands now need to optimise for platforms like TikTok, where users are actively seeking visual and interactive content to inform their purchasing decisions.

The rise of social search highlights the increasing role of video content in the consumer journey, particularly as users seek more engaging, immersive ways to discover and interact with brands. TikTok’s Search Ads Campaign is designed to tap into this behaviour, offering businesses the chance to connect with consumers at pivotal moments in their decision-making process.

Harnessing the Power of TikTok Search Ads

TikTok’s updated Search Ads Campaign aims to meet the growing demand for social search by offering keyword-based ad targeting, similar to platforms like Google. This feature allows brands to reach users during critical moments when they are searching for products or content, creating opportunities to influence purchasing decisions directly from search results.

Building on the earlier Search Ads Toggle, which allowed ads to appear in related search results but offered limited control, TikTok’s Search Ads Campaign takes the concept further. Advertisers now have full control over ad placement, ensuring that the right creative is shown to the right audience at the right time. This enhanced targeting means brands can fine-tune their campaigns by choosing specific keywords, managing bids, and adjusting strategies to optimise for both performance and cost-effectiveness.

Flexibility for Traffic and Conversions

Supporting both Traffic and Web Conversion objectives, the Search Ads Campaign offers flexibility for brands with varying goals. Whether aiming to drive traffic to a website or increase conversions, this tool provides a way to engage with high-intent users actively seeking products or information. By aligning campaigns with user search behaviour, businesses can position themselves as the solution users are seeking in real-time.

Capturing Intent: The Key to Success

TikTok’s diverse search landscape offers a unique opportunity to capture user intent across both deliberate searches and serendipitous discoveries. By using the platform’s keyword targeting capabilities, brands can connect with users based on their search queries, ensuring ads are highly relevant to user interests.

Combining Search Ads Campaigns with In-Feed Ads has proven to significantly improve overall performance. Brands report an average 20% increase in conversions when using both ad types, and 18% of users who do not convert after seeing an in-feed ad later complete the action after encountering a corresponding search ad. These statistics demonstrate the value of combining formats to enhance the customer journey and capture additional user intent.

Best Practices for TikTok’s Search Ads Campaign

For success with TikTok’s Search Ads Campaign, brands should focus on key strategies:

1. Relevant Keyword Selection: Keywords form the foundation of any search ad campaign. Brands should select terms that closely relate to their objectives and ensure that each ad group contains at least 20 relevant keywords. Grouping keywords thematically helps align them with the creative being displayed in search results.
2. Compelling Ad Creative: A well-designed ad is crucial to driving engagement and clicks. When users search for terms that match a brand’s keywords, they see a preview of the ad in the search results. The creative should be designed to match user intent and encourage interaction.
3. Competitive Bidding and Budgeting: To succeed in TikTok’s ad auctions, brands need to ensure their bids are competitive and aligned with their budgets. TikTok recommends maintaining a budget-to-bid ratio of 20:1 to keep keywords competitive. Continuous optimisation of bids and budgets is necessary as the campaign progresses.
4. Ongoing Campaign Optimisation: Search ads require ongoing management. Brands should regularly review keyword performance, adjust bids and budgets, and update creative assets to ensure campaigns remain aligned with user behaviour and search trends. By doing so, brands can improve efficiency and scale as TikTok search dynamics evolve.

Real-World Success Stories: Glossier and Mejuri

Brands like Glossier and Mejuri have already experienced success with TikTok’s Search Ads Campaign. Glossier, a skincare brand, used targeted keywords to boost conversion rate efficiency by 188%, generating over 8,500 additional clicks and 1,000 conversions from TikTok search ads. Mejuri, a jewellery brand, saw an 11% increase in return on ad spend (ROAS) and an 88% more efficient cost per acquisition (CPA) by appearing in search results when users were actively searching for their products.

A New Era of Social Commerce on TikTok

TikTok’s updated Search Ads Campaign offers a valuable opportunity for brands looking to tap into the platform’s growing e-commerce potential. By providing enhanced control over keyword targeting, bidding, and ad placement, businesses can engage high-intent users at critical moments of product discovery. For brands aiming to capture user attention during key moments of exploration, TikTok’s Search Ads Campaign offers an effective tool for maximising visibility and conversions in the fast-growing world of social commerce.