TikTok vs. Google: How Social Search Is Changing the Way We Find Businesses

There was a time when looking for a new restaurant meant one thing: Googling it.

Now? You might Google it. Or you might search “best brunch in DC” on TikTok, look up the restaurant on Instagram, read a few Reddit threads, check its Google reviews, and somehow end up six videos deep watching strangers tell you exactly what they ordered.

Search hasn’t disappeared. It’s just gotten a lot more social.

People are increasingly using social media platforms as part of the way they discover businesses, research recommendations, compare options, and decide where they actually want to spend their money.

And for businesses, that changes what it means to be “searchable” online.

We Don’t Just Want an Answer. We Want to See It.

Google is great when you need an answer.

What time does this restaurant close? Where is this salon located? Does this coffee shop have Wi-Fi?

But there are plenty of searches where information alone isn’t really enough.

Think about the difference between Googling “best coffee shops in Alexandria VA” and searching the same thing on TikTok.

On Google, you might see a map, ratings, websites, photos, and lists.

On TikTok, you can watch someone walk through the front door. You can see what they ordered. You can get a feel for how crowded it is, what people are wearing, what the space actually looks like, and whether the overall vibe is somewhere you'd want to spend an afternoon.

That context matters.

The same thing happens when someone searches for a hairstylist, interior designer, fitness studio, boutique, wedding venue, photographer, or pretty much any business where the experience matters almost as much as the basic information.

Sometimes we don't just want to know what a business offers.

We want to know what it feels like to actually go there.

TikTok Isn't the Only Search Bar That Matters

TikTok gets a lot of attention when we talk about social search, but this shift is bigger than one platform.

Someone looking for a business might move between TikTok to find recommendations and see real experiences, Instagram to look through recent content and get a better feel for the brand, Google to check reviews and hours, Reddit to find candid opinions, Facebook to look at events and local recommendations, and YouTube when they want something more in-depth.

And they may do all of that before ever contacting the business.

That's why thinking about SEO as something that only happens on your website is becoming increasingly outdated.

Your entire digital presence can play a role in whether someone finds you and, just as importantly, whether they decide you're worth checking out.

Social Media Content Is Becoming Searchable Content

This is where businesses need to start thinking a little differently about what they post.

A clever caption might entertain someone who already follows you.

But if you're a bakery in Alexandria and your content never actually says bakery, Alexandria, what you make, or where you're located, you're missing useful context.

The same applies to video.

Instead of putting vague text like:

“You need to try this.”

There are times when:

“A French bakery to try in Old Town Alexandria”

does a lot more work.

It's still content. It just gives both the person watching and the platform more context about what they're looking at.

Keywords can naturally show up in your captions, on-screen text, spoken dialogue, profile information, video titles, and descriptions.

That doesn't mean cramming “Alexandria VA bakery best bakery near me” into every caption.

Please don't do that.

It means being clear enough that both humans and search systems can understand what your business actually does.

This Is Especially Important for Local Businesses

Social search gets particularly interesting when someone is deciding where to physically go.

Imagine someone searches:

“date night restaurants in DC”

They aren't necessarily looking for one objectively “best” restaurant. They're narrowing down options.

One video might lead them to a restaurant's TikTok. Then they check Instagram. Then Google reviews. Then the menu. Then they send the restaurant to their partner.

That entire journey can happen before the business ever knows that person exists.

This is why your social presence isn't just about maintaining relationships with your existing followers.

It's also part of your storefront.

Someone who has never heard of you before could land on a six-month-old video because it answers exactly what they were searching for.

Does This Mean Google Doesn't Matter Anymore?

Definitely not.

If anything, businesses should stop thinking about Google versus social media as though they have to choose one.

They do different jobs, and customers move between them.

Your Google Business Profile can give someone your hours, reviews, photos, and directions.

Your website can give them detailed information about your services, menu, pricing, or booking process.

Your social content can show them your personality, your work, your space, your customers, and what interacting with your business actually looks like.

Together, they answer a much bigger question:

“Is this the business I want to choose?”

So, What Should Businesses Actually Do?

You don't need to completely reinvent your content strategy for social search.

You just need to start creating some content with discovery in mind.

Think about what someone who has never heard of your business might actually type into a search bar.

Not your company slogan.

Not your branded hashtag.

The actual question.

Maybe it's:

“Best bagels in Alexandria.”

“Interior designers in Northern Virginia.”

“Things to do in Del Ray.”

“Social media manager in DC.”

“Brunch spots near Old Town Alexandria.”

Those searches are content ideas.

Create videos that answer them. Use language people actually search for. Make your location clear when it's relevant. Keep your business information consistent across platforms. And make sure that when someone discovers you through one piece of content, the rest of your online presence gives them a reason to stick around.

Search Is Changing. Being Findable Is Too.

People haven't stopped searching.

They've just gained a lot more places to do it.

Google still matters. Your website still matters. Your Google Business Profile matters. But TikTok, Instagram, Reddit, YouTube, Facebook, and other platforms are increasingly part of the research process too.

For businesses, the opportunity isn't to chase every platform or suddenly turn every caption into an SEO exercise.

It's to understand how your customers actually look for things online.

Because the next person who discovers your business might not type your name into Google.

They might not know your name yet.

And that's exactly the point.

Ready to Make Your Business Easier to Find?

Being discoverable online isn’t about being everywhere. It’s about showing up in the right places with content that makes it clear who you are, what you do, and why someone should keep looking.

If your social presence isn’t doing that yet, I can help. I work with businesses across Alexandria, Northern Virginia, and Washington, DC to build social media strategies and create content around the way people actually discover businesses online.

Explore Cara Couture’s social media services or get in touch through Cara Couture.

Frequently Asked Questions About Social Search

What is social search?

Social search is the practice of using social media platforms to actively look for information, recommendations, products, services, places, or businesses. Instead of only turning to a traditional search engine, someone might search TikTok, Instagram, Reddit, YouTube, or Facebook to find what they need.

Is TikTok becoming a search engine?

TikTok increasingly functions like a search engine for many types of queries, especially recommendations, tutorials, reviews, restaurants, travel, products, and local businesses. That doesn’t mean it has replaced Google. Instead, it has become another place people may search during the discovery and research process.

What is social media SEO?

Social media SEO is the process of making your social content easier to discover through search. This can include using relevant keywords in captions, on-screen text, video titles, profile information, spoken content, and descriptions so platforms and users can better understand what your content is about.

How can a local business improve its social media SEO?

Start with the language your customers actually use when searching for businesses like yours. Include your location and services naturally in your profile and content, create posts that answer common searches or questions, use descriptive on-screen text, and keep important business information consistent across your social profiles, website, and Google Business Profile.

Should businesses focus on Google or social media?

For most businesses, it shouldn’t be an either-or decision. Google, your website, your Google Business Profile, and your social media accounts can all play different roles in how customers discover and research your business. A strong online presence makes it easy for someone to move between those platforms and find consistent, useful information.