Search is no longer just Google: How social search is changing digital discovery

Searching on social media is nothing new, but the way people use these platforms to find information is changing. Today, users are turning to TikTok, Instagram, YouTube, and Reddit for everything from product recommendations and restaurant reviews to tutorials and travel ideas. This shift is especially noticeable among Gen Z and younger consumers, who increasingly see social platforms as search and discovery tools rather than simply places to scroll. As social search becomes more sophisticated, it is changing how people discover brands, products, and information online…and businesses need to adapt. So what does that mean for how you show up online, including how to get listed on ChatGPT as AI-driven discovery becomes part of the search journey? Let’s break it down.

A Shift in Search Behavior

The growing use of social search is closely connected to generational changes in online behavior. A study from Forbes Advisor and Talker Research found that 24% of Americans primarily use social media to search online, but that percentage rises to 35% among Millennials and 46% among Gen Z. Other research points in the same direction, with eMarketer reporting that 46% of Gen Z and 35% of Millennials prefer social media over traditional search engines for finding information. These numbers don’t necessarily mean younger consumers have stopped using Google. Instead, they show that they are becoming more comfortable choosing different platforms depending on what they are trying to find. A person may still use Google to locate a business website or find a specific piece of information, while turning to TikTok or Instagram when they want recommendations, reviews, inspiration, or visual examples.

What makes social search particularly appealing is the type of information it provides. Instead of receiving a list of links and deciding which pages are worth visiting, users can find short videos, conversations, demonstrations, reviews, and recommendations in one place. That content can also feel more personal because it often comes from creators, customers, or other people sharing their own experiences. For brands, this creates an important change in how visibility works. Being present online is no longer only about ranking a website for a particular keyword. It is also about creating content that answers the questions people are asking on the platforms they already use. As search becomes more integrated with social discovery, businesses need to consider not only how their website ranks, but also how easily their content can be found, understood, and trusted across social platforms.

Social Search on Instagram and TikTok

Instagram has become an important search and discovery platform, allowing users to find accounts, posts, Reels, hashtags, audio, and places. While hashtags once played a central role in helping content appear in searches, Instagram now looks at a broader range of signals to determine relevance. For businesses, this means optimizing a profile and its content requires more than adding popular hashtags. Some of the key elements to consider include:

• Profile keywords: Include relevant terms in your username, profile name, and bio so Instagram can better understand what your business offers and connect your profile with relevant searches.
• Captions: Use keywords naturally in post and Reel captions, particularly terms your audience may use when looking for your products, services, or areas of expertise.
• Hashtags: Combine branded hashtags with relevant non-branded ones to associate your content with your business while also reaching people interested in broader topics.
• Alt text: Use descriptive alt text to explain what appears in your images. This supports accessibility while providing additional context about your content.
• Engagement: Create content people want to watch, save, share, or discuss. Useful and engaging posts have more opportunities to reach users beyond your existing audience.

TikTok has taken social search even further, with users increasingly turning to the platform for product recommendations, restaurant suggestions, tutorials, recipes, travel inspiration, and answers to specific questions. A search for the best restaurants in Miami, for example, can lead to videos showing the food, atmosphere, prices, and personal experiences rather than a traditional list of websites. For brands, this creates an opportunity to make search-friendly content by:

• Using relevant keywords in captions: Include the phrases your audience is likely to search for without forcing them into the copy.
• Adding keywords to on-screen text: Clearly identifying the topic of a video can help both viewers and the platform understand its purpose.
• Including relevant spoken terms: The words used in a video can also provide context about the topic being discussed.
• Creating content around real searches: Use common questions and topics your audience is already looking for as inspiration for videos.
• Prioritizing usefulness: Keywords may help people discover a video, but valuable, entertaining, or informative content gives them a reason to keep watching, share it, or come back for more.

Across both platforms, the goal is not to turn social content into a collection of keywords and hashtags. It is to make the subject of your content clear while giving people something genuinely useful or interesting. Social search works best when discoverability and engagement work together.

Your SEO Strategy Can’t Stop at Google

The rise of social search does not mean traditional SEO is becoming irrelevant. Instead, it expands the definition of what it means to optimize for search. People now move between multiple platforms depending on the type of information they need, which means businesses need to understand where their audiences are actually looking. Someone searching for a local business may use Google Maps, while someone researching a product may begin with TikTok or Instagram. A consumer looking for honest opinions may turn to Reddit, while someone trying to learn how to use a product may search YouTube. As AI-powered tools increasingly influence how people discover information, businesses are also exploring how to get listed on ChatGPT and other AI search platforms. Each platform has its own search behavior and content formats, but they all represent opportunities for brands to become part of the discovery process.

This shift also means that content strategies should become more conversational, specific, and adaptable. Long-tail keywords and natural-language queries can help businesses create content around the questions their audiences are actually asking, whether those questions appear in Google searches or on social platforms. A single topic can also be adapted across multiple channels: a detailed blog post can become a short-form video, an Instagram carousel, or a YouTube tutorial. Mobile optimization is particularly important because much of this discovery takes place on mobile devices, where users expect information to be easy to consume and act on. Rather than treating SEO and social media as completely separate strategies, businesses should look at them as connected parts of a broader approach to digital discovery.

Is Google Doomed?

It is easy to interpret the rise of social search as a sign that Google is losing its place as the dominant search engine, but the reality is more nuanced. Google continues to handle an enormous volume of searches, and research from SparkToro found that Google Search grew by 20% in 2024. At the same time, Ofcom reported that 1.8 million adults in the U.K. stopped using Google for search during that year. These findings may seem contradictory, but they illustrate the larger change taking place: people are not necessarily abandoning traditional search; they are gaining more places to look for information. The platform they choose often depends on the question they have and the type of answer they want.

For brands, this means the real opportunity is not choosing between Google and social media, but understanding how the two can work together. Social media can introduce a brand to a potential customer, while the website becomes the place where that interest turns into a deeper interaction or lead. A user might discover a product through a TikTok video, visit the brand’s Instagram profile, click through to its website, and eventually search for the company on Google before making a purchase. In this way, social media can drive traffic to a website, support SEO by increasing brand visibility and discovery, and contribute to lead generation. Rather than competing for the same space, these channels can create a cycle in which social content sparks interest, search reinforces credibility, and a website gives the customer a clear path to take action.

So, to summarize all this information in simple terms: Google still matters, but your audience is searching everywhere and your brand should be there, too. From TikTok and Instagram to Google and your website, think less about choosing one channel and more about creating a connected path that helps people discover you, trust you, and take the next step. As search continues to expand into AI-powered platforms, understanding how to get listed on ChatGPT can also help businesses stay visible wherever potential customers are looking for information.