Googling Less and Scrolling More: The Social Search Revolution

We all spend a lot of time on our phones and other devices, scrolling endlessly and consuming more content than ever before. Social media was once a simple and fun space for connecting with friends and family and sharing posts, but it’s rapidly evolved into an important tool for searching online. According to data, 54% of consumers say their social media usage has been higher over the last two years than the previous two years.

This shift isn’t just a fleeting trend that people will move on from; it’s a fundamental change in how people engage with digital content. With this in mind, it’s crucial for businesses to both understand and adapt to this change if they want to remain relevant and have the best possible chance of connecting with a broad audience.

A New Norm for Online Searches

Reports show that a quarter of 18 to 54-year-olds prefer to search on social media, and an increasing number of people find new brands daily on social platforms. This tells us two things. Firstly, a significant percentage of people prefer to search on social media rather than Google, and secondly, it’s clearly helping brands increase awareness and reach.

When you think about how much time people spend scrolling on Instagram, TikTok, and X (Twitter), it makes sense that they’d also use it to search online. Convenience is a hugely influential factor when it comes to online activity, and, put simply—humans are lazy. Searching on social media means users can keep scrolling while simultaneously discovering brands, products, services, or whatever else they need.

Recent studies show that social media is beginning to overshadow traditional search engines like Google for online searches. According to HubSpot, one in three people now turn to social media for answers, and many users favour social platforms over traditional search engines.

This change is especially pronounced among young demographics, which is to be expected. A combined 59% of Gen Z and millennials prefer social apps to internet browsers for their search needs. With so many of today’s businesses targeting these audiences, it’s a no-brainer to ensure that Social Search capabilities are a top priority.

And the stats don’t lie! There’s been a drop in Google searches (25%) among Gen Z compared to Gen X. And although the majority of people still use search engines for brand name searches, there’s been a 30% drop in the use of search engines for this purpose from Baby Boomers to Gen Z.

Numbers are delightful, but what does it all mean? Well, for one, it means that social media has swiftly become a powerhouse for search, but we knew that. The most important factor for businesses is that social media is being used more as a search tool across all demographics. Regardless of who your audience is, you should be implementing social media into your strategies if you want to engage them.

Marketing is Evolving for Social Search

In the past, social media and SEO served very different purposes. Social media was all about building relationships and engaging with people, while SEO focused on optimising websites to appear in search engine results through careful keyword use.

However, things have changed somewhat. Recent research shows that over 70% of people now discover new brands via social media rather than traditional search engines. This change offers an exciting opportunity for marketers as social media is no longer just about conversations and communities; it’s a powerful platform for brand discovery and growth.

This means it’s time to integrate the strengths of both social media and SEO into your marketing strategy. By crafting engaging, shareable content for social media and ensuring it’s optimised for search engines, you can enhance your brand’s visibility in new and effective ways. This approach allows you to connect with potential customers where they are, whether they’re scrolling through their social feeds or searching online.

In digital marketing, agencies like UK-based Peaky Digital have responded to this huge change by combining SEO, content, and social teams into one department—a Search Social team! Why? Consumer behaviours are evolving, and so must the strategies marketing agencies use every day. By combining these crucial areas, marketers can create a seamless and integrated approach to their clients’ online presence.

SEO specialists work hand-in-hand with content creators and social media strategists to ensure that every piece of content not only ranks well on search engine result pages (SERPs) but also engages audiences on social platforms. This subtle yet innovative shake-up allows for content creation that’s both discoverable and engaging, delivering a strategy that drives better results and builds stronger brand connections. Especially when both Google and social algorithms prioritise helpful, engaging content and websites with high engagement. Allowing Search Social campaigns to use multiple mediums to provide insightful content, while driving high-intent users to your website resulting in great levels of engagement. E-Commerce brands in particular can utilise the different behaviours between Search and Social to tailor content, targeting users throughout the conversion funnel.

But Why Social Media?

Much like social media’s inception and meteoric rise, there are several factors that contribute to its growing popularity as a search tool. Of course, a key element of its success is the fact that most of us scroll more than we should, but there’s more to it than that. As we mentioned earlier, this is more than a trend; it’s a sign of fundamental change in online behaviour and how to reach audiences efficiently.

Visual and Interactive Experiences

Social media platforms like Instagram and TikTok offer a visually engaging and interactive experience for users. Unlike traditional search engines that provide text-heavy results, social media allows your audience to interact with images, videos, and other content. Which would you prefer, fun and immersive or lots of text to read?

A more creative and dynamic format grabs users’ attention while providing a much more enjoyable and immersive experience. For example, users can explore a wide range of in-depth, visually appealing product posts on Instagram or watch short, informative TikTok videos to learn more about a brand. It’s not just about the effectiveness of social media but also how the discovery experience can instil excitement and brand loyalty from the very first interaction.

Personalised Content and Recommendations

One of the biggest perks of social media is its ability to deliver personalised content. Social media algorithms analyse user behaviour, interests, and interactions to create feeds tailored to individual preferences. This means users get to see content, trends, and products that they’re more likely to be interested in and purchase. If someone frequently interacts with fitness posts, their feed will likely be filled with health products and workout routines, making their search experience more relevant and targeted.

The Power of Social Proof

These days, users tend to rely on their social feeds for recommendations and reviews from friends, influencers, and communities they trust. This kind of genuine validation is more convincing for consumers than the traditional search engine results we’re used to. Seeing a product endorsed by your favourite celebrity or a recommendation from a friend can have a massive impact on buying decisions. It’s this level of authenticity—and the lack of authenticity often provided by search engines— that makes social proof so valuable for modern businesses.

Inspiring and Helping Your Audience Discover

Social media platforms are a goldmine for inspiration and discovery. So much so that around 26% of users use social media platforms to find ideas for new products and activities, while another 26% use them to discover items to purchase. Platforms like TikTok excel for this, helping users explore an endless array of creative content, whether they’re seeking the latest home decor trends, fashion tips, or travel destinations.

The average daily usage of social media is 2 hours and 23 minutes, which is more than 16.5 hours a week! That’s a tonne of time spent discovering trends and exciting new content that can inspire purchases. Combine this consistent use with social media platforms’ visually engaging and idea-driven nature, it’s the perfect tool for users eager to explore content—and for the businesses hoping to engage them.

Why Integrate Social Search Strategies?

Boost Brand and Customer Engagement

By incorporating social media into search strategies, brands can connect with users where they’re most active. And if we’ve learnt anything today, it’s that people spend a lot of time on social platforms.

Social media’s visual and interactive nature helps brands create content that instantly captures users’ attention. For example, brands can use Instagram to showcase their latest product collection through images and videos, driving user interaction and interest—a smart move when you consider that 50% of Online Shoppers say images help them make a purchase.

When compared to scrolling through SERPS, scrolling social media feeds is infinitely more effective for building strong connections with an audience.

Broader Customer and Market Insights

We live in a tech-driven society where data and insights help brands gain a broader, more comprehensive understanding of consumer behaviour. By integrating insights from both SEO and social media, businesses can learn more about how users discover and interact with content across several channels.

For example, analysing data from social media interactions alongside search engine queries can reveal trends in user interests and preferences. This broader understanding helps businesses tweak and optimise their marketing strategies while tailoring content to meet the evolving needs of their audience.

Increase Online Visibility (Be Seen Online!)

Social media platforms offer unique opportunities for increasing brand visibility. By optimising content for Social Search, businesses can reach users who might not be actively searching for their products but are still open to discovering relevant content.

A niche food brand could enhance its visibility through marketing tactics such as keyword research and use to optimise its website and content. This helps attract users searching for healthy eating options, improving search engine rankings and attracting potential customers.

Keeping Up With Consumer Preferences

Adapting to the shift towards social media for search purposes is becoming more and more important for staying relevant. By aligning with consumers’ evolving needs, businesses can build stronger connections and adapt to meet their demands, ensuring they remain relevant as preferences and trends change.

For instance, an influencer who creates TikTok videos for travel destinations can attract users who prefer to search for travel ideas through social media. Let’s say you’re going on holiday and need a quick and simple guide to a new city, you’re definitely going to use Instagram or TikTok. This effort to closely align with consumer preferences has swiftly become a must-have for businesses to be competitive and responsive to short and long-term trends.

Adapting to the New Digital Reality

The subtle transition from traditional search engines to social media is a reflection of broader changes in online behaviour. With consumers reporting increased social media usage over the past two years and 97% of working-age internet users using social networks each month, it’s obvious that social media is a crucial aspect of the modern digital experience.

Here’s some perspective—the number of social media users worldwide grew by 320 million people between January 2023 and January 2024.

This transformation isn’t just about technology but also understanding and adapting to how people interact with digital content. Social media has become more than a platform for social interaction; it’s now a vital tool for discovering trends, researching products, and deciding whether or not to buy.

And with payment methods like Apple Pay making it even easier to purchase items using apps on mobile devices, there’s nothing stopping Social Search from becoming the more efficient, convenient and ultimately the best solution.

The Future of Social Media and Search

As we look to the future, the relationship between social media and search engines is bound to evolve. Technology will advance, and what we use today will be outdated before we know it. However, Social Search as a concept has already shown promising results for both marketers and businesses. Social media’s role in search will continue to grow, driven by new technologies, new consumer requirements, and the ever-increasing demand for visual and interactive content.

Businesses that successfully and creatively implement social media into their search strategies put themselves in a greater position to capitalise on future changes. Not only this but understanding and adapting when needed allows brands to create engaging experiences with pinpoint relevancy for their audience. The result? Increased growth, customer loyalty, and achieving brand goals.

For Peaky Digital, combining SEO, content, and social media to form a Social Search team has been incredibly successful for their clients and an effective way to cross-pollinate learning and development of specialist skills. This multi-channel approach not only ensures the agency can capitalise on every opportunity and help brands understand their audience’s behaviours but also provides their experts with a broader view of the marketing space.