TikTok Users to Be Exposed to More Ads in Search Results
One thing that can be relied upon is that humans will always find ways to incorporate advertisements into every aspect of our lives. A prime example of this is TikTok’s latest move to include ads in search results. Now, whenever you search for a hashtag, a particular user, or anything else on the platform, you will come across branded content. These ads are sourced from sponsored videos available on TikTok and serve as a means to enhance the discovery of various brands.
Some users may find this annoying, but the notification makes it clear that the ads are related to the search query and is clearly marked as a sponsored post. Ads are also likely to be distinguished from your interests represented by previous search queries and all the various activities on the social media platform. In other words, the algorithm does what the algorithm already does, but in a new place.
Clicking on a sponsored post doesn’t interrupt your search, which is nice. The ad mirrors the in-feed experience and allows users to continue browsing search results regardless of whether they click on the ad or not. There is likely no shortage of advertisers, as TikTok says the feature is automatically enabled for existing merchants. In other words, advertisers must refuse to appear next to search results.
An ad-free search bar was fun while it lasted, but this change is long overdue. It was inevitable because competitors like Instagram started doing the same thing earlier this year. It’s worth noting that ads will already appear in the regular TikTok feed, sandwiched between videos posted by people you follow. Don Draper’s search bar fever dream is now spreading to global TikTok users.
