Daily hacks: How to use social media as a search engine

Could it be the beginning of the end for Google Search and Maps? The American giant’s services could be suffering from the success of social networks.

The younger generation appears to be abandoning Google in favour of TikTok and Instagram when it comes to searching for certain kinds of information, according to Google’s senior vice president.

Prabhakar Raghavan, Google’s senior vice-president responsible for Search, shared this information during the recent 2022 Fortune Brainstorm Tech conference.

According to studies conducted internally by the American tech giant, almost 40% of young people in the US, aged 18 to 24, supposedly prefer going to Instagram and TikTok rather than to Google Maps or Search when looking for a place to eat.

This is a trend that social networks have well understood. While a growing number of accounts on TikTok are helping users discover new restaurants and hidden places, Instagram and Snapchat have launched features to find restaurants near a user’s location, directly on their platforms. 

From voice to visual

This news reflects the evolution of digital behaviour across generations. For Prabhakar Raghavan, the reason for this shift is simple: Generation Z has not known paper maps. Google Maps replicates this format, which is well known to older generations, who, on the other hand, are not always fans of the new social networks.

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Young people are also more receptive to searching through more visual formats, hence the success of Instagram and TikTok, and not just for restaurant searches. More and more parents are turning to influencers on social networks to get their opinions on different products before they buy.

That’s why Google has developed a more immersive technology for Google Maps, allowing people to navigate in a 3D mode.

Search habits have also evolved. Voice search is becoming one of the preferred ways to search for information. According to Google, 30% of searches are now done by voice. The platform is also working on a filter system to add “Instagram” or “TikTok” to search for content on these platforms. A feature is gradually being rolled out.

The next step? Google wants to develop technology paving the way for more visual searches, either by filming with a smartphone or using connected glasses to search for what you see.