TikTok's New 'Search Ads' Format: What It Means For Advertisers & Creators

Source: TikTok

TikTok is currently beta testing Search Ads with select advertisers. Through this option, advertisers can run ads that appear in search based on keywords and terms users search for. Search Ads are labeled "sponsored" and appear at the top of search results.

Advertisers can export a report once ads are running, which displays keywords and terms users used to find ads, along with metrics such as cost per thousand impressions (CPM), click-through rate (CTR), and cost-per-click (CPC).

With TikTok's discovery capabilities, advertisers can reach audiences looking for specific content types and ideas (e.g. skincare routines, makeup tutorials, east dinner recipes, etc.) with Search Ads. As a result, instructional and educational content is particularly effective for this type of ad placement. Using Search Ads in the form of how-tos, tutorials, and other value prop content, advertisers can get their products in front of relevant users with higher purchase intent, resulting in higher ROI. Because of the evergreen nature of Search Ads, they can be a way for advertisers to take an always-on approach with TikTok paid media.

Like other paid media offerings, Search Ads give advertisers access to robust performance data that can aid future organic and paid efforts. By studying the keywords and terms that surfaced ads to users, advertisers can develop SEO-friendly titles, themes, and concepts for future videos that can optimize performance.

Advertisers who work with creators should be particularly excited. Many TikTok creators specialize in educational and instructional content, so advertisers have access to a large pool of creators to create assets to be used as Search Ads. Based on TikTok's recent research, ads made in collaboration with creators are more effective than ones not made in collaboration, so advertisers should lean towards creator content rather than content they create in-house to achieve their business and marketing goals.

Advertisers can already utilize a variety of TikTok ad placements, such as In-Feed Ads, TopView Ads, Brand Takeovers, and Branded Hashtag Challenges. Advertisers now have more options for leveraging the platform's expanding paid media capabilities with Search Ads.

TikTok's increasing power to accelerate discovery to action may cause advertisers to allocate budgets typically allocated for Google Ads to Search Ads on TikTok. As TikTok continues to chase advertising dollars, expect it to bolster its advertising solutions, especially those that bring advertisers and creators together, such as Spark Ads and TikTok Creative Exchange