TikTok’s adding another way for brands to get their promotions in front of searching users in the app, with an updated version of its Search Ads campaigns.
Search ads are now available for both Traffic and Web Conversion objectives, and include a new element during set up which enables advertisers to select relevant keywords for their campaigns.
The biggest difference from its existing Search Ads in format is giving advertisers more control in placement.
Last year, TikTok added a “Search Ads Toggle” in ad campaigns, which, when activated, ensures that ads are eligible to be displayed in related search queries in the app.
The limitation with this is that the toggle is only a placement, and not a separate ad option. This means advertisers could switch it on to have ads appear in related searches, but couldn’t target specific keywords.
TikTok’s updated Search Ads appear the same in the app, but enable more control at the advertiser end.
As explained by TikTok:
“With Search Ads Campaign, brands have full control over how their content appears on the TikTok search results page, ensuring the right creative is served to the right users.”
So again, the placement and look is the same, but you have more options to control where your ads appear, relative to user queries.
Which is important, because according to TikTok, 57% of users utilize TikTok's search functionality, and 23% search for something within 30 seconds of opening the app. TikTok is also gradually becoming a destination for product discovery, while TikTok also notes that brands that run Search Ads in addition to In-Feed Ads see a 20% increase in conversions on average.
As you can see in this example, TikTok’s system will also recommend keywords to target based on your entered terms.
It’s a good addition, very similar to other search campaign options in other apps, but a valuable update to TikTok’s discovery targeting.
With TikTok continuing to push itself as an e-commerce platform, and a destination for shoppers, it could become a more valuable option over time.
You can learn more about TikTok’s updated Search Ads Campaigns here.
