The Evolution of Search In Social

28 Mar

Written By Bumbl

You open TikTok for a five minute browse, and suddenly you’re planning a weekend getaway, reorganising your kitchen, and convinced you need a Stanley cup.

Sound familiar? Welcome to the new way we search.

As user behaviour begins to change, the lines between search and social are more blurred than ever. The evolution of search behaviour towards social platforms reflects a fundamental shift in how users discover information.

The days of relying solely on Google to answer every question are now fading as social media platforms begin to provide the answers to finding the best restaurants, learning new skills, or finding out what real customers think about a product.

The latest data shows us that 78% of global internet users research brands and products via social media, with 40% of Gen Z now preferring to search on TikTok and Instagram over Google search and maps.

The Early Days of Social

Social Media started as a way to connect with friends, share moments and engage in conversation. That doesn’t mean this is no longer the use of social platforms, yet finding what you were looking for was a challenge, as unlike search engines, social platforms weren’t designed to organise and rank content for discovery.

Keyword search was limited: Platforms lacked sophisticated search algorithms, making it hard to find relevant content.
The content wasn’t indexed like Google: Posts were chronological, favouring the time of posts over relevance.
Discovery was passive: Users relied on feeds and recommendations as opposed to actively searching for information.

The Rise of Social Search

Fast-forward to 2025, and platforms now use AI-driven search and discovery algorithms that go beyond simple keyword matching. Head of Instagram Adam Mosseri has even suggested that hashtags are useless , as users no longer rely on them to find what they are looking for.

And as platforms introduced more sophisticated search functionalities, users began moving from mindless scrolling to intentional discovery. This shift has also influenced the customer journey, as social platforms now play a key part at each stage of their journey:

Awareness: Users discover brands and trends through viral content, influencer recommendations, and algorithm-driven suggestions.
Consideration: Instead of Googling reviews, people turn to TikTok or Instagram to see real user experiences and comparisons.
Decision-Making: Social proof, comments, and community discussions drive purchasing decisions, often more than traditional search results.

For Gen Z and Millennials in particular, social search is considered to be more trustworthy and natural because users can see real people sharing authentic experiences rather than brand-created (and biased) landing pages optimised for SEO.

The Future of Social Search

As social media becomes more of a go-to place for discovery, brands need to begin their strategies to ensure that they remain visible and relevant. Driven by the significant advancements in AI, changing user behaviours, and platforms enabling better search functionality, optimising for search in social will become more of a priority for brands.

A Search-Focused Approach for Brands

To stay ahead, brands must adapt their social media strategies with search in mind. This means:

Keyword-rich captions and hashtags: Just like SEO for websites, optimising captions with strategic keywords that target audiences are searching for will improve content discoverability.
Platform-specific optimisation: Instagram and TikTok, in particular, function as visual search engines. Brands should tailor content to meet users making relevant searches in these platforms
Prioritise engagement signals: As within anything in social, more engagement signals that your content should be prioritised by the platform.
Location tags: Boost local search visibility by tagging relevant locations on Instagram posts.
Optimised profiles: A clear bio, pinned content, and strategic highlights help users quickly find what they’re looking for when they land on a profile.

Short-Form Video in Search

Short-form video isn’t just dominating feeds, it’s shaping search. TikTok, YouTube Shorts, and Instagram Reels have transformed how users seek and consume information. Videos now appear in search results, meaning brands must create content that not only entertains but also answers the pain points of their audience:

Informational and how-to videos: Users increasingly search “how to” and “best” queries on social, making educational content a must.
Engaging, captioned content: Many users watch videos without sound, so captions, subtitles, and keyword overlays help improve searchability.
Evergreen video content: Unlike fleeting trends, searchable videos with long-term value can continue driving engagement and discovery over time.

Final Thoughts

The transition to social search is not just a trend; it represents a fundamental change in how people seek and discover information. As social platforms refine their search capabilities and AI becomes more sophisticated, brands that embrace search-focused strategies will not only remain visible but will lead the way in digital discovery.