TikTok Search Ads Campaign: Unlocking incremental growth in the future of search
New research shows TikTok's search ads drive significant purchase lift and unlock powerful new opportunities for growth.
The future of search is already here, reshaping the consumer journey and rewriting the playbook for advertisers. On TikTok, people come with questions and intent. Search Ads Campaign, TikTok's powerful search ads solution, places your brand within relevant results, turning curiosity into conversions and exploration into lasting engagement.
Recent research shows how this translates to performance. In a comprehensive meta-analysis across the US and Canada, activations that included a dedicated Search Ads Campaign component drove significantly more incremental purchases than mid-funnel initiatives without search.¹ Key findings include:
TikTok activations that included dedicated search campaigns drove 2.0x higher purchase lift compared to initiatives without.
For enterprise advertisers, the impact of TikTok search campaigns grew even larger, achieving a 2.2x purchase lift versus initiatives without search campaigns.
For enterprise retail specifically, dedicated search campaigns delivered a 1.9x purchase lift versus campaigns without, and notably higher incremental ROAS compared to non-search counterparts.
These findings illuminate Search Ads Campaign's unique ability to capture consumer intent precisely when they are exploring, evaluating, and ready to engage.
How TikTok is redefining search intent
The TikTok community conducts billions of searches every day, with total searches up 40% year over year.² This massive increase reflects how TikTok has fundamentally transformed the search landscape.
According to a recent study conducted in partnership with WARC, 86% of Gen Z internet users search on TikTok weekly, nearly matching traditional search engine usage.³
The report also shows that audiences fluidly navigate between platforms; among people who use TikTok to search, 38% start their search journey on traditional search platforms before turning to TikTok, while 34% begin on TikTok before switching to traditional search platforms. As the world increasingly finds its POV on TikTok, one shift is clear: people seek inspiration, ideas, and perspectives—not just answers.
"Every query on TikTok is not only 'What's the answer?' but also 'Whose take can I trust?'" said Sissi Xu, TikTok's Search Ads Product Strategy Lead. "Users scan a chorus of creators, friends, experts, and brands before deciding what resonates."
This shift signifies an evolution from transactional interactions to richer, more meaningful exchanges. TikTok fosters a discovery-driven environment where you can explore multiple viewpoints, engage deeply with content, and take actions that go beyond simple fact-finding.
Search is no longer a destination for finding an answer; it's a doorway that starts a digital journey."
Enter Search Ads Campaign
This evolution in search behavior creates an opportunity for advertisers to reach high-intent audiences during these moments of exploration. TikTok's Search Ads Campaign features keyword-based ads that show up directly within the search results page. With Search Ads Campaign, brands have full control over when and where their content appears, ensuring it reaches the right audiences at the right time.
Search Ads Campaign also leverages familiar campaign mechanics like keyword targeting, match types, negative keywords, and search term reports—features that paid search advertisers are used to. Coupled with visually engaging creative, these similarities allow paid search professionals to seamlessly apply their expertise to TikTok's dynamic environment.
Real-world success: Aerie boosts incremental purchases with TikTok Search Ads Campaign
Aerie, a lifestyle apparel brand by American Eagle, vividly illustrates the effectiveness of the Search Ads Campaign. By strategically leveraging the solution, Aerie not only attracted attention but delivered impressive incremental growth, including significant lifts in engagement and conversions.
A Conversion Lift Study revealed that combining Search Ads Campaign with In-Feed Ads enhanced overall performance. The integrated campaign delivered more than a 3% lift in conversions, 3,800 incremental purchases, and a $2.64 iROAS, all outperforming the 100% in-feed budget allocation.
"Search Ads Campaign enabled us to seamlessly capture intent in real-time and significantly boost our results," said Maggie Rodts, Senior Manager, Aerie Audience Growth Strategy. "The incremental lift we observed validated our strategic pivot to leverage search on TikTok and underscores why the future of search advertising is right here."
Turning exploration into impact
TikTok's success isn't just about discovery; it's about inspiring action. According to the WARC report, 61% of TikTok search users say TikTok's search results are more likely to inspire action compared to other platforms.³
TikTok search uniquely blends information with context, community, and social proof, aligning closely with how people naturally think, feel, and make decisions, an approach that resonates more deeply than facts alone. Audiences consistently highlight specific reasons for turning to TikTok for search:
70% of TikTok search users say TikTok's search results are more engaging and entertaining than other platforms.³
3 in 4 shoppers on TikTok agree that TikTok is the go-to place to discover new brands and products.⁴
1 in 5 TikTok search users have made a direct purchase via the brand's site or TikTok Shop after finding information, products, content, or services through searching on TikTok.³
In today's search landscape, relevance alone isn't enough. TikTok wins by turning relevance into resonance, making information feel personal, trusted, and actionable.
Embracing the multi-intent future
The WARC report underscores that brands poised for future success will embrace a multi-intent search strategy today, spanning inspiration, discovery, consideration, and purchase.
"Traditional search thinking treats intent like a light switch; our joint study shows something richer: intent unfolds in layers," emphasized Xu.
By strategically aligning search campaigns with the varied, nuanced intents of users, brands can effectively meet consumers exactly where they are in their purchasing journeys.
Ready to unlock incremental growth?
The future of search is here. Let's find your place in it.
Thought paper: The search before the search
Sources:
TikTok Marketing Science analysis, US, January 2025 - February 2025), TikTok NA CLS Power Slides meta-analysis, July 2024 - June 2025
TikTok Internal Data, US, January 2025 - February 2025
TikTok Marketing Science Global Future of Search Study 2025 (US Results), conducted by WARC
TikTok Marketing Science US, Commerce Landscape Study 2024, commissioned by TikTok in collaboration with Ipsos