Adobe Research: 49% of US Consumers Now Use TikTok as a Search Engine
Adobe research shows 49% of US consumers now use TikTok as a discovery and search tool, turning to short-form video to find products, restaurants, travel destinations, and how-to information rather than using Google. Adoption is sharpest among Gen Z and millennials. The shift means TikTok organic content is increasingly searchable purchase intent, not entertainment. Adobe pulled the data from its consumer behavior tracking across more than 1,000 US adults.
Why it matters
If half of US consumers are starting product searches on TikTok, organic creator content has compounding commercial value that extends beyond the posting window. A video from six months ago can still drive search-driven discovery today. That changes how agents should price TikTok organic deliverables: the value is not just the initial 48-hour spike but the ongoing search surface the content creates. Brands that treat TikTok organic as a throw-in bundle item are getting long-tail search placement at a fraction of its actual value. Use this data to argue for separate organic and paid line items.
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