If you watched a particularly awesome TikTok, but forgot to ‘like’ it or send it to that certain friend you always bombard with memes, it might soon be easier to hunt it down again.
According to reports from Search Engine Roundtable, Brian Freiesleben and TechCrunch, Google is testing a search feature that highlights content from Instagram and TikTok in a new “Short Video” search results carousel.
Noticed Google pulling in Instagram and TikTok videos into this “short videos” carousel this morning. pic.twitter.com/iDr3C8OEAE
— Brian Freiesleben (@type_SEO) December 27, 2020
Google told TechCrunch in a statement that the feature is currently limited to a small group of users and that it won’t appear for every search. It’s currently available when you Google something on mobile as well as through the tech giant’s dedicated Android and iOS app search app.
Google has previously only concentrated on indexing videos from its own YouTube platform and other desktop-focused video streaming services. This latest test seems to be more focused on mobile social media platforms, marking a significant shift for the search giant.
While useful for locating that coveted TikTok that’s been haunting your dreams, surfacing mobile video in search makes sense for Google from an ad perspective since it results in users spending more time on the search page and not within Instagram or TikTok.
Source: @type_SEO, @SaadAlikhan1994 Via: Engadget