LONDON, UK – Search advertising is no longer confined to traditional engines. A new wave of digital behavior, driven by social and video platforms is reshaping how consumers seek, discover and decide. According to fresh insights from WARC Media and TikTok, search advertising now claims nearly a quarter (22%) of global media budgets, with projected spend reaching $248.6 billion in 2025 and rising to $265.5 billion by 2026.
In their collaborative study, The Search Before the Search: How Social and Video Have Changed the Way We Seek, Find and Buy, WARC and TikTok, together with behavioral scientist Richard Shotton, uncover a significant shift in consumer search behavior. The report reveals that today’s search journey begins earlier, flows across platforms and is more curiosity driven than ever before.
Alexis Wolf, Head of Advisory, Americas, WARC, said: “Search is no longer a destination for finding an answer. It’s a doorway that starts a digital journey. From text to image to video to AI, the tools areevolving, and with them, audiences have increasingly dynamic expectations of what search can do. By rethinking what search is, we unlock new ways of connecting with consumers – earlier, deeper, andmore meaningfully.”
Sissi Xu, Product Lead, Search & Discovery, TikTok, commented: “Today, people search for more than answers. They search for perspectives. This research tells us that people drift from inspiration to research to purchase, whilst gathering perspectives along the way. Users scan a chorus of creators, friends, experts, and brands before deciding what resonates. Meet them there. Design for curiosity. Share something worth finding. Treat every search as a chance to connect. Look beyond views andgive people a point of view.”
Richard Shotton, behavioral scientist and author, says: “We often assume that search behavior is driven by logic. But behavioral science tells a more interesting (and frankly, more realistic) story. Behavioral science helps us understand this reality. It doesn’t just explain what people do—it reveals why they do it. And in a world obsessed with what’s changing, it gives us an unfair advantage: insight into what isn’t.”
Traditional search platforms remain dominant, but the nature of search is diversifying especially among younger audiences. Nearly half (48%) of Gen Z consumers report increased search activity on social and video platforms over the past three years, with TikTok emerging as a key player. In fact, 86% of Gen Z internet users search on TikTok weekly, closely rivaling the leading search engine (90%), and surpassing online marketplaces (75%) and AI powered search tools (60%).
For Gen Z and Millennials, social and video platforms offer a culturally rich, visually engaging and community-driven environment that traditional search engines often lack particularly in lifestyle categories such as beauty, fashion and wellness.
Notably, 38% of TikTok users begin their search journey on traditional platforms before turning to TikTok, while 34% do the opposite, demonstrating the fluid nature of cross-platform discovery.
Beyond answering questions, search is increasingly about discovery. Over one third (35%) of TikTok users are inspired to search based on content they encounter on the platform. Gen Z and Millennials prioritize platforms that offer seamless in-app exploration and creator driven recommendations. In contrast, Gen X and Boomers still favor speed, relevance and information credibility.
The trust equation is also shifting: search users are 1.2x more likely to believe claims from a creator than from a brand directly, underlining the persuasive power of relatable voices.
The study identifies seven core types of search intent: inspiration, experiential, relational, learning, research, solution and purchase. Social and video platforms engage all of these, making them uniquely positioned to influence the full consumer funnel.
To help marketers navigate this evolving landscape, the report recommends the MAP framework: a strategic protocol that aligns modern search behavior with marketing execution:
- Mix: Balance investments across traditional and emerging search platforms to tap into diverse user behaviors. Marketers should unify their efforts across silos: media, creative and data teams for a more agile approach.
- Align: Recognize that searchers often carry multiple intents especially on social and video platforms. Lead with inspiration and relational messaging, layer in informative and solution based content and prime for purchase with clear pathways.
- Prime: Leverage intentional search entry points like search bars and suggested video queries to trigger exploration. Brands should aim to appear early in the search journey, before biases set in.
The findings suggest that exploratory search offers brands a unique chance to be discovered before preferences are fully formed. Given that seven in ten users have purchased a product they hadn’t previously considered after seeing it on TikTok, the stakes and opportunities for early engagement are high.
As search continues its transformation, the traditional bottom funnel view is no longer sufficient. Social and video platforms are reframing search as a storytelling and discovery experience, one that blends inspiration with action and curiosity with conversion.
With consumers increasingly seeking perspectives over products, and creators outperforming brand voices in credibility, marketers must rethink their search strategies accordingly. The shift is not just in how people search but why.
A complimentary copy of the full report is available to download here.
