Gen Z Decoded: How Gen Z are using platforms for search 9 min read

Why TikTok, Reddit & ChatGPT are the new front page of the internet.

For years, Google has been the default starting point for almost every online journey, from finding a local café to asking, ‘Do toilets really flush the opposite way in Australia?’.

But Gen Z is rewriting the rulebook. Faced with a generation that’s grown up on video, community forums, and algorithms that feel personal, traditional search engines are no longer the first port of call.

Younger users are turning to platforms like TikTok, Reddit and Instagram to find what they need. It’s quick, visual, and feels more trustworthy. Why scroll through a list of links when you can watch someone show you the answer?

In this article, we’ll unpack how Gen Z uses social platforms as search engines, why this behaviour is here to stay, and what it means for your digital marketing strategy.

Why Gen Z isn’t reaching for Google first.

So, what’s driving this shift?

It’s not that Gen Z hates Google. They still use it, but more often than not, they’re opening TikTok, Reddit or YouTube first. And that’s not just for entertainment – they’re genuinely searching.

A recent survey found that 53% of Gen Z users go to TikTok, Reddit or YouTube before they even think about Google. That’s a big signal that ranking on Google just isn’t enough anymore.

Here’s why this is happening:

• They want answers fast and visual: A quick video showing how to make a recipe beats scrolling through a blog post any day. With TikTok, you see the answer in 60 seconds (with your current favourite song playing in the background).
• It feels more real: Rather than digging through ads or polished marketing copy, Gen Z would rather hear it from someone who’s tried it, used it, or experienced it.
• They trust communities: Reddit threads, TikTok comments and YouTube replies are laden with validation. If thousands of people are saying the same thing, that’s often proof enough.
• It fulfils a habit: Google requires typing a reading. TikTok just needs you to scroll – and its algorithm is quick, serving up exactly what you need in no time.

For a generation raised on YouTube and Instagram Stories, it’s no surprise that they favour platforms where content shows rather than tells. It’s quick, it’s easy, and it’s made for how they already consume information.

‘Google it’ on TikTok.

It might have started as a place for lip-sync videos and dance trends, but TikTok has quietly become something much bigger: a search engine in its own right. For Gen Z, it’s where curiosity meets convenience. And the numbers back it up. Around 74% of Gen Z now use TikTok’s search function, and over half (51%) say they prefer TikTok to Google for certain queries.

What’s particularly interesting is how people are using it. Gen Zs turn to TikTok for anything from local food guides to fashion advice, tutorials, and even explanations of current events. It’s fast, it’s personal, and it feels like asking a friend rather than searching a database.

But what makes it so appealing isn’t just the trends or the visuals. It’s the effortlessness.

When you open TikTok, you don’t have to think too hard about what to type. The app already knows what sort of content you’re into, with its famously sharp algorithm, and serves it straight to you. It’s discovery by design.

This shift is changing what “search” means. It’s no longer about carefully phrased questions or clicking through blue links. It’s about encountering answers that fit seamlessly into your feed, answers that feel more like a conversation than research.

Going to Reddit for real answers.

If TikTok is where Gen Z discovers things, Reddit is where they dig deeper.

It’s the platform they turn to when they want honest opinions, lived experiences, or advice from people who’ve been there before. Whatever the question, Reddit has a community ready to answer.

This isn’t a niche behaviour either. In a recent Reddit research report, 84% of Gen Z said they use Reddit as a search engine.

So why does it work so well?

• It’s human: Posts, comments and photos are all submitted by real people sharing real experiences. Nobody is trying to sell you something. (Unless you’ve clicked on an ad).
• It’s interactive: Unlike Google, where you get static answers, Reddit lets you ask follow-up questions and allows you to turn on notifications for your posts so you never miss a response.
• It’s community-driven: There’s no obvious SEO-driven content on Reddit. It’s just people.

Google meets Reddit.

It’s also worth noting that Google has taken notice of how much people rely on Reddit for information. In fact, earlier this year, Google and Reddit announced an expanded partnership designed to make Reddit content more visible in search results.

This new partnership means Google now has access to Reddit’s Data API, allowing it to pull in real-time, structured information directly from Reddit’s millions of conversations. In other words, when someone searches for something like “best budget headphones Reddit” or “relationship advice Reddit,” Google can now surface fresher, more relevant posts from those communities almost instantly. It’s a way of blending Reddit’s authentic, human discussions with Google’s vast search reach.

The result is that Reddit content is likely to appear more prominently, and more visually, within search results, giving users a quicker route into community conversations. It’s a subtle but significant change that brings the worlds of search and community even closer together.

The search engine that talks back.

For many in Gen Z, ChatGPT has quietly become the first stop for “just look it up” moments – the kind of queries that previous generations would’ve Googled. Rather than typing keywords into a search bar and juggling multiple tabs, they open ChatGPT with a question and expect a clear, direct answer.

A survey by Adobe found that 77% of ChatGPT users say they treat it like a search engine, and among Gen Z, 28% say ChatGPT is where they start their searches. What’s driving this? Usability. ChatGPT lets users ask full, natural questions instead of guessing the right combination of search terms. It summarises complex ideas, reasons through comparisons, and gives context, all in one response.

Not only is Gen Z using ChatGPT as the new Google, but they also use it as a personal system they can talk to. Sam Altman, OpenAI’s CEO, described how young users have taken things a step further: they treat ChatGPT like an operating system, saving complex prompts, connecting it to their files, and using it to manage parts of their lives.

Interestingly, even Google is adapting to this shift. Its AI Overviews, rolled out in 2024, now generate summarised answers directly at the top of search results, pulling information from across the web and packaging it into a short, AI-written response. They can still “Google” something, but instead of sifting through websites, they’re met with an instant summary – the same conversational efficiency that drew them to AI tools in the first place.

What does this mean for brands and marketers?

If Gen Z are swapping Google for TikTok, Reddit, and ChatGPT, the way brands show up online needs to change… fast. The old playbook of ranking high on Google and waiting for traffic isn’t enough anymore. Search is no longer just a box at the top of a browser; it’s happening in videos, comment threads and chat windows.

That doesn’t mean SEO is dead, it just means it’s evolving. Here’s how you can keep up:

01: Think beyond keywords

Social search works differently. On TikTok, it’s captions, hashtags, and on-screen text that help content get found. On Reddit, it’s the way people naturally phrase questions and replies. Optimisation now means speaking your audience’s language, not forcing it into an SEO formula.

02: Answer directly

Gen Z are searching on social and AI because they want clear, quick and real answers. That’s your cue to produce short-form, straight talking content that solves a problem fast. FAQs are not dead.

03: Use social proof as strategy

People trust people. Encourage user-generated content, reviews and recommendations, and make sure the content is up to date, searchable and visible. Authentic voices are more persuasive than any AI-generated content will ever be.

04: Blend your channels

A single search can now jump from TikTok or Instagram straight to your website in the space of a few minutes. Make sure that your story is consistent across all of it. Use insights from social search to shape blog topics, product pages and messaging.

05: Stay agile

Trends move faster on social than search ever did. Keep an eye on what people are talking about, whether it’s a trend, a topic or a discussion, and be ready to react before it passes by.

Read more about the evolution of SEO and AI.

Rethink search with the experts.

Search isn’t dying… it’s diversifying. The brands that understand where and how their audiences are looking for information will be the ones that stay visible, relevant and trusted. Instead of disappearing, SEO is expanding into every platform where curiosity lives.

That’s why showing up in just one place isn’t enough. At Bamboo Nine, that’s exactly how we operate. Our Organic team works in perfect harmony, blending data, content and creative insight to make sure our clients are seen.

Talk to our team about building a joined-up approach that connects search, social and creativity, so your brand shows up where it matters most.