Google Who? How Customers Are Using Instagram and TikTok to Find Local Businesses Now

Your next customer probably isn’t going to find you on Google.

They’re going to open TikTok, type “best brunch spot in DC,” scroll for 30 seconds, and walk through your door on Saturday morning. Or they’ll even search Instagram for “hair salon in Navy Yard” and book an appointment before even checking your website.

Social media is no longer just for posting pretty pictures anymore. It’s become the search engine of choice for a lot of consumers, especially for millennials and Gen Z, and local businesses that don’t understand this are leaving serious foot traffic on the table.

The shift: Social Platforms Became Search Engines

Now we know this didn’t happen overnight, but the tipping point is here. Google’s own internal data revealed that nearly 40% of young people skip Google Maps entirely when looking for a place to eat heading straight to TikTok or Instagram instead. And that stat is from 2022. More recent research from Adobe found that 64% of U.S. Gen Z consumers now report using TikTok as a search engine, while a SOCi study found that 67% of Gen Z use Instagram to search compared to just 61% using Google.

And you might ask why is this? Well, there’s a few reasons:

1. Visual results feel more trustworthy. Seeing a real video of a restaurant’s pasta dish can be more convincing than a star rating.

2. Creator content feels authentic. A genuine review from a real person tends to beat a polished ad every time.

3. Algorithms have gotten good at serving local, relevant content even without an explicit “near me” search.

4. It can be faster. Why read a review when you can watch a 30-second video?

For local businesses, this is a massive opportunity. The question is whether you’re showing up.

Beginner tips to show up better on Instagram Search:

• Instagram’s search function has become a powerful local discovery tool. Here are 3 beginner seo tips to improve your local businesses search:

• Your name field is searchable. Instead of just your business name, use something like “Wood-Fired Pizza/ Georgetown DC’ so you show up when people search your neighborhood and cuisine type.

• Tag your specific neighborhood and call it out in content. If you want local people to come to your local restaurant, try “Columbia Heights’ instead of just "Washington DC” for a more local discovery.

• Write more seo focused captions that a customer would search. “Happy hour is Tuesday-Saturday 4pm-6pm in Dupont Circle” vs. Come hang with us at happy hour.”

TikTok’s search bar though is where the real local discovery magic is happening.

• Say your location and especially out loud in videos. TikTok tends to auto-caption everything and indexes it for search.

• Use neighborhood specific keywords in your captions and on-screen text. “Silk press in Washington DC” can rank when someone searches for that term.

5 quick wins to have better Social Media SEO Today

• Update your instagram name field to include your business type and neighborhood.

• Tag your specific neighborhood on every single post.

• Write captions for search; include what you do, where you are, what makes you special etc.

• Say your location and specialty out loud in videos.

• For growth, post at least 3x per week. Consistency signals relevance to both algorithms and customers.

Google isn’t going anywhere and is still the top search engine. But social media SEO is now equally important discovery channels for local businesses, and they’re far less competitive than Google SEO right now. The businesses winning aren’t doing anything complicated. They’re just showing up consistently, using the right keywords, and making quality content.

If you need help building a social media strategy and managing your social media accounts that actually drives local discovery? That’s exactly what we do at Brand Capture.