Hey, keep in mind how final 12 months, stories had been circulating that TikTok had turn into the search engine of selection for a lot of youthful customers, and that it might, at some stage, take a a lot bigger chunk of Google’s market share, despite the fact that discovery isn’t its most important focus?

Properly, Google may now have discovered a technique to counter that. Form of.

In response to a brand new report from Enterprise Insider, TikTok and Google are at present exploring a brand new partnership, which might combine Google search prompts, and doubtlessly, at some stage, even outcomes, into TikTok’s personal search stream.

As you possibly can see in this example, posted by app researcher Radu Oncescu, some TikTok customers at the moment are seeing a brand new immediate seem inside their search ends in the app, which features a CTA to broaden their search on Google.

Which appears like a form of customized advert unit, although apparently it isn’t, which TikTok clarified in communications with BI.

As per Enterprise Insider:

“A TikTok spokesperson has confirmed that the corporate is experimenting with third-party integrations throughout the TikTok app, together with a take a look at with Google. The function, which is being trialed globally throughout a number of completely different markets, shouldn’t be an advert unit, the spokesperson mentioned. A Google spokesperson mentioned the corporate had nothing additional to share and declined to touch upon whether or not there was a monetary settlement between the 2 corporations as a part of the partnership.”

So, it’s a customized integration, made for Google on this occasion, which goals to offer extra context, and facilitate extra discovery through the TikTok app.

Which, for each apps, in all probability makes some sense.

Final July, in a presentation to Fortune’s “Brainstorm Tech” convention, Google’s Senior Vice President Prabhakar Raghavan mentioned that Google does certainly see TikTok’s emergence as a discovery device as a possible enterprise threat.

 “In our research, one thing like virtually 40% of younger folks, once they’re searching for a spot for lunch, they don’t go to Google Maps or Search. They go to TikTok or Instagram.”

Based mostly on this, it may very well be a logical, and useful transfer for Google to combine its instruments into TikTok’s discovery floor, which can assist to maintain Google in thoughts as an enlargement providing, and preserve relevance with this viewers.

And for TikTok, it additionally gives extra direct connection to broader discovery choices, whereas there may be extra advantages by way of information sharing between the 2 corporations that may assist to enhance their discovery instruments.

Although the specifics of any such deal may very well be fairly delicate.

As Enterprise Insider additionally notes, Google’s at present beneath investigation over its dominance of internet search, which it’s been capable of maximize through distribution offers Apple, Samsung, and others.

You’ll assume, then, that the Division of Justice, which is inspecting these preparations, may take a dim view of comparable on TikTok, although once more, Google hasn’t mentioned that there’s any monetary deal in place.

And possibly there isn’t. Perhaps the profit for TikTok, versus charging Google for this selection, is definitely through improved discovery, with Google indexing extra of its content material, and displaying extra TikTok ends in search. That may be stepping on the toes of YouTube Shorts, Google’s personal short-form video providing, however possibly, given TikTok’s emergence as a discovery risk, it’s a “better of each worlds” choice for the Massive G.

That is all hypothesis, in fact, as Google’s not saying what the deal is. But it surely does seem to be Google’s searching for one other technique to preserve its maintain on search, and to doubtlessly negate the expansion of a competitor, or as a minimum, work in tandem with the rise of TikTok as a discovery platform, so as to hold its instruments entrance of thoughts.

What TikTok positive aspects is much less clear, however presumably, it’s serving to to drive extra visitors to the app.

Both means, it’s an attention-grabbing partnership, and an attention-grabbing consideration for digital entrepreneurs, regarding the emergence of TikTok as a search complement.