Streets Ahead: Instagram AI-Powered Search, TikTok Creator Search Insights
In this week’s Streets Ahead update, SOCi covers Instagram’s new AI-driven search feature and TikTok Creator Search Insights
Instagram’s AI-Powered Search
The News Instagram is testing an AI-powered search feature within the comments section, according to AdWeek. This new tool automatically generates AI-driven search summaries, offering users relevant context as they engage with posts.
🔹 How it works: The feature suggests search prompts based on post content, allowing users to access more information without leaving the app. Instead of manually searching elsewhere, Instagram will surface related results directly in the comments.
🔹 Additional integrations: A Google search tab is available for deeper exploration, along with suggested queries. If a search involves locations, Apple Maps provides relevant place-based details.
Why This Matters AI-generated search summaries are rapidly gaining traction across major platforms. Google, Reddit, and TikTok have all introduced AI-powered search tools designed to keep users engaged within their ecosystems.
🔹 Google has launched AI Overviews and is developing an AI Mode to enhance search experiences.
🔹 Reddit is rolling out AI-driven search summaries at the top of its results to improve content discovery.
For Meta, integrating AI search into Instagram could be a strategic move to reduce reliance on external search engines like Google and Bing. Reports indicate that Meta is actively developing its own search engine, aiming to boost engagement and retain user traffic within its platform
For brands and agencies, this means adapting SEO and content strategies to optimize for on-platform visibility rather than just Google rankings. As Meta explores its own search engine, new ad opportunities and competition for AI-driven placements will emerge.
TikTok’s Creator Search Insights
The News Although TikTok Search Insights isn’t a new feature, it’s often underutilized. Creator Search Insights is a powerful tool that helps creators uncover trending search topics and enhance their content’s visibility. By leveraging this feature, creators can identify popular search trends, track how their posts perform in search results, and discover content gaps to seize new opportunities.
Here’s how to access it:
1️ Open TikTok, tap Search, and type “creator search insights”
2️ Select View at the top of the results
Once inside, you can:
✅ Discover frequently searched topics and trending content ideas
✅ Use Content Gap filters to find high-demand, low-supply topics
✅ See what your followers are searching for (1K+ followers required)
✅ Analyze search popularity, related videos, and key search terms
✅ Track performance and optimize future content
Why This Matters Using TikTok’s search insights helps you craft content that aligns with user search trends, boost discoverability by focusing on high-interest topics, and stay ahead by spotting content gaps. Integrating Creator Search Insights into your strategy allows you to make data-driven decisions that enhance visibility and engagement on TikTok.
