As it begins its First Amendment case in the U.S., TikTok is expanding its in-app travel recommendation features for locations like New York, Boston and Texas. With an Apple Maps integration, the ByteDance-owned company is further cutting into the business of Yelp and Google Maps.
According to a Threads post by @girlpowermarketing, some locations on the popular video-sharing app are now showing categories for videos about the specific place in relation to where to eat and drink, what attractions and parks to visit, where to shop and which hotels to spend the night in.
Through an “explore more places” option, TikTok has set up an Apple Maps integration that displays a map of businesses in specific areas that have been previously tagged in TikTok posts. Relevant videos emerge in addition to details related to the tagged places, like address, price level, and how many tags there have been on TikTok.
advertisement
advertisement
“It looks less like the For You page and more like Yelp or a travel site,” reported The Verge.
Over the past few years, TikTok has emerged asa primary search engine for younger users, with a plethora of viral videos showcasing video-lists of local restaurants, bars and niche shopping destinations that feel more personal, visual and authentic to viewers than traditional travel listings.
TikTok lists take the shape of a more immersive review -- albeit a different one than what appears on Yelp.
In general, TikTok has helped transform search behavior and boosted the importance of tapping into social SEO, providing brands with newfound possibilities at reaching consumers and developing a reputation among younger users.
In addition to expanding in-app capabilities, TikTok may also be trying to further demonstrate its usefulness to small U.S. businesses, in attempts to fight the sell-off/ban proposed by the U.S. government.