Google is reportedly in talks with Facebook and Bytedance to bring Instagram and TikTok videos respectively to the Google Search results. If both companies agree, the assumption is that their short-format videos will be indexed so users can see relevant results from the popular platforms. However, Google is clarifying that these are just “standard discussions” that are regularly held between their partnership teams and members of the “ecosystem” and that they are testing search results features with several content platforms worldwide.
A report from The Information says that Google is in the process of negotiating a deal with the two companies so that they will be able to index and rank videos from both TikTok and Instagram. This way when you search for things like “how to make the perfect scrambled eggs”, you not only get YouTube search results but those from IGTV, Instagram (maybe even IG Stories), and TikTok will also show up, giving you a variety of videos to choose from.
XDA Developers shares that Google started testing out a new feature late last year that would show videos from these two platforms other than when you do a Google Search on your mobile device. It’s still currently being tested in several regions but if these talks with Bytedance and Facebook go well, we’ll probably see this expand to Search on desktop. This search integration will be beneficial for everyone of course, including content creators and general users.
However, Google clarified that these ongoing discussions are actually regular things that their partnership teams have with the various players in the online ecosystem. The focus is to help various stakeholders understand and adopt what are the best SEO practices for their video content. They’re also testing out video content results not just from TikTok and Instagram but with other content platforms as well.
In any case, we’ll most likely hear about the results of these talks eventually if and when Google does widen the rollout of including videos, particularly short-form videos, in their search results. It will be easier for users to see those results especially if it’s videos from various platforms they’re looking for.
