As of 2021, Google has officially taken a backseat and is no longer the world’s most popular website. In fact, the popular video platform TikTok is the new winner according to popularity rankings.
Everyone expected that maybe Bing or Facebook or another pre-existing website would be the first to take down this tech giant. Many were shocked when TikTok took the top spot for the first time one day in February. It didn’t take them long until they took over that spot for most of each month, starting in August.
While this shocked many people, the marketing world had already started to see a shift towards shorter video content. The trend has continued to push this direction, showing in the top domain rankings.
The top 10 most popular domains for the second half of 2021 were:
1) TikTok.com
2) Google.com
3) Facebook.com
4) Microsoft.com
5) Apple.com
6) Amazon.com
7) Netflix.com
8) YouTube.com
9) Twitter.com
10) WhatsApp.com
TikTok took the world by storm in 2017, even more so in 2020, while everyone was quarantined during the Covid-19 pandemic. They boast over 1 billion monthly users and a whopping 2.6 billion downloads as of September 2020.
It is no wonder that social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and the like see TikTok as a fierce competitor. Taking down a giant like Google from the number one spot as the world’s most popular website is no small feat.
How This Impacts Digital Marketing
You may be wondering what this means for your digital marketing strategy. We’ve said it before, and we’ll say it again, video content is the way of the future. Major apps like Instagram understand this vital shift and have announced that video is their primary focus for 2022. Moreover, short video content tends to do even better.
If your business isn’t already creating video content, there is no better time to start than now. Customers don’t expect perfection and love when companies show up authentically, so there’s no reason to be afraid of video content. Even if it’s basic how-to tips shot with your phone camera most important thing is to start simply.
Whether it is YouTube Shorts, Instagram Reels, or TikTok, you can likely find a video content app that your ideal customers are on. If you aren’t sure, do your research! Ask existing clients where they look for content, shop, and what social media apps reach them best. You can even lookup age demographic statistics online.
If this major shift in popularity and power teaches you anything, you should be utilizing video content. It also teaches us that you can’t put all your marketing eggs in just one basket. Omnichannel marketing that includes apps like TikTok and Google is key in any business’s success in the world of digital marketing.