Two Very Different Eras of the Internet
When I first started building businesses online, success was largely about understanding Google.
You researched keywords, built pages, earned backlinks and tried to rank higher than your competitors.
If someone searched for exactly what you offered and your website appeared first, you had a good chance of winning the customer.
Today, my day looks very different.
Instead of trying to climb Google's search results, I'm creating TikTok Shop videos.
Instead of waiting for someone to search, I'm trying to stop someone scrolling.
At first glance they seem like completely different worlds.
In reality, they're solving the same problem in different ways.
Search Intent Versus Attention
The biggest difference between the two platforms is how people discover content.
Google starts with intent.
Someone already knows what they're looking for, or at least the problem they're trying to solve. Your job is to appear at the exact moment they go searching.
TikTok works almost the opposite way.
Most people aren't actively looking for the products that appear in their feed.
They're simply scrolling.
Your first challenge isn't answering a question.
It's earning enough attention to make someone stop.
That single change completely alters the skills you need.
The Optimisation Has Changed
Years ago I spent countless hours thinking about page titles, keywords, internal links and search engine optimisation.
Today I'm thinking about hooks, conflict, curiosity, storytelling and retention.
I've swapped search algorithms for recommendation algorithms.
But underneath, I'm still trying to answer exactly the same question.
Why would someone choose to spend their time with my content instead of somebody else's?
The technical details have changed.
The psychology hasn't.
There's Another Audience Most People Forget
One thing I've found particularly interesting about TikTok Shop is that viewers aren't the only audience.
Sellers are watching too.
Many businesses actively invest advertising budgets behind videos that perform well.
That means a successful video isn't only trying to persuade customers to buy.
It's also trying to persuade the seller that it's worth putting advertising behind.
A good piece of content can end up attracting two completely different audiences at the same time.
That's something that simply didn't exist in the same way during the Google era.
Understanding People Still Matters Most
Despite all the technological changes, I don't think the fundamental challenge has really changed.
Whether traffic comes from Google or TikTok, success still depends on understanding people.
You need to know what they're trying to achieve, what catches their attention and what gives them enough confidence to take the next step.
The platforms continue to evolve.
The algorithms become more sophisticated.
The formats change.
But people are still making decisions for remarkably similar reasons.
The Technology Changes. The Principles Don't.
Looking back over the last couple of decades, it's easy to focus on how different everything feels.
Search engines gave way to social media.
Websites gave way to short-form video.
Keywords gave way to hooks.
But I don't think I've really changed what I'm trying to do.
I'm still trying to put the right thing in front of the right person at the right time.
The tools have changed.
The route has changed.
The destination hasn't.
What I'm Focusing on Next
The more time I spend creating content, the more I find myself borrowing lessons from both eras.
Google taught me the importance of understanding intent.
TikTok is teaching me the importance of earning attention.
Bringing those two ways of thinking together feels like one of the most valuable skills I can continue developing.