When was the last time a potential customer found your business? Did they Google you? Ask a friend? Or did they search on Instagram, scroll through TikTok, or browse YouTube looking for exactly what you offer?
If you think that last option sounds unlikely, the data tells a very different story. Nearly one in three consumers now skip Google altogether and start their search on social media platforms instead. For younger audiences, that number is even higher — more than half of Gen Z uses social platforms as their primary search tool.
This is one of the most significant shifts happening in digital marketing right now — and for small businesses and personal brands, it changes everything about how you need to think about your social media presence.
Social media is no longer just where people go to be entertained. In 2026, it’s where they go to find businesses, discover products, read reviews, and make decisions. Being found is now just as important as being followed.
What Is Social Search — And Why Is It Growing?
Social search simply means using a social media platform’s search function to find information, products, or services — instead of using a traditional search engine like Google. While this behaviour has been growing for several years, 2026 marks the point at which it has become impossible for businesses to ignore.
There are a few reasons why this shift is happening so quickly. First, social platforms have significantly improved their search functionality — Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube now return highly relevant, visual results for almost any query. Second, people increasingly trust the results they find on social media because they feel more authentic and human than a list of website links. And third, because Google has started indexing public social media content, the line between social media and traditional search is blurring faster than ever.
What People Are Searching for on Social Media
Understanding what people search for on social platforms helps you create content that gets discovered. Although the types of queries vary by platform, the most common social searches in 2026 include:
• Recommendations — ‘best catering company in Algarve’, ‘wedding photographer Portugal’
• How-to and educational content — ‘how to plan a corporate event’, ‘what to post on Instagram’ • Brand research — looking up a business before making contact or a purchase
• Product and service discovery — finding something they didn’t know they needed
• Reviews and social proof — checking comments, testimonials, and real customer experiences
Notice how many of these are directly relevant to small businesses and service providers. Your potential clients are already searching for what you offer on social media — the question is whether your content is there to be found when they do.
How to Make Your Social Media Content Discoverable
Because social platforms now function as search engines, your content needs to be optimised for search — not just for engagement. Here’s how to do that:
Use keywords in your captions
Instagram and TikTok both index caption text for search. Instead of writing a vague caption like ‘Loved this event ■’, try something specific and descriptive: ‘We catered a private dinner for 50 guests in Faro last weekend — here’s a look at the menu.’ The more specific and keyword-rich your captions, the more likely your content is to appear when someone searches for what you do.
Optimise your profile name and bio
The name field and bio on your Instagram or TikTok profile are searchable. Including your location and what you do in these fields — for example, ‘Wedding Photographer | Algarve, Portugal’ — means you can be discovered by people searching for your exact service in your area. This is one of the simplest and most effective changes any local business can make.
Create content that answers questions
Since people use social platforms to search for information, content that directly answers questions performs exceptionally well in social search. Think about the questions your ideal client asks before hiring someone like you — and create posts that answer them. This positions you as an expert and makes your content genuinely useful to people who are already looking for what you offer.
Use hashtags strategically
While hashtags have evolved significantly, they still play a role in social search — particularly on Instagram. Rather than using broad hashtags like #photography, use specific, niche hashtags that reflect exactly what you do and where you are: #AlgarvePhotographer, #LisbonCaterer, #PortugalEvents. These smaller, more targeted hashtags connect you with an audience that is actively looking for your specific service.
What This Means for Your Business Right Now
The shift to social search doesn’t mean Google is dead — far from it. However, it does mean that your social media presence is now doing two jobs simultaneously. It needs to engage your existing audience and attract new followers, but it also needs to be discoverable to people who have never heard of you and are actively searching for what you offer.
In 2026, the businesses that show up consistently, use descriptive language, and create content that answers real questions will be found by the right people — whether those people are searching on Google, Instagram, or TikTok.
The good news is that optimising for social search doesn’t require a completely different strategy. Instead, it means being more intentional about the words you use in your captions, the information in your bio, and the type of content you create. Small changes — made consistently — can significantly increase how discoverable your brand is online.
Is Your Social Media Working Hard Enough?
If your social media presence isn’t optimised for search — on both Google and social platforms — you could be invisible to a significant portion of your potential clients. Building a strategy that makes your brand discoverable, consistent, and compelling across every channel is exactly what we do at Digital Atelier Media.
Whether you’re starting from scratch or looking to improve what you’re already doing, we’d love to help your brand show up in all the right places. Get in touch today for a no-obligation conversation about your social media strategy.