As TikTok refines its search capabilities, the platform is now displaying reviews for certain venues directly within the comment section of a video. This novel feature, currently undergoing testing, streamlines the process of researching locations encountered on TikTok, obviating the necessity for an external search or opening a separate application.

TikTok users who are granted access to this novel feature will notice a "Reviews" tab appearing on the right subsequent to selecting to view the video's comments.

For example, encountering a video of Central Park in New York City with a location tag enables you to access users' star ratings, written critiques, and any uploaded photographs for that specific place.

Furthermore, by clicking on a reviewer's username in this section, users can access their TikTok profile, a functionality that distinguishes this feature from a prior Google Maps integration, which was denoted by a Google Maps icon.

While the new feature may be advantageous for certain users, others might perceive it as cluttering the user experience during content consumption.

This action signifies the latest step in TikTok's strategy to broaden its search capabilities and challenge Google's dominance.

In 2022, a Google executive intimated that TikTok was encroaching upon its core services, Search and Maps, especially amongst younger demographics. Fast forward to the present, and TikTok has contested Google's preeminence across various domains.

Beyond its popularity with Gen Z for finding locations, TikTok introduced image search functionality last year, enabling users to capture or upload photos to discover comparable items within TikTok Shop.

As of September 2024, TikTok has also enabled advertisers to target its search results page via "TikTok Search Ads Campaigns," a keyword-driven search offering crafted to showcase brands' advertisements within search outcomes.

It remains uncertain whether TikTok intends to implement its reviews tab more extensively, as the company chose not to offer a statement prior to this publication. Nevertheless, our testing at TechCrunch revealed that the feature was exclusively visible on a limited selection of videos associated with a geographical tag.