As per Statcounter, Google's market share has been continuously dipping below 90% in the last quarter of 2024– It dipped to 89.34% in October'24; 89.99% in November'24; and 89.73% in December'24.
Are People Abandoning traditional Google search For AI Search? How is the search behaviour of the people changing?
Let's dive into some stats shared as on https://www.highervisibility.com/seo/learn/how-people-search/
They surveyed 1,500 Americans about their search habits, preferred platforms, and how their behavior has changed over the past year.
| Category | Findings |
|---|---|
| Key Findings | - 20.2% of Americans changed their primary search platform in the past year (diversification, not abandonment of traditional search). |
| - 71.5% of Americans use AI tools like ChatGPT for searching, but only 14% use them daily. | |
| - Search behavior varies based on the type of information being sought. | |
| - The generational divide in AI tool adoption is smaller than expected. | |
| - Traditional search engines dominate for some query types. | |
| AI Tool Usage | - 14% use AI tools daily, 23.3% weekly, 7.1% monthly, 27.1% rarely, 28.5% never. |
| - AI tools are used alongside traditional search engines, not as a complete replacement. | |
| Search Behavior by Intent | General Information: 79.8% use traditional search engines, AI tools popular for complex queries. |
| Shopping: Traditional search for research, e-commerce for direct search, AI for comparisons, social media for discovery, specialized platforms for niche. | |
| Local Business: Google Maps, Google Business Profiles dominate, social media for restaurants/entertainment, review sites for service businesses. | |
| AI tools have minimal use in local business searches. | |
| Search Behavior by Generation | Gen Z (18-26): High use of AI tools, social media for shopping, visual search preference. |
| Millennials (27-42): Balanced search tool use, AI for professional/educational queries, use of voice search. | |
| Gen X (43-58): Preference for traditional search, AI adoption at 65%, comfortable with voice search. | |
| Baby Boomers (59-76): Preference for traditional search, 45% use AI, adoption of voice search. | |
| Platform Usage Patterns | Traditional Search Engines: Dominant for fact-finding, navigational searches, local business, news, product research. |
| AI Tools: Popular for complex queries, educational content, comparisons, creative tasks. | |
| Social Media: Product discovery, trend-based searches, recommendations, visual search. | |
| Implications for Businesses | - Maintain a strong traditional search presence, while expanding into AI. |
| - Focus on search behavior based on intent (general information, local business visibility). | |
| - Create content that is discoverable through both traditional and AI tools. | |
| - Ensure visibility across platforms used by all age groups. | |
| Methodology | - Online survey of 1,500 U.S. residents in January 2025. |
| - Representation across age, geography, income, and education demographics. |
The table above summarizes the key insights from the data, focusing on usage patterns, behaviors across different generations, and implications for businesses looking to optimize their digital presence.
