According to a new survey by Higher Visibility, most users are using AI just as a complementary search engine and not a replacement, with only 14% of the respondents using AI tools for search daily. Overall, 71.5% of the respondents said they use AI tools for search, with 79.8% reported using Microsoft Bing and Google for informational searches. 20.2% of the respondents of the survey said that they have changed their primary search engines in the last year. Even with people using AI tools for search, traditional search engines are still dominating but SEO is becoming difficult with click through rates on Google declining everyday. People are switching to AI tools and social media sites for searches and they are playing a role in people’s search habits.
The survey also found out AI search trends amongst different generations, with Gen-Z being the generation to use AI tools for search the most. 82% of the Gen-Z have been using AI search tools every now and then and they are also using social media for product discovery. Millennials are using AI tools as well as traditional search engines, while 65% of the Gen-X are also using AI tools every now and then but still prefer traditional search engines. Baby Boomers are using AI tools the least (45%) for search engines but they still use the traditional search engines the most.
It was also found that people are using different types of platforms for different purposes like Americans prefer traditional search for general information but use Microsoft Bing and Google for initial product research. AI tools like Claude, ChatGPT and Bard are being used by respondents for product recommendations and comparisons while discovery based shopping is preferred on social media sites like Instagram, Facebook and Nextdoor. Specialized product searches are mostly done on platforms like eBay and Etsy. Local business searches are mostly preferred on Google Maps, Social Media, Business Profiles and Review Sites.
Read next: Gemini, ChatGPT, DeepSeek: The Biggest AI Data Collectors Revealed
The survey also found out AI search trends amongst different generations, with Gen-Z being the generation to use AI tools for search the most. 82% of the Gen-Z have been using AI search tools every now and then and they are also using social media for product discovery. Millennials are using AI tools as well as traditional search engines, while 65% of the Gen-X are also using AI tools every now and then but still prefer traditional search engines. Baby Boomers are using AI tools the least (45%) for search engines but they still use the traditional search engines the most.
It was also found that people are using different types of platforms for different purposes like Americans prefer traditional search for general information but use Microsoft Bing and Google for initial product research. AI tools like Claude, ChatGPT and Bard are being used by respondents for product recommendations and comparisons while discovery based shopping is preferred on social media sites like Instagram, Facebook and Nextdoor. Specialized product searches are mostly done on platforms like eBay and Etsy. Local business searches are mostly preferred on Google Maps, Social Media, Business Profiles and Review Sites.
Read next: Gemini, ChatGPT, DeepSeek: The Biggest AI Data Collectors Revealed
