How Search Habits Are Changing (And What It Means for Your Marketing)

by | All Posts, Marketing, SEO & Traffic

Take a moment to think about how you searched for answers a year ago. Maybe you typed a query into Google and clicked through pages of links. Now, you might find yourself asking ChatGPT for a restaurant recommendation or using Google’s AI Overview to plan a trip…  and getting a single, curated answer.

If that sounds familiar, you’re part of a fast‑growing trend. New research shows traffic to U.S. retail sites from generative AI sources jumped 1,300% during the 2024 holiday season and was still up 1,200% in February 2025 compared with July 2024. In a survey of 5,000 U.S. consumers, 39% said they have used generative AI for online shopping, and 53% plan to do so this year. And it’s not just shopping: 37% of UK consumers and 32% of U.S. consumers under 40 use AI for at least half of their online searches.

So, what does this shift mean for your business? Here’s why paying attention to your own search behavior can help you see where your customers are headed and how your digital marketing must evolve to stay visible.

You’re Not Alone. AI Search Adoption Is Exploding

Generative AI traffic doesn’t just signal a passing fad; it’s doubling roughly every two months. Among those who have tried AI for shopping, 92% say it enhanced their experience and 87% are more likely to use it for larger or more complex purchases. Once they land on a site, these users view 12% more pages per visit and have a 23% lower bounce rate, suggesting they’re more engaged and better informed.

Outside of retail, generative AI traffic to U.S. travel sites grew 1,700% between July 2024 and February 2025, and to banking sites it surged 1,200% in the same period. Younger consumers are leading the charge: 69% of those aged 18‑30 have used ChatGPT. Overall, 52% of consumers use ChatGPT, 30% use Google Gemini and 20% use Microsoft Copilot.

Even more striking, 79% of consumers are expected to use AI‑enhanced search within the next year and 70% already trust generative AI results. Among current AI users, 40% consider AI search results more trustworthy than traditional organic listings and 41% trust them more than paid results. And the momentum is still building: 60% of current generative AI users plan to increase their AI search usage in the next six months, with only 5% predicting a decrease.

How Your Search Experience Is Shaping Expectations

Ask yourself: when you used ChatGPT or Google’s AI Overview last time, did you bother to scroll down to the regular search results? Many people don’t. AI tools summarize information from across the web and provide direct answers. That’s why 92% of AI‑assisted shoppers report a better experience. They get what they need faster.

This streamlined experience is changing consumer expectations. When Adobe surveyed 5,000 consumers, nearly half used generative AI to conduct research, get product recommendations, find deals or compile shopping lists. And for travel and finance, AI is assisting with research, itinerary planning and even budgeting.

The author of one analysis describes a recent trip: using ChatGPT and Google Gemini to find hiking trails, transportation options and photography spots saved hours of research and introduced new websites.

Industry leaders call this a “searchquake”. AI search engines are shaking up everyone’s SEO and content strategy.

What This Means for Your Digital Marketing

Even as AI search adoption skyrockets, traditional SEO is still essential. There are roughly 14 billion Google searches every day versus 37.5 million ChatGPT prompts, so SEO remains the foundation. But AI search fundamentally changes how people find information:

  • Zero‑click answers: AI often provides a single answer without any need to click. If your business isn’t mentioned, you’re invisible.
  • Trust and engagement: Consumers trust AI answers and spend more time on sites when referred by AI.
  • Multimodal queries: People ask AI in conversation form or through voice, expecting contextual understanding.

Traditional SEO alone won’t position you in this new landscape. To succeed, you need to evolve into Answer Engine Optimization (AEO) or Generative Engine Optimization (GEO), which focus on ensuring your content is cited by AI tools like ChatGPT, Perplexity, Google AI Overviews and Gemini. As Gartner notes, 79 % of consumers will soon use AI‑enhanced search, so optimizing for AI visibility is no longer optional.

Key strategies include:

  • Build your brand’s presence across trusted sources. AI models weigh the frequency and relevancy of brand mentions across the web.
  • Create conversational, intent‑based content. Generative search responds well to natural-language questions, not just keywords.
  • Use structured data and clear entity definitions. AI needs to understand who you are and what you do.
  • Monitor where you’re mentioned. Track whether and how AI platforms cite you, and measure share of voice.

Start by Understanding Where You Stand

If all of this feels overwhelming, start with clarity. Our AE Competitive Intelligence Report shows whether your business appears in AI answers, how it’s described, which queries trigger your presence, which competitors are being cited instead, and what you can do to improve. It’s tailored for local businesses that already grasp the basics of SEO and want to stay ahead in the AI era.

The report is available for $995 and includes actionable recommendations to integrate AEO/GEO into your marketing strategy. Early adopters are already seeing improved visibility and conversions from AI sources.

Final Thoughts: Watch Your Own Behavior and Take Action Now

Next time you need a plumber, ask yourself: Did you Google it, or did you turn to ChatGPT?

That simple reflection tells you where your customers are headed. AI search is reshaping how people discover and trust brands, and marketing strategies must evolve accordingly. Don’t wait until the “searchquake” shakes you out of your comfort zone. Learn how you’re showing up in AI answers now, and start optimizing to be the answer.

Feel free to reach out if you’d like help assessing your AI visibility or adapting your digital marketing strategy.

➡️ Order Your AE Competitive Intelligence Report Today!

Glossary of AI Terms

Answer Engine (AE)
An AI-powered system designed to interpret a user’s question and deliver a direct, conversational response by pulling structured content from trusted sources.

Answer Engine Optimization (AEO)
The practice of structuring your content so that AI-driven tools, such as voice assistants, AI summaries, and featured snippets, can easily understand and surface it. Unlike traditional SEO, AEO prioritizes clear, concise, and authoritative answers that can be extracted directly by answer engines.

Large Language Models (LLMs)
Deep-learning models trained on vast amounts of text data to understand and generate human language. They are built on transformer neural networks and power systems such as ChatGPT, Claude, and Gemini.

AI Overview (AIO)
A Google Search feature that uses generative AI to deliver a short summary of a topic alongside links to related sources. These appear near the top of the results page and compile information from multiple sources to give users a quick overview.

Search Engine Optimization (SEO)
The process of making web pages easier for search engines to understand and for users to find. SEO involves optimizing pages so they can be crawled, indexed, and ranked, encouraging visitors to click through and engage.

Generative Engine Optimization (GEO)
A strategy focused on ensuring AI-driven generative models (e.g., ChatGPT, Perplexity, Gemini) recognize and use your content when forming answers. GEO involves optimizing your site’s structure, citations and brand messaging so that AI systems understand the broader context and include your brand in responses.

Generative AI
A type of artificial intelligence that can create new content such as text, images, code, and more, based on patterns learned from training data. These models can adapt as they receive more data and feedback.

Perplexity
An AI-powered search engine that processes user queries and synthesizes responses using large language models and real-time web search. It offers conversational answers with source citations and allows follow-up questions, available in both free and paid versions.

ChatGPT
A conversational AI model developed by OpenAI that can follow instructions in prompts, answer follow-up questions, admit mistakes and challenge incorrect premises. It is widely used for general question answering and content generation.

 

Anthem and Phoenix website designer and SEO expert, Charlotte Howard

Charlotte Howard is the owner of Accelerated Web Systems and has been helping Phoenix-area businesses grow through strategic web design and digital marketing for over 20 years. Her Client Acquisition Systems have generated millions in revenue for local businesses.