Datos released a report that analyzes how generative AI influences consumer search behaviors, titled “Consumer Search Behavior: What’s Changing and What’s Not in the Age of AI?” In the report, Sonata Insights, a leading research and advisory service that focuses on social media and AI, analyzed Datos’ desktop and mobile web browsing data from May 2023 to May 2024 to identify shifts in search behavior.
The percentage of traditional search engine users who also use AI platforms has grown in the past year but remains in the low double digits. In May 2024, according to Datos, 16.45% of the cohort used at least one of the AI platforms in the study, showing an increase of about two points year-over-year. However, 99% of AI platform users in the study also continued to use traditional search engines.
“The integration of AI into search is an exciting development, but it’s clear that traditional search engines like Google still hold a dominant position,” said Debra Aho Williamson, Chief Analyst at Sonata Insights. “However, marketers need to keep a close eye on these evolving trends and be ready to adapt their strategies accordingly as AI tools and technologies further develop and as consumer adoption increases.”
Key findings from the report include:
- Google continues to dominate: Google desktop users searched an average of 10.3 days per month, compared to nine for DuckDuck Go, 6.8 for Bing and five for Yahoo. Google remains the most dominant search engine in the U.S., maintaining stable metrics in search frequency and user engagement despite the rise of AI-driven search tools.
- AI platforms are secondary tools: 99% of AI platform users use conventional search methods alongside AI tools. AI platforms such as ChatGPT, Claude, Copilot and Perplexity show growth in monthly active users but are not replacing traditional search engines.
- YouTube leads in social search: YouTube is the most-searched social platform, with an average of 19.9 searches per search user per month over the course of the study, based on mobile and desktop usage, excluding in-app behavior. LinkedIn had the second-highest average, at 13.3.
- AI looms, but retail search is stable: Web search trends have remained stable over the past year with only slight, inconsistent declines for some platforms like Amazon, likely due to seasonal sales events. This suggests that consumer search behavior is not undergoing drastic changes. Searches per user have either stayed consistent or increased, indicating a healthy level of user engagement. While AI shopping assistants may impact retail search behaviors, more precise data will take another year or more to emerge.
“While AI platforms are seeing increased adoption, traditional search engines remain the primary tool for most users,” said Eli Goodman, Co-Founder and CEO of Datos. “New AI tools and assistants, like Amazon’s Rufus, will inevitably change how consumers interact online as they become more embedded in our daily lives. As adoption and engagement of AI grows, it will be interesting to see the shifts in search and how people behave online.”
