For what looks like ages, “Google” has been synonymous with “search.” Have a query? Google it. On the lookout for a product? Google it. However shopper search habits has modified.
Now, individuals are flocking to different channels. Gen Z and Millennials are main the change, as 29% of the group prefers to seek for data on social media over precise serps.
However that’s not all — generative synthetic intelligence (AI) can also be coming to look consequence pages, throwing one other wrench in previous habits. In case your model depends on search visitors, large shopper shifts are coming (and already on their means). That will help you put together, listed here are probably the most important developments we discovered after surveying 700+ shoppers.
Desk of Contents
TLDR: How Shopper Search Conduct Is Altering & What Entrepreneurs Ought to Do About It
With these two groups quickly becoming the most powerful market share, marketers need to evolve their search behavior to stay competitive.
This means optimizing content for multiple platforms, prioritizing mobile and local SEO, and preparing for AI-driven search. With HubSpot’s integrated marketing tools, you can start optimizing your search approach today.
What is consumer search behavior?
Consumer search behavior refers to how people discover, research, and find information online before making purchases.
Today‘s consumers don’t just “Google it” anymore. They use social platforms, AI chatbots, voice assistants, and even visual search tools to find what they need. (This has been a big one for me lately.) They read reviews, watch unboxing videos, or do price comparisons.
This shift in consumer search habits demands a new approach to digital marketing strategy — one that meets customers wherever they choose to search.
How Consumer Search Behaviors Are Changing
So, what does consumer search behavior look like in 2025? Let’s break down some of the biggest trends and some telling statistics by category to discuss what it all means for your search behavior marketing.
AI search is on the rise.
1. 72% of consumers report planning on using gen AI-powered search for shopping in the future.
While Google remains the top research destination (more on that later), our research found that consumers plan to search for products more and more on apps like ChatGPT and Perplexity.
In fact, according to GWI, 31% of Gen Zers report they already use AI platforms or chatbots most continuously to seek out data on-line, whereas roughly the identical quantity additionally hope to see the analysis expertise solely enhance.
Add the truth that when researching a model or product, 59% of shoppers want to collect data themselves fairly than converse to a different human, and it’s no marvel experts expect ChatGPT alone to take 1% of the search market in 2025.
Okay, that was numerous numbers, however I feel it makes the image’s fairly clear.
The times of having the ability to ignore reply engine optimization (or AEO) are lengthy gone. AI is rapidly turning into part of common shopper search habits, and entrepreneurs have to react accordingly.
Undecided the place to start out? First, you’ll wish to see how your web site, merchandise, and model presently carry out with reply brokers. Our free AEO grader will reveal how AI interprets your model and provide you with a rating out of 100.
It’ll additionally provide you with detailed aggressive evaluation, model sentiment scoring, and strategic recommendations to improve your score. HubSpot’s Breeze AI specifically can support your efforts to enhance your model’s AI visibility. (How’s that for meta?)
Social media is more and more turning into the popular search channel.
2. 31% of shoppers use social media to seek out solutions to their questions.
Our research discovered one in three shoppers use social search to seek out solutions on-line. That is really over double the quantity of people who find themselves utilizing AI, and truthfully, it’s not an enormous shock.
Social media is the place individuals hang around. It will get a nasty rap for “brain rot,” however there’s additionally a wealth of academic and useful data. From how-tos and life hacks to information, individuals throughout each technology are consuming content material throughout some type of social media.
The truth is …
3. 29% of Gen Z and millennials want social media over serps.
Whereas simply 15% want social search over serps total, mixed, 49% of Gen Z and Millennials want social.
That’s a major chunk that may probably solely develop, particularly as these platforms additionally incorporate synthetic intelligence. (Assume Meta AI on Fb and Instagram, for instance.)
When interested by future methods, this might be a serious shift for entrepreneurs as youthful generations come into full shopping for energy as they rise in profession ranks and generate extra earnings.
Our research shows that B2B entrepreneurs plan to take a position extra in LinkedIn, whereas B2C entrepreneurs wish to TikTok. Each of those strikes mirror how customers analysis new services and products personally and professionally.
Conventional search nonetheless reigns supreme.
4. Most shoppers nonetheless flip to Google first for basic search.
All this hype might need you considering serps are dying, however website positioning groups should not go into panic simply but – if in any respect.
Whereas 79% of those that have already used AI for search consider it provides a greater expertise than conventional serps, most individuals nonetheless default to Google for basic search queries, according to BrightLocal. And that’s not even together with Google Maps or customers with Google as their default search engine on Safari.
Solely 5% mentioned they default to ChatGPT for basic searches, whereas only one% use voice assistants. However why? Isn’t AI the brand new web darling?
Sure, however not totally.
Our studies discovered that one in three shoppers makes use of AI instruments like chatbots and ChatGPT, however belief continues to be very low. The truth is, 45% of shoppers admit feeling hesitant about AI, contemplating potential bias, misinformation, and information privateness, amongst different issues.
That is additionally probably why our analysis has discovered shoppers nonetheless consider serps are best at answering their questions.
So, total, whereas options are gaining traction and bettering performance, conventional search continues to be a go-to for shoppers searching for solutions.
Plus, serps are incorporating their very own AI responses to searches and reply engine optimization (AEO) continues to be in its infancy. It’s unclear if search rank has an affect on agent mentions and there’s nonetheless an opportunity it does.
Issues are altering quick, although. So, we’ll be paying consideration.
Cell search continues to be common.
5. 54% of shoppers primarily use telephones to look.
Customers we surveyed say they use mobile phones more than any other device when looking for questions on-line. However, equally to social search preferences, mobile-first search habits turn into much more drastic in youthful generations.
A whopping 80% of Gen Z use their telephones most frequently when looking out, with Millennials (62%) and Gen X (66%) not far behind.
Our newest Consumer Trends report additionally reveals shoppers store on their telephones greater than some other gadget. That’s notably true for Gen Z, of which 81% use their cellphone as their major purchasing gadget.
This mobile-first method highlights simply how essential it is turning into to optimize internet experiences for cell search platforms and adapt to the preferences of youthful generations.
Shopper search is extra native than you could suppose.
6. Nearly all of shoppers say not less than 21% of their searches are local-specific.
A study by BrightLocal found, 71% of shopper searches are estimated to be devoted to native searches. Extra particularly 32% estimating 21-40% of their searches have been native, 24% estimating 41-60%, 11% estimating 61-80%, and 4% estimating 81-100%.
If your online business has a particular service space or bodily location, localization and native website positioning ought to be part of your advertising technique.
7. 1 in 5 shoppers conduct native searches instantly inside maps.
One behavior I’ve discovered myself doing in recent times is utilizing Google Maps to seek for locations to eat, keep, and so forth when travelling. I’ll kind within the deal with of the place I’m going then zoom in to see what’s shut by.
Apparently, I’m not alone.
Google Maps, Apple Maps, and Bing Maps mixed make up 20% of default native search platforms for shoppers. So, if related, you wish to make certain your online business is about as much as seem in outcomes.
8. 1 in 4 of Gen Z shoppers use social media as their major technique for native search.
Social media performs an enormous function in native search as effectively. With location tags and user-generated content material, it’s frequent for shoppers to study companies of their geographic location or these they’re going to be in.
Take me, for instance. On Instagram, I’ve collections the place I save locations and eating places I’d like to go to by state, metropolis, or nation.
Visible search is up-and-coming.
9. A minimum of 42% of shoppers are considerably involved in utilizing visible search.
When you’ve been on Google or Amazon these days — and who hasn’t — you’ve probably seen this function.
It’s a digicam icon or {photograph} on or subsequent to the search bar (like within the screenshot above) that permits customers to add an image of a bodily merchandise they wish to be taught extra about.
This may be helpful for quite a few completely different searches. It may possibly establish vegetation or animals, types of furnishings, or most helpful to companies, present customers precisely the place they will purchase a product just like the one within the image. That was me a number of instances this summer time looking for out the place I might purchase a particular gown or pair of pants.
According to eMarketer, solely about 27% of individuals are doing the identical proper now (with Gen Z and Millennials main the way in which), however an encouraging 42% are involved in attempting it out.
Amazon has additionally reported a 70% enhance in visible searches worldwide year-over-year, whereas Google will get about 20 billion Lens searches a month, 4 billion associated to purchasing.
Visible search is rising and with the prevalence of cell purchasing, it will probably actually be utilized by entrepreneurs to extend conversions and gross sales.
Adapt Your Technique to New Shopper Search Conduct
Now, understanding these shifts in search habits is just the start. Here is how one can optimize your digital advertising technique for the evolving search panorama.
(Dig even deeper in our free AI search information: “How to Rank on AI Search: 5 Strategies to Stay Visible in the AI Era“)
1. Put money into AEO.
The 2025 State of Marketing revealed that 19% of entrepreneurs are constructing website positioning methods for generative AI search, and practically half of B2B and B2C (each 47%) entrepreneurs have seen a rise to their internet visitors on account of shoppers utilizing AI search.
These numbers are to not be taken calmly. They present a dramatic shift in shopper search habits and potential rivals’ methods.
Whereas AI adoption continues to be rising, early AEO might help place you forward of the curve.
Right here’s what you are able to do:
Conduct an evaluation of your model.
In the beginning, you want to assess your model’s present visibility in AI search, model sentiment, notion in AI serps, and the way you examine to rivals. I imply, you’ll be able to’t know the way a lot work must be performed till you recognize the place you stand presently, proper?
A device like HubSpot’s free AI Search Grader can do that for you.
Examine content material featured in AI search responses
What’s already displaying up in AI brokers and engines? Have a look at who’s “profitable” and what their model is doing that maybe yours isn’t. You may also use Perplexity, Gemini, and Google’s steered follow-ups and “Individuals Additionally Ask” inquiries to establish gaps in your content material advertising.
Analyze AI-generated citations to see the place rivals are getting talked about and look at how AI overviews are structured and formatted.
Construction content material for AI comprehension.
Talking of construction, all of the rules of making high-quality content material nonetheless apply with AEO. Use clear headers, bullet factors, and direct solutions to frequent questions. Optimize for featured snippets and concentrate on person intent.
General, you wish to construct authority and backlinks to sign to LLMs that you simply’re a trusted supply and professional in your future content material advertising. AI techniques are inclined to prioritize credible, well-sourced data.
Professional tip: Create complete subject clusters. AI instruments synthesize data from a number of sources, so thorough protection issues. Study extra about “subject clusters” right here.
Construct a powerful multichannel on-line presence.
AI fashions mixture information from various sources, so it’s essential to ascertain a powerful presence and fame as an professional throughout a number of channels.
Be sure you’re taking part in on-line discussions, monitoring and responding to opinions and suggestions, and crafting a compelling narrative across the issues your product solves.
From running a blog to social media and analytics. Marketing Hub has the entire instruments you want to adapt your advertising technique to new shopper search behaviors. The most effective half: You may get began with it without cost.
2. Optimize for social search success.
Our latest report discovered 84% of marketers agree that buyers will seek for manufacturers on social media this 12 months. With that in thoughts, your social media technique wants a search-first mindset.
Right here’s what it’s best to do:
Create searchable content material.
Use related hashtags, key phrases in captions, and descriptive alt textual content on any visible content material. This can assist make it simpler for algorithms to crawl and retrieve your content material for customers, in addition to index the content material for customers to seek out on their very own.
Professional tip: Video is the identify of the social media recreation in 2025 — three of the highest 5 most-used social platforms throughout each B2B and B2C manufacturers are YouTube, Instagram, and TikTok, and these are the platforms driving probably the most website visitors, social engagement, and viewers progress.
Get platform-specific.
Each social media platform has its refined nuances and options. Optimize for TikTok‘s search algorithm, Instagram’s Discover web page, and YouTube’s steered movies. Additionally be sure to abide by any technical specs resembling facet ratio, dimensions, file dimension, and file kind.
Construct subject authority.
Constantly create content material round your core matters to ascertain relevance in social algorithms. Not solely does this give the platform’s details about what you’re about, however your viewers as effectively.
HubSpot’s social media management tools cannot solely show you how to schedule and publish social media content material to perform these targets, but in addition create, analyze, and monitor that content material.
3. Grasp mobile-first optimization.
Once I first received began in digital advertising, cell optimization was an enormous subject of debate. We preached ensuring web sites have been set as much as provide the perfect person expertise from a browser, however as we speak, that’s an enormous think about cell search rating as effectively.
With cell search dominating throughout all demographics, cell optimization is non-negotiable.
Which means it’s best to:
Give attention to website pace.
Intention for web page load instances underneath three seconds on cell gadgets. Quicker web sites provide a greater person expertise, in flip minimizing bounce charges and bettering your search rank.
Professional tip: AI might help.
Learn: Understanding Technical website positioning: Audit Fundamentals + Detailed Checklists
Design for thumbs.
Guarantee buttons, hyperlinks, and interactive parts in your web site are simply tappable. Equally, make certain it’s straightforward to scroll or swipe by your content material.
Prioritize native search.
Cell searches usually have native intent. Persons are searching for one thing close by as they’re on the transfer. So, remember to optimize your Google Enterprise Profile and native website positioning.
Professional tip: The HubSpot Market is filled with free mobile-responsive website templates to assist make optimization straightforward for you.
4. Cater to your goal technology.
Bear in mind, whereas most developments we mentioned are constant throughout generations, there are refined nuances that adjust.
For instance, whereas all generations are utilizing social media, youthful generations are flocking to Instagram and TikTok, whereas older generations are nonetheless having fun with YouTube. Cater your search habits advertising to the generations you’re attempting to succeed in.
5. Keep your search engine basis.
With all of the speak about AI and social media, it’s straightforward to suppose you’ll be able to ignore conventional website positioning — however that will be an enormous mistake. Conventional serps stay the spine of on-line discovery. The truth is, conventional search rank might even impression AI visibility. It’s nonetheless unclear.
Realizing that, proceed investing in website positioning fundamentals whereas increasing to new channels. Which means persevering with to work in your:
- Technical website positioning: Guarantee crawlability, website construction, and Core Internet Vitals meet requirements
- Content material depth: Create complete assets that serps can confidently advocate
- Person intent alignment: Match content material to the particular wants customers specific by their searches
Regularly Requested Questions on Shopper Search Conduct
What are the 5 levels of the client’s journey?
The customer’s journey usually follows 5 key levels, every with distinct search behaviors:
- Downside Recognition (or consciousness): Customers establish a necessity and start broad searches for options.
- Data search: They actively analysis throughout a number of platforms and sources, together with doable serps, social media, and even AI.
- Analysis of options (or consideration): Right here, the patron is evaluating choices, studying opinions, and searching for suggestions to find out which is the proper answer for his or her wants.
- Buy choice: The patron has recognized the answer they need and are actually taking a look at availability and how one can get the perfect deal.
- Submit-purchase habits: Looking for utilization ideas, help, or sharing their expertise in opinions or suggestions varieties. This additionally might embody making referrals or perhaps a repurchase.
How have shopper search habits modified in recent times?
Shopper search habits have advanced dramatically. Whereas conventional serps stay dominant, we’re seeing a shift towards multi-platform search methods. Key adjustments embody the rise of social media search, mobile-first habits, and rising AI device adoption.
Why is knowing search habits essential for entrepreneurs?
Search habits insights instantly impression advertising effectiveness. By understanding the place and the way your viewers searches, you’ll be able to refine your content material to enhance visibility and join with shoppers at essential choice moments. This data drives higher ROI and helps your model seem wherever clients search for options.
What proportion of shoppers use social media for search?
One in three shoppers use social search to seek out solutions on-line. Due to enhanced algorithms, hashtags, and even AI help, social media can ship sturdy solutions to customers that embody content material created by friends and sources they belief.
Why is cell search turning into extra essential?
Statista studies that over half of global web traffic comes from cell use, making mobile-first design important to any marketer and model. With cell use being such a outstanding shopper search behavior, it might be misguided of entrepreneurs to neglect cell optimization of their technique,
How ought to entrepreneurs adapt to altering search habits?
Entrepreneurs should embrace a hybrid technique—that features conventional website positioning, Reply Engine Optimization (AEO), and Generative Engine Optimization (GEO)—to stay seen throughout AI-powered search solutions, voice assistants, and conversational instruments.
The rise of AI-driven search instruments like ChatGPT and Perplexity, now capturing shifting chunks of search visitors, requires entrepreneurs to additionally optimize for AI-first codecs and zero-click summaries.
Moreover, together with structured information, participating FAQ codecs (like this one), and making certain correct, brand-level data help visibility in AI-generated outcomes and voice search and helps place manufacturers to nonetheless get discovered by their goal audiences in as we speak’s market.
What function does AI play in future search habits?
AI-powered search instruments are reshaping discovery. Instruments like ChatGPT and Perplexity now account for roughly 5.6% of U.S. desktop search traffic as of mid-2025, greater than doubling in a 12 months.
Main gamers like Google are embedding AI Overviews into search outcomes—reaching billions of customers and enhancing person expertise, although at the price of fewer web site click-throughs.
This shift calls for that manufacturers construct content material designed for direct quotation by AI and domesticate genuine user-generated opinions and group voices, which AI instruments more and more reference.
Which search platforms ought to companies prioritize? Which search platforms ought to manufacturers prioritize for max visibility?
This will depend on your online business, product, and viewers, however listed here are some basic tips which might be price experimenting with.
Google stays essential for broad attain, however companies should additionally diversify throughout rising platforms and search modalities. Social media platforms like TikTok, boards like Reddit, and even AI chat instruments like ChatGPT have gotten highly effective search locations, particularly amongst youthful or trend-driven audiences.
Moreover, optimizing for voice, visible, and native search — through instruments like Google Lens, structured markup, and native enterprise profiles— provides visibility the place intent is wealthy and instant.
Adapting Your Technique to New Shopper Search Conduct
In 2025, shopper search habits is now not outlined by a single platform or behavior — it’s multi-channel, contextual, and out there on-the-go.
Whereas conventional serps nonetheless anchor the expertise and maintain nice energy, social media, AI-powered instruments, and mobile-first habits are including new complexity and dimension. As a marketer, you want to keep versatile and experimental. This vigilance and early adoption is what is going to hold you related and straightforward to seek out when shoppers go searching.
Editor’s be aware: This submit was initially printed in August 2023 and has been up to date for comprehensiveness.
