Half of us now use AI search (and half of 'traditional search traffic' is at risk)

"A report out of consulting giant McKinsey describes just how much AI ground has already taken on its path to being the "new front door to the internet." 50% of us have already used AI-powered search tools, including ChatGPT, Gemini and Perplexity, the research finds. 45% are using those tools for purchasing decisions, while 44% say AI search is their "primary and preferred source of insight" - well ahead of traditional search at 31%."

"As this trend only continues to deepen, the research projects that $750bn of consumer spend will "flow through" AI-powered search by 2028 - but brands, it says, are not ready for this shift. Citing a "readiness gap," the research finds that between 20% and 50% of even top brands' traffic from traditional search channels is at risk, while only 16% of brands are systematically tracking their performance in AI search."

"For a long time, 'search' was almost coextensive with a single entity - Google - allowing search marketing practitioners to go far with deep expertise in that single platform. But the landscape is becoming far more heterodox. Even within 'traditional' search, things are changing. Google's dominant 93% market share from 2023 fell to below 90% this year as the giant ramps up AI integrations into its standard AI products (per McKinsey analysis, 50% of Google searches already serve AI summaries - a number that will rise to 75% by 2028)."

Fifty percent of people have used AI-powered search tools such as ChatGPT, Gemini and Perplexity, with 45% using them to inform purchasing decisions and 44% naming AI search their primary and preferred source of insight versus 31% for traditional search. Usage spans age groups, including a majority of older generations, though baby boomers still prefer traditional search engines. An estimated $750 billion of consumer spending is projected to flow through AI-powered search by 2028. Brands face a readiness gap: 20–50% of top brands' traditional search traffic is at risk and only 16% systematically track AI search performance. Google's market share has slipped below 90% and social search use has risen to 75%.

Read at The Drum