Tag Archive for: digital search

AI Use Equals More Than Half of Search Usage According To New Study

,

A new analysis indicates that AI tools are now generating enough sessions to be equivalent to more than half of search engine volume – highlighting the surge in artificial intelligence usage in recent times. 

According to data from Graphite.io CEO Ethan Smith, AI tools drive more than 45 billion monthly sessions worldwide, equivalent to roughly 56% of search engine volume. 

The study analyzed usage from both web traffic and mobile apps going to major artificial intelligence tools including ChatGPT, Gemini, Perplexity, Grok, and Claude.

While desktop usage accounted for a significant amount of LLM usage, the report indicates that mobile tools have been the driving force behind the major rise in AI usage.

Notably, the study found that the increased usage of AI didn’t necessarily come at the cost of traditional search engine usage. Instead, the combined use of online search and LLM tools rose 26% since 2023. 

What The Report Says

The report specifically reviewed usage of the five largest AI tools available (ChatGPT, Gemini, Perplexity, Grok, and Claude), and compared them against the largest search engines. 

It found that all the artificial intelligence platforms combined generated approximately 45 billion monthly sessions worldwide, including 5.4 billion sessions in the U.S. each month. 

Of all AI usage, 83% came from mobile apps. In the U.S., mobile apps drove 75% of artificial intelligence use. 

While other AI platforms have shown increased usage in recent months, the study shows that ChatGPT still leads the pack by a wide margin, driving 89% of global LLM usage. 

These findings are notable because this is one of the only studies to compare online search with LLM usage across both desktop sessions and mobile apps. This leads the report to suggest that most comparisons between AI use and online search usage underestimate AI use by 4-5x. 

At the same time, the findings suggest that artificial intelligence and digital search are not necessarily in competition with each other. While search may be losing some use to LLMs, Smith suggests that the increase in overall usage suggests both search and artificial intelligence may both be essential for users. Rather than AI superceding search, brands need to invest in both to maintain visibility to users. 

For more, read the full report here. 

/0 Comments

Google Reveals 5 Key Ways COVID-19 Impacted Online Search

, ,

The COVID-19 pandemic has impacted or changed almost every part of our daily lives in some way, and that holds very true when it comes to online search. 

Google has been tracking these shifts from the initial outbreak to our current time where over 4 billion people are staying home around the world and many in America are returning to work. 

In particular, Google says it has seen five key trends reflecting how online search behavior, consumers’ interests, and purchasing behavior have shifted over the past few months.

The five key trends in online search after COVID-19 include:

  1. More consumers are relying on multiple devices
  2. Increased reliance on Google search
  3. People are using online tools to create and develop virtual relationships
  4. Routines are adjusting to reflect being at home
  5. People are increasingly practicing self-care

Let’s dig into what these trends really mean and reflect:

Multiple Devices

With the huge jump in people working from home or spending extra time relaxing inside, Google has seen a similar increase in the amount of content consumption. Specifically, the company says staying home has led to at least a 60% increase in the amount of digital content watched in the US.

This means many consumers are relying on one device to indulge in their favorite content online while using another device to browse products, look up information, and connect with friends. 

Increased Reliance On Google

The search engine has seen a massive increase in searches for critical information and a wave of content designed to inform the public about safety, updated business practices, and other essential needs.

For example, Google has seen that online search interest for terms like “online grocery shopping” and “grocery delivery” grew 23% year over year in the US. 

Online medical needs have also skyrocketed, with online search interest in telemedicine climbing by 150% week-over-week. 

Building Virtual Relationships

Businesses may be opening, but many are still practicing social distancing which keeps them away from friends and family. In lieu of being able to spend time with loved ones, people are finding new ways to build relationships online:

As of April, Google Meet has hosted at least 3 billion minutes of video meetings, with nearly 3 million new users joining every day. 

Online search shows increased interest in digital recreations of normal social events, such as a rise in search interest for “virtual happy hour” or “with me” content which shows people doing ordinary tasks like cleaning, studying, or cooking. 

Changing Routines

As social distancing and quarantine continues for many, online search interest has shown that many are adapting their typical routines to be internet-first.

For example, search interest for “stationary bicycles” and “dumbbell set” has continued to rise while many try to stay healthy from home. 

Google also reports that search interest for “telecommuting” in the US has continued to grow since it reached an all-time high on Google and YouTube in March.

Practicing Self-Care

To help cope with the mental and physical toll of the COVID-19 epidemic, many are turning to online search to assist in practicing self-care from home. 

Some examples of this from Google’s report include:

  • Views of mediation-related videos are 51% higher in 2020 compared to 2019.
  • Searches for “bored” spiked significantly and have remained heightened since March. 
  • Searches for at-home activities such as “games,” “puzzles,” and “coloring books” have remained increased since March. 

Read the Full Report

The full report includes additional data as well as recommendations for responding to these changes to online search over the past few months. You can read the entire 39-page document here (PDF).

/0 Comments