A recent analysis by Datos and SparkToro highlights major changes in how people are searching, largely driven by the widespread implementation of AI across Google’s search systems. 

A new study of data from millions of real users found a significant drop in how often people in the United States are making searches on Google compared to just a year previous. 

Despite Google’s user numbers remaining stable, data indicates that individual users are performing fewer searches – a trend that has significant implications for traffic to organic results, Google ads, and discoverability on search. 

What The Study Says

According to Datos and SparkToro’s report, the average number of desktop Google searches per person has dropped by nearly 20% year-over-year for U.S. users. Notably, this phenomenon is largely limited to American users, while Europe only saw a decline of about 2-3%. 

Despite this shift, the report says that the amount of traditional searches has remained largely stable over the past year, accounting for approximately 10% of all U.S. desktop activity. 

AI Overviews Credited With Reducing Searches Per User

Based on their analysis, Datos largely credits AI with changing how people are searching. 

The primary reason behind the change is that users are increasingly getting the information they need with fewer queries. It is believed this is because AI-powered results and instant answers reduce the need for follow-up searches. 

While repeat or follow-up searches have seen significant drops, searches that don’t typically result in a click to a website remain high, indicating people are still relying on Google to find information. They are just getting the information more quickly, and largely without clicking through to websites. 

While AI is largely credited with the shifts away from repeated searches or follow-up queries, the study emphasizes that users are largely avoiding dedicated AI search tools. Dedicated AI search tools currently account for less than 1% of total desktop activity in the U.S., and the study notes that Google’s “AI Mode” accounts for a tiny percentage of overall usage. 

Other Notable Findings

The report largely focuses on the shift in searches per user, but it mentions a few other notable changes in search behavior. 

Most significantly, Datos found that users are turning to longer, more complex queries to find the information they need. Specifically, users are more frequently using longer search phrases, typically between six to nine words, when searching. This means keywords are getting longer and shows that businesses should adapt the keywords they focus on accordingly. 

The report also shows that when people do click through to a website from Google’s search results, they are increasingly going to one of a handful of websites. Instead of varying search results, the majority of clicks are going to YouTube, Reddit, Amazon, and Facebook. 

The Takeaway

The sharp decline in searches per user in the U.S. reflects a new phase in search behavior. Increasingly, AI-powered instant answers are changing how users engage with search engines, often eliminating the need for multiple searches or clicks on external sites. For businesses, this means it is more crucial than ever to diversify the channels you are marketing on, rather than relying strictly on search to drive organic traffic.

For more, read the full report from Datos here.