You don’t have to ‘just Google it’: AI chatbots, TikTok, and Reddit are redefining how we search online
Google’s longstanding dominance in the search engine market is increasingly challenged by evolving consumer behaviors and the rise of alternative platforms. The pandemic has catalyzed a shift in how users seek information, with many turning to social media apps like TikTok and AI chatbots such as ChatGPT for their queries. For instance, London-based professional Mohamed Mura has significantly reduced his Google usage in favor of TikTok for practical questions, like changing a watch band, and utilizes ChatGPT as a personal brainstorming assistant. This trend is echoed by a McKinsey survey indicating that U.S. consumers now prefer AI chat interfaces over traditional search engines when considering purchases. Notably, nearly half of Gen Z users favor social media for search, a statistic that aligns with Google’s own findings regarding younger demographics.
Despite these shifts, Google remains a formidable player, controlling approximately 90% of the global search market. The company’s recent earnings report highlighted a 15% increase in revenue from Google search, totaling $56.6 billion. However, this figure does not account for the growing influence of video platforms like TikTok and e-commerce giants like Amazon. As the internet diversifies and users increasingly seek information from niche platforms, Google’s market share could diminish. New startups are emerging to fill this gap, offering specialized search tools tailored to specific needs, such as Lore for fandoms and Daydream for e-commerce. Meanwhile, social media platforms are becoming essential for users looking for recommendations on products, services, and experiences, further fragmenting the search landscape.
For those seeking alternatives to Google, various tools are available depending on the type of information desired. For instance, TikTok and Instagram are popular for finding recipes and travel inspiration, while Pinterest is the go-to for design ideas. Users interested in privacy can explore search engines like DuckDuckGo, which prioritize user anonymity. Additionally, platforms like Reddit have become valuable resources for real-life advice and recommendations, with the launch of features like Reddit Answers enhancing the user experience. As the search landscape evolves, the choice of platforms and tools continues to expand, reflecting a broader shift in how individuals engage with information online.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3ssIm-_GZ3E
Getty Images; Tyler Le/BI
Google’s dominance is facing new challenges as search habits shift.
Social apps like TikTok and AI chatbots like ChatGPT are changing how we look for information.
This story is one of a five-part series exploring the changing online search landscape.
It’s never been easier to ditch
Google search
.
Just ask Mohamed Mura, a 37-year-old professional based in London, who began pulling back from the search engine during the pandemic.
Instead of typing into Google, he turned to
TikTok for questions
like “how to change a watch band.” With the launch of ChatGPT in 2022, Mura’s Google usage dropped further. He said the AI chatbot felt like a “second brain or agent” he could bounce ideas off of.
He now uses a mix of tools for search, like ChatGPT, Grok, TikTok, Reddit, Perplexity, and yes, still sometimes Google. He’s not alone. AI search tools are becoming daily habits for many.
When presented with a list of tools to use when considering a purchase, US consumers said they preferred AI chat interfaces to traditional search engines, according to an August survey of about 2,000 respondents by the consulting firm McKinsey.
Young people, in particular, are also looking beyond Google to social apps like TikTok, Reddit, Pinterest, or Instagram to find information. Nearly half (46%) of Gen Z users prefer to search on social media rather than Google, according to a survey last year from Forbes Advisor and Talker Research. That figure generally lines up with
Google’s own data
on Gen Z’s search preferences.
This story is part of a series exploring the changing online search landscape and its impact on consumers, media companies, advertisers, and tech platforms.
A new generation of media startups is built to survive ‘Google Zero’
The new SEO is GEO — and no one really knows the rules
Stay tuned for:
Google after Google: How the search giant is disrupting itself
Why Pinterest is all in on visual search
“Social search is definitely a hot topic,” Evelyn Mitchell-Wolf, a senior analyst at Forrester, told Business Insider, especially as “search behaviors fracture or distribute among a broader array of platforms aside from just Google.” In fact, more US consumers are turning to social media platforms than to AI options, such as ChatGPT or Microsoft Copilot, according to a recent survey from EMARKETER, Business Insider’s sister company.
Google is still king among traditional search engines and AI search tools, controlling around 90% of the global market, according to network services firm Cloudflare. Google has also responded to competition by
adding AI overviews
to many of its search results.
In its earnings report last month, Google’s parent company Alphabet said quarterly sales from Google search rose 15% from a year ago to $56.6 billion, making up more than half of the company’s overall revenue.
Google’s market dominance in traditional search doesn’t factor in searches on video apps like TikTok or
e-commerce tools like Amazon,
however. And Google’s grip on the overall search landscape could loosen as the internet splinters into smaller communities.
Beyond AI chatbots and video apps, a slew of new search-focused startups, including Lore, a fandom-focused search engine, and Daydream, an e-commerce AI search tool for shopping, have emerged to support the demand for something new.
So, where are the best places to go if you want to try a new way of searching? It depends on what you’re looking for.
Here are some search tips and tricks:
Finding new recipes or places to visit
AI tools like ChatGPT or
Anthropic’s Claude
are great at concocting original recipes with ingredients you already have at home. Video apps like TikTok or Instagram let you search for a recipe and actually see the cooking process before you try it.
Finding new recipes was the most common use case for
TikTok’s search engine
, a 2023 survey from Adobe found, with people saying they were looking for “video tutorials,” “product or service reviews,” and “personal stories or anecdotes” on the app.
TikTok creator Cheryl Smyth posts cooking videos for around 300,000 followers.
Liam McBurney – PA Images/PA Images via Getty Images
Video reviews
are also handy when planning a trip, allowing you to see a hotel or destination before deciding to visit. TikTok released a product this year that lets users
book hotels
directly from videos in the app.
Young people “are looking for product or service recommendations and they’re looking for restaurants to eat at,” Mitchell-Wolf said. Social platforms are a “flourishing environment” for this category of search, she added.
Finding new outfits or things to decorate your home
If you’re looking for inspiration, Pinterest can be a first stop in the search journey.
Design, particularly, is the top search use case (62%) for the moodboarding platform, according to a March survey from Adobe. Fashion advice was also popular.
A recent example: In August, Pinterest shared that searches for “vintage fall aesthetic” were up 1,074% year-over-year, and that there were upticks in searches around thrifted outfits, kitchen accessories, and interior decorating.
A Pinterest activation at New York Fashion Week.
Roy Rochlin/Getty Images for IMG Fashion
Social
platforms like Instagram
and TikTok can also be places to find inspiration. And for fashion specifically, there’s a wave of new startups building shopping search tools, from personalized e-commerce search engines like Daydream to more niche platforms helping people find secondhand items, such as Beni.
If you already have a product in mind to buy, you might turn to the giants Amazon and Walmart. EMARKETER found that 56% of US consumers go to Amazon for search and 45% to Walmart.
“Amazon has become a major destination for product search,” said Sky Canaves, a principal analyst at EMARKETER. “They’ve taken share from Google in that space over the years because they have so many products that Prime members can typically start a search there, and then maybe they go to Google next.”
Searching the web without prying eyes
Google, famously, is a data-collection machine. When you’re searching in its app, Chrome, Gmail, or some other Google-owned product, you’re helping the company build a detailed advertising profile on who you are and what you’re looking to buy.
Search engines and
browsers like DuckDuckGo
and Brave offer tools for privacy-conscious users who don’t want their search habits tracked.
“We know that people are tired of being exploited online by scammers and by data-hungry companies who essentially have made it their business model to sell users out to the highest advertising bidder,” said Beah Burger-Lenehan, SVP of product at DuckDuckGo.
Finding answers from real people
Sometimes websites don’t have the answers we’re looking for. We want answers from everyday people.
Have you found yourself typing “[insert search topic here] reddit” into Google? You’re not alone.
“Particularly with Gen Z or younger users, if they want to see what other people are saying, maybe they don’t start on Google, they will start on TikTok or go to Reddit,” Canaves said.
Reddit told investors that in the third quarter, over 75 million people searched on its platform each week.
The top search categories on Reddit are tech, news, and personal finance, according to a 2024 Adobe survey. However, a good chunk of people are also turning to the platform for career or relationship advice, as well as product recommendations.
In December, the company launched a chatbot search tool called Reddit Answers that summarizes user recommendations and discussions in a conversational manner. Daily query volume for the feature is up over 20% since last quarter, the company told Business Insider.
If you just don’t want to use Google, try these
If you’re simply tired of staring at the Google search bar and want something that’s similar, but not owned by Google, there’s always Microsoft’s Bing.
You can also try out AI-powered browsers like OpenAI’s Atlas and Perplexity’s Comet, which allow you to search conversationally or use an AI agent to complete certain tasks.
Some AI search tools offer voice assistants, which can make searching more seamless.
“It’s a lot less friction if you’re speaking to an AI assistant versus having to type a long query,” Canaves said. “The output that you get will be a lot more nuanced than what you would get from typing in three or four keywords into a Google search bar.”
Read the original article on
Business Insider
