New Research: Exploring the Digital Search Landscape: Google vs. AI

Hey there, internet explorers! Have you ever wondered how people find information online? So buckle up, because we are about to embark on a wonderful tour through the world of search engines and some exciting new technology known as AI. Don’t worry if that sounds complicated – we’ll break it down so it’s easy to understand!

What’s All the Buzz About?

Some smart researchers at a company called Sonata Insights recently did a big study. They looked at data from another company named Datos to see how people search for things online. They wanted to know if new AI search engines are changing the way we look for information. If you’re interested in how websites work or how to help people find things online, this is super important stuff!

The data: Here is the chart showing Google VS other AI search players in the field:

Google: Still the King of Search

Here is a graphic that displays query data but excludes the real numbers. It does display searches per search user and how much greater Google is than the other players.

You’ve probably used Google before, right? Well, guess what? It’s still the most popular way to search online. Here are some cool facts:

• In May 2024, Google had even more visits than it did the year before.
• For every 290 people using Google, only 1 person was using a new AI search engine called Perplexity.
• Google users do about 200 searches every month, while Perplexity users only do about 15.

That’s a big difference! It’s like comparing a busy highway to a quiet country road.

AI Search Engines: The New Kids on the Block

Even though Google is still the biggest, new AI search engines are growing. They’re like the cool new toys that everyone’s talking about. But are they really taking over? Let’s look at the numbers:

• Only about 16 out of every 100 people who use regular search engines have tried an AI search engine.
• And get this: 99 out of 100 people who use AI search engines still use regular ones too!

It’s kind of like how you might have a favorite ice cream shop, but you still try new flavors sometimes. You’re not giving up your favorite; you’re just adding something new!

Why This Matters to You

You might be thinking, “Why should I care about all this?” So, if you have a website or want to assist people locate items online, you need to know where they are looking. It’s like knowing which park all your friends hang out in – that’s where you want to be!

Some people think AI search engines will change everything overnight. But the numbers show that’s not happening yet. It’s more like a slow change, kind of like how electric cars are becoming more common but haven’t replaced all the regular cars.

Desktop Traffic Showdown: Google and Perplexity in May 2024

This comparison looks at desktop traffic, showing visits per month for Google versus major AI/LLM search engines. In May 2024, Google’s desktop visits slightly increased by 1.4% compared to May 2023. Meanwhile, Perplexity, the largest AI search player in this category, had 15.69 visits per month, showing a significant 42% growth from the previous year.

You might think Google’s advantage over Perplexity has shrunk from being 16 times larger to about 11 times larger. However, this data only shows visits, not searches. Sonata and Datos also graphed this, but they removed the axis details, making it unclear.

Google’s Desktop and Mobile Searches Grow Despite AI Hype

• Google’s share of combined desktop and mobile web traffic remained steady between May 2023 and May 2024.
• The percentage of users who searched stayed relatively unchanged throughout the year. (This indicates that while AI platforms are seeing engagement, they aren’t taking search share from Google; instead, they are adding to it.)
• The average number of Google searches per desktop user increased to 109.9 in May 2024, a rise of 10.4% from May 2023.
• Mobile web searches per user were 51 in May 2024. (This doesn’t include searches on the Google mobile search app, which sees a large volume of searches. Google notes that mobile search is about twice the size of desktop search.)
• The percentage of traditional search engine users who also use AI platforms grew by only 2 points over the past year. In May 2024, 16.45% of these users utilized at least one AI platform from the study. (This growth rate isn’t impressive for a technology touted as revolutionary. (We’ll see if the introduction of SearchGPT changes this, but I remain skeptical.)
• Importantly, AI platform users didn’t abandon traditional search engines; 99% continued to use them. (This doesn’t align with the numerous posts in my social feeds claiming that Perplexity, Claude, ChatGPT, or Gemini have completely replaced Google. Maybe I’m just following too many people in that small 1%?)

What About Other Ways to Find Information?

While we’re talking about searching, let’s look at some other cool things happening online:

• Threads: A New Place to Chat There’s a new app called Threads that just hit 200 million monthly users. That’s a lot of people! It’s growing faster than Twitter did when it first started. This shows that sometimes, new places to share information can get really popular really fast.
• Mobile Apps: Always in Your Pocket Remember when everyone was talking about mobile apps being the next big thing? Well, they’re still important, but they didn’t take over everything like some people thought. It’s kind of like how some people thought everyone would only watch movies on their phones – but we still have TV and movie theaters!

What Does This Mean for the Future?

Here’s the big takeaway: things in the online world are always changing, but not as fast as some people think. If you have a website or want to share information online, here’s what you should remember:

• Focus on where people are looking right now. Don’t worry too much about guessing where they might look in the future.
• Keep an eye on new technologies, but don’t jump on every new trend right away.
• Remember that most people still use familiar tools like Google, even if they try new things too.

Wrapping It Up

So, what have we learned? Google is still the biggest player in the search game, but new AI search engines are growing. Most people are sticking with what they know, but they’re also curious about new ways to find information.

The most important thing is to pay attention to how people actually behave, not just what’s being talked about a lot. Sometimes, the things that get the most buzz aren’t actually changing how most people do things.

Remember, the online world is always changing, but people’s habits often change more slowly than we expect. So keep learning, keep exploring, but also remember that tried-and-true methods are often still the best way to reach people.

Next time you search for something online, think about how you’re doing it. Are you using Google? Trying out a new AI search engine? Or maybe asking a voice assistant? You’re part of this big, exciting world of digital discovery. How cool is that?

Featured Image source: Tashheer.com