How Search Behaviour Changed in 2025: The Data
In six months, Google's share of the search market fell from 73% to 66.9%. ChatGPT's share grew from 4.1% to 12.5% — a three-fold increase. Daily AI usage among internet users rose from 14% to 29.2%. The shift from keyword search to AI-mediated information retrieval is not approaching — it is already the dominant behaviour pattern for a significant portion of the population.
The Traffic Quality Paradox
Visitors arriving from AI platforms spend 67.7% more time on page than visitors from organic search. AI traffic: 9 minutes 19 seconds average session. Organic traffic: 5 minutes 33 seconds. Users who navigate from an AI answer to your site have pre-qualified themselves. The volume is lower. The intent is higher.
CTR Collapse at the Top
AI Overviews reduce click-through rates for the first organic position by 34.5%.
| Device | CTR drop with AI Overview |
|---|---|
| Desktop | −47.5% |
| Mobile | −37.7% |
| Average | −34.5% |
Trust Has Not Kept Up With Adoption
Only 8.5% of users say they always trust AI Overviews. 21% say they never do. 82% describe themselves as broadly sceptical. 87% of users support regulatory intervention on AI-generated misinformation.
Demographics: Who Has Already Changed
- Gen Z (18–24): 55% have changed their search behaviour. 42% use AI daily.
- Millennials (25–40): 48% have changed behaviour.
- Gen X (41–56): 32% have changed behaviour.
- Boomers (57+): 22% have changed behaviour.
Platform Specialisation
| Query type | AI | |
|---|---|---|
| Simple facts | 85% | 8% |
| Product comparison | 70% | 25% |
| Learning / education | 60% | 35% |
| Technical help | 55% | 40% |
| News | 90% | — |
Regional Data
- Europe: AI 10.3 min vs organic 5.8 min on page
- United States: 6.7 min vs 5.2 min
- United Kingdom: 7.3 min vs 5.0 min
Gartner projects a 25% reduction in traditional search volume by 2026. 46.2% of users already report conscious awareness that their search behaviour has changed. The transition from keyword-based to intent-based retrieval is not a future scenario to plan for — it is the current environment to operate in.