60% Say AI Gives Better, Clearer Answers Than Traditional Search

Over the past couple of years, AI-powered tools like ChatGPT, Perplexity and Gemini have changed how people find information and make decisions online. Rather than typing a query into Google and working through a list of results, users can now ask a question and receive a direct, conversational answer that synthesises information from multiple sources.

A recent report examined how widespread this search behaviour has become. The study asked consumers about their search habits and preferences, comparing how they use artificial intelligence against search engines.

Why People Are Choosing AI Over Google

60% of respondents said AI gives them better, clearer answers than traditional search engines. 37% now start their research with AI tools rather than going to Google first.

When asked why, the responses pointed to familiar frustrations.

• 62% prefer getting a summarised answer rather than a list of websites to work through
• 40% are frustrated by having to click through multiple links to find what they need
• 37% feel overwhelmed by ads and sponsored results
• 33% say they struggle to get a straight answer from traditional search

Only 6% said AI performs worse than search engines for finding information.

None of this suggests Google has stopped working. It’s more that the SERPs have become harder to navigate and users have to do more work to get to a useful answer. Paid placements, shopping carousels, featured snippets and “People also ask” boxes now dominate above the fold, pushing organic listings further down the page. Once you do reach those listings, there’s more content competing for visibility than ever, and a fair amount of it has been created to rank rather than to satisfy search intent. Users have to scroll further, click more and filter out more noise before they find what they’re actually looking for.

Trust in AI Search Has Limits

However, the research also found that trust in AI only goes so far. While 80% of users feel confident that AI provides unbiased information, 85% still check other sources to verify what they’ve been told. Search engines remain the preferred choice for reviews, pricing, local business information, news and health-related queries.

People appear to use AI to get an initial answer or recommendation, then turn to traditional search to confirm it. The AI response shapes what they look for, but it doesn’t replace the need to check.

How AI Recommendations Differ From Search Rankings

When someone searches on Google, they see a list of results and choose which to explore. Ranking fifth instead of first means fewer clicks, but you’re still visible. Artificial intelligence works differently. When someone asks ChatGPT or Perplexity for recommendations, they receive a shortlist rather than a page of options. If you’re not on that shortlist, you’re not being considered.

This makes it more important for businesses to communicate clearly what they do. AI tools work best with sources that are easy to interpret. Vague descriptions, inconsistent information across platforms and content that buries key details make it harder for these tools to understand and accurately represent what a business offers.

What This Means for SEO

It’s tempting to think of AI visibility as something separate from traditional SEO, but the underlying work is much the same. Clear site structure, accurate business information, well-organised content and proper technical setup all support visibility in both traditional search and AI tools.

If you’re reviewing your own site with this in mind, it’s important to:

• Write clear, specific product and service descriptions without jargon
• Keep business information consistent across your website, directories and Google Business Profile
• Structure pages so key information is prominent
• Add structured data markup for products, services and organisation details
• Keep specifications, pricing and availability accurate
• Make sure content is server-rendered or properly pre-rendered for crawlers

We’ve been working with clients on AI SEO alongside traditional search optimisation, looking at how information is structured and presented so it can be understood by both users and the AI systems that are increasingly shaping how people discover businesses.

If you’d like to talk about how your site performs in this context, we’d be happy to help.

Source: 2026 AI and Search Behaviour Study by Eight Oh Two