AI Search is gaining consumer trust at lightning speed, says a new worldwide report from Yext, the brand visibility solutions leader. The Rise of AI Search Archetypes report identifies how consumers increasingly depend on AI tools such as ChatGPT and Gemini to find and assess brands. The term AI Search is used prominently throughout the report as it reveals significant changes in behavior online.
Carried out with Researchscape, the research polled 2,237 people in the U.S., U.K., France, and Germany. These buyers had recently employed voice or conversational AI to look for information on the internet.
The findings reveal that 62% of consumers trust AI Search to guide brand decisions, placing it nearly on par with traditional search engines. Still, 57% of users prefer traditional platforms for sensitive topics like finance or health.
Furthermore, AI Search is now a routine habit. Almost 43% of them use it every day, indicating the way AI instruments are transforming search behavior. Indeed, 75% report that they use newer tools more today than they did a year ago.
In their quest for quick answers, 29% first resort to AI tools, a distant second to regular search engines (53%) and well ahead of social media (9%). But a mere 10% have complete confidence in the first AI result, with 48% double-checking across platforms highlighting the importance of precise, consistent brand information.
Local search is changing too. 68% have utilized ChatGPT to search for local goods or services, although only 19% believe in AI compared to traditional platforms (45%) for location-based results.
The report also examined cross-generational differences. Gen Z is in the lead on AI usage as a creative driver, frequently using it for how-to and idea generation. Millennials use fast, simple insights and turn to several sources. Gen X mixes traditional and AI tools, applying the latter to content summarization. Boomers largely stick with traditional search and remain skeptical of AI adoption.
“AI search is no longer experimental,” said Mark Kabana, VP of Data Innovation at Yext. “It’s now a real decision-making tool. Brands must optimize their data to stay visible on evolving platforms.”
Yext’s AI Search Archetypes report offers actionable insights for marketers. To succeed in today’s digital landscape, brands must ensure structured, trustworthy content that aligns with how modern AI platforms interpret and deliver results.
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News Source: Businesswire.com
