For two decades, Google has been the default reflex for finding any information online. Recently, more and more internet users are turning away from the Mountain View search engine to ask their questions directly to ChatGPT.
Two studies perfectly illustrate this transformation: Adobe, through a survey of 1,000 American consumers and professionals, and Resoneo, based on the analysis of nearly 90,000 public conversations with ChatGPT. The results point to the same finding: we no longer perform searches, we start conversations.
Key takeaways:
- ChatGPT is becoming an alternative to Google: 77% of users already use it as a search engine, and nearly 1 in 4 start directly with AI.
- Search is becoming a conversation: queries are longer (8 words on average versus 3.5 on Google) and 60% of dialogues go beyond 5 turns.
- Expanded and versatile uses: beyond factual (48%), ChatGPT is asked for opinions (16%), to generate content (15%), or to code (10%).
- A strategic issue for brands: 76% of marketers consider it essential to appear in ChatGPT's answers, making “AI visibility” a new competitive battlefield.
ChatGPT, now used as a search engine
According to Adobe, 77% of American users use ChatGPT to look for information and nearly a quarter (24%) start directly with AI rather than Google; a proportion that reaches 28% among Generation Z.
Beyond simple factual searches, the most popular chatbot is also becoming a discovery platform: 36 % say they found a new brand or product via ChatGPT, with a peak at 47% for Gen Z.
Longer, richer, and more complex uses (Resoneo study)
But it's Resoneo's study which best highlights what fundamentally changes: the structure of queries and exchanges!
- More elaborate questions : the first query sent to ChatGPT contains on average 8 words, which is more than double Google's (3.5 words). We no longer search for a single keyword; we directly formulate a complete problem, as when starting a conversation.
- Extended conversations : 60% of discussions include at least 5 exchanges, and more than a third (35%) exceed the 8 messages. Search becomes fluid and evolving as responses progress.
- More varied intents :
- 48.3% of queries are about factual information (the only area that truly competes with Google),
- 16.2% ask for opinions or suggestions,
- 14.7% relate to content creation (texts, ideas),
- And about 10% include computer code.
This shift illustrates that ChatGPT is not just an information tool: it is also a versatile assistant, used as much for thinking as for informing, coding or producing creative content. Admittedly, we already knew that, but here the numbers make it clear.
Brands and sites most mentioned on ChatGPT
According to Resoneo's study, OpenAI, Google, ChatGPT, Microsoft and Apple are the most mentioned brands in conversations. YouTube, Tesla, Amazon, NVIDIA and Facebook also appear. An interesting detail: Twitter is mentioned more often than 'X'.
What users are looking for with AI
Both studies confirm that the main appeal comes from the quality and simplicity of the answers.
On Adobe's side, 54 % users cite the ability to summarize complex subjects, and one third appreciate that fewer clicks are required than on a classic search engine. 81 % consider ChatGPT superior to Google for open and creative questions, and 77% find its answers more personalized.
Resoneo's analysis also shows that dominant topics are not limited to general culture: 30 % relate to science and technology, and 18 % politics and societyUsage therefore goes well beyond simple entertainment.
The impact for businesses
If internet users change their behavior, companies must also adapt their strategy.
According to Adobe:
- 47% of marketers and entrepreneurs already use ChatGPT to generate content (product descriptions, articles, social posts).
- Nearly 2 out of 3 plan to increase this use in 2025.
- And 76% consider it essential to appear in ChatGPT-generated answers this year.
Formats considered most effective in an AI Search environment: data-driven content (57%), practical guides (51%), Q&A content (46%), FAQs (41%)Companies are no longer just fighting for a spot on page 1 of Google, but to be included in conversational answers.
Two studies, the same conclusion: a paradigm overturned
Conversely, Adobe translates users' intentions and perceptions, while Resoneo observes their actual behaviors. Together, they converge:
- Classic search (i.e., typing keywords) gives way to a conversational exploration.
- The boundary between "search engine" and "personal assistant" is fading.
- Google is no longer the default reflex to a question: it becomes one tool among others, challenged by generative AI.
A new gateway to the internet
Online search is no longer simply access to a list of links, but a ongoing conversation that summarizes, advises, and produces. For internet users, it's a mix of time-saving and personalization. For brands, it's uncharted territory: that of the visibility IA”, where existing means appearing in a chatbot's answers rather than in a search engine's results.
This shift is profound. In a few years, entering the Internet may no longer be done via a search bar, but through a conversation with an artificial intelligence.
Many thanks again to Olivier de Segonzac for access to the data from the Resoneo study!
The article “ChatGPT is changing how we search for information online (Resoneo and Adobe studies)” was published on the site Abondance.
