It has been just over 2 years since ChatGPT launched, and it has created one of the biggest shifts in search that we have seen in decades. Whilst Google still boasts 8.5bn searches every month, the introduction of ChatGPT has given rise to conversational search | chat-based search experiences in a big way, and we are already seeing audience behaviour shifting as conversational search addresses many of the shortfalls of traditional search. As adoption grows, it is anticipated that this will fundamentally change how consumers discover products and services – which will require brands to re-think their search strategy.
A closer look at ChatGPT as search adoption accelerates
OpenAI announced in December 2024 that ChatGPT now has 300 million weekly active users worldwide, and it grew a whopping 50 million from October to December 2024.
In 2024, ChatGPT stepped up its efforts to improve search capabilities with the development of its searchGPT prototype which allowed OpenAI to test search capabilities including the ability for ChatGPT to process real-time information from the web as reference sources as opposed to simply leveraging training data.
This prototype enabled ChatGPT to address some of the underlying concerns about the credibility of results. By October, ChatGPT had rolled the prototype into the core ChatGPT interface which is in part likely to be driving the substantial growth in users to the platform.
Data shows that ChatGPT users spend an average of 6 minutes and 25 secs per session and users typically explore 3.67 pages per session.
Google isn’t taking the chat-based AI shift lying down
With ChatGPT hot on their heels, Google has been innovating in several ways to evolve its core search experience to meet customers' changing expectations around search and remain relevant to key audiences - in particular Gen Z, who prefer to search via social media over search (according to a recent study from Forbes Advisor and Talker Research). First rolled out in the US in May 2024 and subsequently launched in Australia in October 2024, Google's AI overviews are touted to be one of the biggest changes to the Google interface in years. According to Hubspot, around 15% of U.S.-based Google searches trigger AI Overviews but this will grow overtime as Google continues to hone the experience.
The second innovation has been their launch of Google Gemini, which was first introduced in December 2023 as a ChatGPT-esque experience. The beauty, however, of Google Gemini is it has been embedded and integrated within Google’s workspace to support productivity within Google Docs and more. This is a clever move by Google, making it accessible beyond the Gemini search interface itself.
Amazon Rufus is scaling
Whilst the arms race between OpenAi and Google is on, conversational and chat-based search is extending its tentacles, well beyond these tech titans, in a way that will further embed and shape customer expectations and behaviours around how modern search works. Amazon's generative AI-powered personal shopping assistant, dubbed 'Rufus', was launched in the US in February 2024 to a small group of users, but was made available to all users in the US via the Amazon Shopping app and desktop in July. Today in the US, 54% of all product searches start on Amazon, demonstrating the influence it will have.
Whilst Rufus is yet to make its way to Australian shores, it is only a matter of time as Rufus starts to become a core component of the Amazon shopper experience. By October, Rufus was exposing the ability to track price history via the chat experience, demonstrating the experience is changing the way customers search and engage with products on the Amazon site. With 10% of all eCommerce sales in Australia now occurring on Amazon, its adoption will change the way customers discover products and engage with product search.
What are the practical implications for brands?
Shifting from keywords to conversations
In the era of conversational | chat AI experiences, users are moving away from typing in keywords and towards asking questions in natural language. This means SEO needs to be optimised for conversational queries, not just keywords. This can include optimising with Q&A style content within onsite experiences alongside other relevant content.
Optimising for the zero-click result
Zero-click results already make up a huge portion of search results, meaning only 40% result in a user visiting an external site. Within Google specifically, AI overviews are anticipated to further exacerbate the zero-click issue – meaning brands need to think and consider how they maximise visibility through zero-click searches within the Google platform e.g. via appearing in AI overviews | knowledge panels and more.
Preparing product content to drive discoverability
Advances like Rufus will change how products are discovered by the customer based on their query and the information they are seeking. More than ever consumer brands and manufacturers will need to double down on product content information management chat AI-based experiences are powered by content. Whilst it has not occurred yet, I anticipate Google shopping will move towards a more chat-based assisted experience - meaning brands need to start preparing for that now.
Evolving onsite search experiences
As chat-based experiences become the new expectation in search, brands delivering onsite search experiences like retailers, publishers and more need to adapt their approach to search experience delivery to meet changing customer expectations. We are already seeing brands like Woolworths adopting voice-based search to provide customers with more convenient ways to shop and leverage natural language to engage with their interface. It is experiences like these that brands in many industries need to consider in order to enable consumers and customers to search and discover in the ways that matter, and are most valuable and relevant to them.
The chat revolution is fundamentally reshaping how Australian consumers search, discover, and engage with brands. As consumer expectations evolve, brands must ensure their own search experiences keep pace - whether through voice search, chat-based assistance, or more intuitive on-site search functions. Those who adapt early will be best positioned to thrive in this new era of search.
Arktic Fox partners with an array of brands to develop a strong eCommerce & digital shelf strategy.