AI vs. Traditional Search Engines: Why Users Are Turning to AI for Search Results
2024: the year we started to turn to AI for quick answers instead of search engines. Instead of opening Google or Bing, more people are posing their questions to artificial intelligence chatbots. Let’s dig into why people are choosing AI search over traditional search engines and how social media influences search behavior.
Once upon a time, Google ranked web pages based on relevance, popularity, and keyword density. Over time, it grew more sophisticated with its own algorithm that included tools like PageRank, RankBrain, and BERT to deliver more accurate results. It has its drawbacks, though, including websites optimizing their content using SEO techniques to rank higher at the expense of genuine relevance. Meaning you can find a lot of clickbait titles or outdated content.
So what’s the advantage of AI-powered search over traditional search engines? It’s faster, it’s personalized and it has contextual answers. Instead of getting a list of websites in return, AI chatbots provide direct answers. Rather than scrolling through that traditional search engine list of websites, AI chatbots summarize and personalize to the user’s query.
Example: You can ask, “What’s the best way to keep deer out my garden?” AI chatbots will respond with digestible answers, having already scoured the world wide web for you in a fraction of a second. Google will provide a list of websites that blogged about it or products will be shown because they may be targeting keywords like “deer” + “garden.”
AI chatbots also get to know you as you interact with it; it will actually tailor its responses based on your history with it. We’re already a little familiar with that because search engines personalize their results based on our browsing history, but AI creates responses based on the tone or context of previous queries.
The convenience of AI is hard to beat. You ask a question, it talks back and you can keep the conversation going. Instead of initiating a separate search based on its answers, you can ask it for more info, to clarify, and so on. The personalization of it really makes it stand out versus traditional search engines.
Example: After asking “What are the best exercises for shoulder pain?” you can follow up with, “How often should I do it?” or other natural directions a conversation goes without starting a separate search.
A study by Gartner predicts by 2025, 75% of search inquiries will be run through AI because of its conversational tone.
We know traditional search engines crawl websites for keywords and relevance and then gives us a list of websites. But AI scours all of those websites, giving you a response that’s gathered the most relevant information and the most up-to-date, gathering information in real time, saving you a lot of time! AI tools also have predictive capabilities, meaning it analyzes your previous searches and follows up with pertinent information.
Example: “Where’s a good vacation spot for a family with two kids under 10 on the west coast of Michigan? Preferably easy beach access.” Not only will AI provide recommendations, it could follow up with itinerary ideas, weather forecast, or restaurant recommendations.
So where does social media come into play with AI searches versus traditional search engines? AI crawls social media platforms in addition to everything else on the web. For instance, AI might analyze user reviews on Instagram about a trending skincare product or scour Twitter/X for real-time discussions on global events. These insights are then collated and used to generate answers that are more current, user-oriented, and diverse than traditional search engine results, which typically pull from pre-indexed websites.
Social media is a melting pot of diverse opinions, cultures, and topics. By crawling these platforms, AI has access to a wider range of perspectives than traditional search engines, which focus on more formal content like articles and blog posts. This gives AI the ability to offer answers that reflect different viewpoints, providing a more well-rounded response to user queries. For example, when researching a new movie, AI can gather opinions from various demographics on Twitter, providing a comprehensive view of audience reactions.
AI’s ability to tap into social media gives users access to authentic reviews, opinions, and discussions. Instead of relying on polished blog posts or websites optimized for SEO, AI pulls from raw, user-generated content, giving users insights from real people. This can be especially useful when looking for personal experiences, such as product recommendations, restaurant reviews, or travel tips. People tend to trust opinions from other users, and AI can filter through this content to offer more personalized and relatable results.
Given Gartner’s prediction and the fact that 40% of Generation Z prefers using social media for searches over traditional search engines, it’s clear that search behavior is evolving. AI, by tapping into these social platforms, is uniquely positioned to meet the growing demand for real-time, personalized, and authentic insights. As more users turn to social media for recommendations, reviews, and trending topics, AI’s ability to crawl and analyze these platforms offers a significant advantage. This shift signals a transformation in how we find information, moving away from static, indexed web pages and toward dynamic, user-generated content—an evolution that AI is well-equipped to handle.
So is your social media up-to-date with relevant, timely information or advice? Will AI find accurate information for users searching about that subject? Keep your social media presence consistent and high quality. Not sure where to start? Send us a message. AI search is here and traditional search engines are going to have to evolve to keep up.