Topic: search trends
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Zero-Click Searches Hit All-Time High in 2026
Traditional search is declining: U.S. open-web clicks hit an all-time low of 40% in June 2026, with 17.1% of U.S. searches ending on Google-owned properties, while AI Mode adoption has plateaued or dipped in the U.S. Paid click volume has dropped sharply (U.S. from 2.3% to 1.3%, EU/UK from 2.4% t...
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Google AI Overviews: A 2025 Surge and Sudden Decline
Google's AI Overviews expanded rapidly in 2025, peaking at 25% query coverage in July before being scaled back to 16% by November, indicating a strategic test-and-refine approach. The feature did not inherently reduce user clicks; analysis showed a decrease in zero-click searches for the same key...
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Top Marketing Insights from Current Search Trends
Search behavior is shifting from simple keywords to open-ended, conversational queries that capture broader consumer intent and inspiration, especially in early purchase journeys. Visual search, led by tools like Google Lens, is becoming mainstream, creating a direct link from visual discovery to...
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Survey: ChatGPT and AI Tools Rise as Google Search Declines
AI tools like ChatGPT are rapidly gaining popularity for online information searches, significantly reducing reliance on traditional search engines like Google. User behavior is shifting towards a hybrid approach, blending AI tools and social platforms, with younger audiences leading this change ...
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How to Spot Emerging Categories in Search Data
Emerging market categories offer rare SEO opportunities, but the key signal is that authentic buyer queries (e.g., "Is it safe to use ChatGPT?") show zero search volume because the language is too fragmented to register in keyword tools. Regulations and standards create the first measurable searc...
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Google employee allegedly used insider info for $1.2M Polymarket win
A Google employee, Michele Spagnuolo, was charged with fraud for using confidential company data to earn $1.2 million on the prediction platform Polymarket by betting on search trends. Spagnuolo, under the username AlphaRacoon, made accurate predictions on outcomes like singer D4vd being the top ...
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SEO, GEO, or ASO: The New Era of AI Brand Visibility
A recent survey shows 82% of consumers find AI-powered search more helpful than traditional methods, highlighting a shift in user preference as the industry adapts to new terms like GEO, AEO, and AISO. Marketers are not abandoning SEO but are layering new labels onto it, with GEO emerging as a le...
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AI Tools Like ChatGPT Rise as Google Search Declines
AI tools like ChatGPT are rapidly gaining popularity, with usage nearly tripling as traditional Google search sees a decline in dominance. User search behavior is becoming more fragmented, with increased willingness to switch between tools and platforms, especially among younger users. Digital ma...
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2026 AEO & Content Marketing: The New Rules of Search
A new on-demand session from Conductor featuring Shannon Vize and Pat Reinhart addresses how to optimize AEO strategy for LLMs and reframe KPIs in an AI search landscape where responses often don't generate clicks. The session provides a prioritized framework for investing in AI citations, detail...
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Apple Search Ads Expand: AI Limits Exact Match in PPC
Apple is expanding its App Store Search Ads inventory in 2026, adding new placements beyond the top search result, which will automatically apply to existing campaigns but cannot be targeted separately. Google has clarified that exact match keywords cannot serve ads within its AI Overviews, makin...
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OpenAI Launches Web Browser to Challenge Google
OpenAI has launched Atlas, a new AI-driven web browser that integrates with ChatGPT and moves away from traditional browsing to offer a conversational experience, aiming to monetize AI investments and compete with giants like Google Chrome. The browser is initially available on MacOS with a paid ...
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Perplexity's iOS App Defaults to Google Search
The new Comet browser for iOS defaults to Google Search for local and transactional queries, as Perplexity's CEO acknowledges Google's superior performance for these high-intent mobile searches. The browser integrates the Perplexity AI assistant directly into the interface, offering a hybrid expe...
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Google Explains Search Console's Branded Queries Filter
Google has made its Search Console branded queries filter available to all qualifying websites, allowing owners to analyze traffic driven by brand-related search terms for insights into brand recognition. The filter is automatically applied by Google's systems and cannot be manually customized; i...
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Paid Search Clicks Surge as Organic Traffic Declines: Study
Paid search ads are capturing a significantly larger share of user clicks, sharply reducing the traffic to traditional organic listings across diverse industries. Text-based search ads have gained substantial ground, with paid listings now capturing roughly one-third of all clicks in key product ...
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Where Search Attention Is Shifting and How to Track It
Search behavior is shifting beyond traditional metrics like clicks and impressions, requiring a focus on where user attention actually lands. Effective measurement now includes attention-based signals such as dwell time, scroll depth, and engagement with featured snippets and video thumbnails. Th...
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