The way people search is changing fast. Is your business falling behind?

James Hussey

Over the past few years, you may have noticed a big shift in how people look for information online – and it’s something business owners should take seriously.

Not everyone is heading straight to Google anymore. A lot of people still do, of course, but there’s this growing habit of searching in places that didn’t even used to count as search engines.

You’ve probably seen it yourself. If someone wants restaurant ideas, they hop onto TikTok and scroll through videos because it feels more “real” than a list of links. Similarly, if you need a quick explanation for something, an AI (artificial intelligence) chatbot becomes the first stop, because it gives an answer without making you sift through five pages of ads.

It’s not that Google disappeared. It’s just that people trust different sources for different types of questions. Younger audiences especially aren’t waiting around for Google to catch up. They’d rather watch someone show them how something works than read a neatly worded paragraph about it.

For businesses, this isn’t a small shift. It means you can’t rely on just one place for visibility anymore. Being on Google is still important, obviously, but it’s no longer the whole game. If your customers are scrolling TikTok for ideas, you need to show up there in some form. If they’re chatting with AI tools, your content needs to be clear enough that those tools can actually understand it. If conversations about your industry are happening on Reddit, you can’t ignore that community forever.

People are still searching, just not in the one place we all got comfortable with. The businesses that adapt to that sooner will naturally get in front of more potential customers, without having to fight so hard for every Google ranking.

For any help in altering your AI SEO (search engine optimisation) strategy to cover multiple platforms, please get in touch.

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James Hussey

Digital Marketing Executive at Engage Web

Having once gone to school in the Burnage area of Manchester known for being the childhood home of Noel and Liam Gallagher, “Some Might Say” that James is a “Supersonic” presence within Engage Web, happily turning his hand to “Whatever” tasks his role throws at him.