How AI Is Changing Consumer Search Behavior and What Brands Must Do Now

First, What Is “AI Search”?

AI is changing consumer search behavior. People no longer rely only on search engines and short keywords when researching products or services. Instead, they turn to AI assistants and ask full, conversational questions to get recommendations, comparisons, and buying guidance. This shift, known as AI search, is already influencing how consumers discover brands.

How AI Is Changing Consumer Search Behavior

Consumers are changing how they find information, turning to AI rather than traditional search engines. This change has impacted traffic, attribution, and the customer journey. At Lodestar, we have observed traffic shifts in multiple clients across all industries. Upon inspection, these changes are not driven by seasonal or performance issues, but by new consumer behavior and preferences in using AI chatbots and AI search.

Consumers no longer just use Google to search for products. They are increasingly using AI chatbots to find the information they need. Below are the old search funnel and the new AI-assisted search funnel.

Old Search Behavior

• Google search: “good raincoat.”
• Browse 5–10 sites.
• Read reviews and forums.
• Narrow down options

New Search Behavior:

• ChatGPT prompt: “What are good raincoat brands for hiking in the Pacific Northwest?”
• Receive 3–5 tailored brand recommendations.
• Ask follow-ups: “What if I’m in the snow and mud?”
• Click a provided link or head to Google to search for the exact product.

Although we are seeing increased use of AI search (often signaled by an increase in “direct” traffic), search engines are not being fully cut out of the equation either. Other people choose to use a mix of AI and traditional search. For example, they may use ChatGPT to start their search and move to Google in the mid funnel, or start on Google and move to their preferred chatbot after doing some preliminary research. No matter what any individual’s research pattern is, the data is clear: people are using AI to find products.

Where Does This Leave Brands?

As consumer behavior changes, brands must pivot their strategies. At Lodestar, we have already adopted tactics for many of our clients specifically to increase their inclusion in AI-generated answers. Often, during our initial examination of a brand’s AI readiness, we find that most are not optimized for generative AI, but we can provide them with actionable steps to improve their business’s inclusion in AI.

Top 9 Recommendations For Brands:

1. Optimize your technical infrastructure. A fast site with clean HTML and semantic markup goes a long way.
2. Consider adding an llms.txt file to help the AI use your site.
3. Follow SEO best practices.
4. Clear content and webpage structure
5. Create an FAQ to answer your most asked questions
6. Have an active Blog page with frequent posts on topics that are relevant to your business
7. Ensure your Google Business profile is active and up to date.
8. Maintain active social media pages and link back to your site.
9. Update and maintain relevant Schema mark-ups for every page.

Why Are Consumers Changing Their Behavior?

AI offers personalized recommendations that Google cannot. As they search with AI, they can be incredibly specific about their individual situations and find the product that best meets their needs. Other consumers have also indicated that using AI in their search speeds up the process. Another reason people are choosing AI is that it can understand images and find similar products based on a photo. This removes the friction of describing an item in words.

How To Increase The Chance That AI Assistants Recommend Your Products

The easiest way to ensure your brand is included is to work with industry experts who have a proven record in SEO and AI Search. At Lodestar Marketing Group, we have already collaborated with clients across diverse industries to help them develop new strategies based on evolving consumer search behavior. If you are interested in your business being included in AI-generated search results, please contact us today for an assessment of your brand’s AI readiness!