Generative AI is making inroads in search marketing, but it needs to win consumer trust if it wants to become a “Google killer,” according to a new study by Semrush and Statista. That said, genAI’s capabilities continue to win over digital marketers who find it a big boost to productivity and ROI.
Google has been the dominant force in the online search market for more than 20 years. The November 2022 release of the generative AI-powered chatbot ChatGPT had people predicting an end to the search engine’s position. ChatGPT attracted over 1 million users in five days and 5 million in the following months.
In 2023, 13 million U.S. adults used generative AI as their primary tool for online searches in 2023, a figure that is expected to reach over 90 million by 2027, according to the report “Online Search After ChatGPT” (registration required).
However, comparing that with traditional search engine usage is like comparing a matchstick to the sun. Last year, Google had 18 billion visits per month from the U.S. alone. ChatGPT’s total monthly traffic only surpassed 10 million visitors in April.
While many in the tech industry say consumers would warm to gen AI if they understood it better, it is clear that they have a good understanding of its largest problem: Reliability.
Using AI didn’t improve consumers’ opinion of it
In 2023, before many consumers had used gen AI tools, a survey of people in the U.S., U.K., Australia and India found that over 60% didn’t think AI was secure or trustworthy. The use of AI didn’t improve the situation. A 2024 survey of U.S. gen AI users found “most did not trust the content and did not believe it would enhance their search experience,” according to the Semrush report.
Consumers remain far less interested in AI than those selling it and using it professionally. Around 28% of U.S. respondents said that, in general, they do not care about AI tools. Meanwhile, 22% expressed an interest in trying out new and innovative AI tools, and 19% were excited about such applications.
The way to get more people to trust AI’s results is to have more people involved in the process. “Sizeable shares of U.S. respondents were more likely to trust AI-powered search tools if the content was confirmed to be verified by a human and if there were an increase in data privacy regulations,” according to the report.
AI, SEO and digital marketers
Even so, AI is having a significant impact on digital marketing. A Semrush survey of business owners, marketing managers and CEOs found 68% reported an increased return on investment when using AI for content marketing and SEO. Two-thirds said AI tools improved SEO rankings, with 39% saying it took one to two months to rank with AI-generated content.
Dig deeper: How to build customer trust through data privacy and security
While search engines remain essential for most online users, changes in the traffic patterns of standard search providers and Q&A sites show gen AI can divert traffic even from major players like Google. The big challenge for the technology remains improving its accuracy and proving that to consumers.
Note: Third Door Media, which is the publisher of MarTech, is owned by Semrush.
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