2025 Predictions: The Death of Search as We Know It

SPECIAL EDITION ALERT!

Instead of my standard newsletter every day this week, I will release one trend that marketers and business leaders need to consider as we get closer to 2025.

Marketing is evolving faster than ever—changing more in the last five years than in the previous two decades. As we head into 2025, staying ahead of the curve is essential. That’s why I’m sharing five bold predictions to help marketers and business leaders prepare for what’s next.

Prediction 1: The Death of Search as We Know It—AI and Social Will Redefine Discovery by 2025

The keyword-driven discovery model via Google and Bing has been fading for some time, and in 2025, we will stick an official fork in it. Consumer discovery no longer exclusively starts on Google with simple keyword-driven searches.

Now, almost 60% of product searches start on Amazon, and even within Amazon, more are beginning to use Amazon's Rufus, their conversational AI assistant that enables consumers to ask questions and receive AI-generated product recommendations. This isn't just a consumer behavior trend but also affects how brands allocate money as advertisers increase their spending on retail media search ads.

Outside of straight product recommendations, younger generations are turning to social media as a search engine, with 64% of Gen Z respondents using TikTok as a Search Engine, and Reddit is seeing 46.7 million daily searches. Consumers also increasingly opt for visual search as it allows them to find the right product more effectively than text-based search. Now, 62% of Gen Z and Millennials prefer visual search capabilities over other search types, citing ease of use and faster results. Let's not forget about AI (how could we?) - Gartner predicts a 25% drop in traditional search volume by 2026 due to the rise of chatbots and AI virtual assistants like ChatGPT and Perplexity.

Consumers now search in various new places, including social media platforms, retail media, and using AI.   

The search landscape is undergoing a transformation as consumer behavior continues to fragment across platforms. Emerging search experiences on TikTok, Reddit, Perplexity, and others are not just diversifying how people discover information but are also reshaping opportunities for brands to capture intent outside of Google’s ecosystem. TikTok, for instance, has introduced search ads, enabling brands to bid on keywords much like they do on Google. Similarly, Reddit has integrated ad units into its platform, positioning them within conversation threads and at the top of subreddits to leverage the context-driven discussions unique to its user base. Perplexity recently announced its ad product with sponsored follow-up questions and seamless e-commerce integration, allowing users to search, explore, and make purchases without leaving the platform. And you know other AI platforms are not far behind, with OpenAI's ChatGPT (with almost 60% of AI market share) even hinting they will begin incorporating advertising.

By the end of 2025, the concept of "search" as a user-driven query model will fade. Platforms like TikTok, Perplexity AI, and Amazon will dominate as they blend intent-driven conversational tools and proactive recommendations. For marketers, the challenge and opportunity lie in understanding the nuances of these platforms’ search behaviors and ad products. Success will depend on crafting strategies that align with the unique intent signals and context while integrating them into broader media plans. These are no longer "nice-to-have" tactics—they’re becoming essential touchpoints in a fractured search journey.

Outside of paid opportunities to capture user intent when they are on the platform, let's not forget about SEO. Traditional search engines are no longer the sole focus for SEO; success now requires optimization for AI-first platforms and social media, where search behaviors reshape discovery and engagement. SEO is shifting from simply ranking for keywords to earning visibility across diverse platforms. Google AI Overviews, ChatGPT, and Perplexity are creating new frontiers for content strategies, demanding marketers craft content that aligns with the conversational nature of these tools. This also means prioritizing metrics such as visibility in AI-generated responses, brand mentions in summaries, and relevance in emerging search formats.

Visual search adds another layer of complexity. Brands must ensure that product images are optimized for visual search engines, with high-quality visuals and comprehensive metadata, to capture intent across increasingly visual user experiences.

In 2025, marketers will embrace (or begin to embrace) a platform-agnostic approach to search, adapting strategies to meet consumers where they are while aligning with the KPIs that matter most in this new paradigm: seamless brand discovery.

Megan Conahan is a 19-year veteran of the digital marketing industry. Over the last 19 years, she's consulted with Fortune 1000 brands on negotiating the ever-changing demands of the digital marketplace and creating unique solutions to set them apart. Megan is an EVP at Direct Agents, an independent and minority-owned digital marketing agency. If you want to chat about marketing support or just talk shop, please message me or email megan@directagents.com