Goodbye Google? How Conversational AI Search Engines are changing the way we search.

Introduction

Hey Folks! Remember how I mentioned in my last post that I'd continue this blog series once ChatGPT rolled out its search feature? Well, guess what? Things are about to get a whole lot more interesting! I know, I know, I am way out of schedule. Apologies for the delay, but I promise it’s for a good reason! Life got a little busy and, in fact, quite exciting, as I’ve been diving into something fascinating for the past month or so. I can't reveal all the details just yet, but let’s just say it involves the fascinating world of AI- Agents.

For now, let’s jump into today’s topic and pick up where we left off!

How Conversational AI Search Engines are changing the way we search.

In my previous blog, we explored the classification of search queries. At that time, I concluded on how informational searches in particular would see shift in search behavior due to pretrained Gen AI tools. However, it is crucial to consider that with the introduction of Conversational AI Search Engines, such as Perplexity and SearchGPT we have to broaden our thoughts and consider possible and probably definite changes in consumer search behavior across all query types, as AI-powered search tools fundamentally transform how users will interact with existing search engines.

When we talk about the types of search queries, consumer and transactional queries are probably the most common after informational ones. Take Perplexity's shopping feature as an example of how user behavior is will shift significantly for these types of queries as well. If you haven’t used this feature — its basically a evolved version of Amazon/Flipkart. But what makes this really interesting is how it transforms the shopping experience into something much more conversational.

Elimination of Query Types due to Conversational Shopping

Honestly this thought just struck me while writing the paragraph above: Will conversational shopping eliminate—or rather merge—consumer and transactional query types. Quite interesting right!

To understand this, you first need to know why we classify these queries into two types in the first place. Transactional search is when users have a clear intent to act, like making a purchase on a specific website. Consumer search, on the other hand, is more about exploring and learning—reading reviews, comparing options, and checking product specs before deciding what to buy. Think of consumer search as digital window shopping.

Key Aspects	Consumer Search	Transactional Search
Intent	Information gathering and research	Action-oriented (purchase, subscribe)
Content Required	Informational Content	Conversion-optimized content
Examples	"Best laptops 2025”	"Buy MacBook Air M2 online”

Now it is obvious that being a conversational AI tool, the queries that one would ask Perplexity would be like “the best phone under $500”. The interesting part here is that rather than browsing websites, reading reviews and evaluating different products; you would, in the same conversation, be guided to purchase the top-rated option instantly because all that hard work involved in a consumer search is already taken care of. The best part of it all is that you don’t even visit the website of the company

You get what I am trying to say, right? Consumer and transactional search basically become one. I know for a person with no marketing background, this might seem quite insignificant and, in fact, would seem to make their life easier, but look at this situation from the perspective of a performance marketer— it's an absolute headache. This situation forces performance marketers to take a different approach and change everything right from content optimization to advertising.

Common AI-driven search queries ranging from tech connections and gift ideas to checking product legitimacy and starting new hobbies.

Effects On the Advertising Landscape

One of the major and quite obvious effects of AI driven search engines that I foresee is that Google’s ad revenue taking a hit. In the last blog we saw how AdSense revenue will go down due to rise in no click searches. But as time as passed I think Google will be in a spot of concern considering that there will be a shift in Consumer Behavior. Right now, there isn’t anything too definite because user traffic on tools like Perplexity is still growing. But as brands start noticing that their customers have started using such tools, it’ll be a perfect opportunity for them to start generating Ad revenue. As time goes on, I strongly believe that there will come a point where performance marketers will need to rethink or reallocate their budgets.

And that’s where it gets interesting—it’s not just about keywords anymore, it’s about conversational search. Think about Google Ads right now. What do you mostly do? Keyword research, right? If it’s a product, you pick the right product photo, create headlines based on those keywords, and write meta descriptions. Pretty straightforward.

But in the future, instead of guessing probable keywords to show your product, marketers will need to offer much more—like detailed experiences, reviews, and use cases for their products. It’s not just about selling anymore; it’s about storytelling. And meta descriptions? They might not even exist in the same way because AI tools could dynamically generate them, tailored perfectly to what the consumer is asking for.

For example, imagine a consumer inputs the query “Find the comfiest headphones for a picky friend” into Perplexity. At first glance, this query might seem unconventional—something a marketer wouldn’t typically anticipate. But that’s where the power of storytelling comes in. Marketers must craft narratives that resonate deeply with such specific and personal queries, addressing not just the product but the experience it creates.

It’s also quite interesting how Perplexity often pulls recommendations from platforms like Reddit and Quora, showcasing authentic product experiences shared by real users. This means marketers will have to focus on building a presence in these conversational spaces, ensuring their products are part of the organic storytelling on these platforms.

This is probably the most important thing to understand: Its not the people that have to be convinced its the AI that has to be convinced enough to display your product/Ad, because at the end of the day people will often trust the AI’s decision.

Conclusion

Alright, let’s wrap up today’s blog here. There’s a lot to take away from this, especially for performance marketers. And honestly, writing about this evolving space has been so much fun—it’s just fascinating to explore where search is headed!

Now, let’s get to the data:

• 79% of consumers are expected to use AI-enhanced search within the next year (2026).

• Gartner predicts that organic search traffic could decrease by over 50% as consumers increasingly shift to AI-powered search.

This data not only validates our earlier predictions about informational searches but suggests an even more comprehensive transformation across the entire search landscape.

I’ll be back soon with the next blog in this series, where I’ll dive deeper into the strategies involved in GEO (Generative Engine Optimization). Stay tuned