Report: 55% of Americans Say the Way They Search for Information Online Has Changed Over the Last Five Years

A new study by adMarketplace reveals next-gen consumers are increasingly searching outside of legacy search engines and are embracing native search experiences.

NEW YORK, Feb. 11, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — Today, adMarketplace, the leading native search advertising provider, unveiled new data that reveals today’s consumers, regardless of generation, are increasingly turning to online ads to find products and brands. Further, the findings suggest that advertisers must look beyond legacy search engine results pages to reach their audience, with 55% of consumers saying the way they search for information about products or brands has changed over the last five years.

The first-annual report, “The State of Search in 2025,” sheds light on consumer purchasing decisions and search behavior to help brands stay competitive, grow their customer base, and scale their business. The survey of adult U.S. consumers highlights a shift from legacy search to a more intuitive, relevant, and transparent approach called native search. This shift is powered by changes to consumer behavior, and can be seen in the survey’s findings around what consumers care about most by channel and their attitudes around privacy and the search journey.

“Innovation and consumer choice are the driving factors powering a shift away from legacy search to what we call native search,” said Asher Feldman, VP of Analytics at adMarketplace. “For advertisers, this creates an exciting new ecosystem fueled by competition and transparency. This research can serve as a tool for advertisers to better understand the modern consumer journey and prioritize search experiences that are native to the increasingly diverse channels and platforms next-gen consumers use to search.”

Top findings from the study include:

A diverse media portfolio and emerging platforms will help companies make their brand and products more discoverable on the open web.

• Nearly half of consumers (44%) discover new products or bands through online ads and one-third (33%) discover new products through search engines – representing an opportunity for brands to use open web channels to capture the attention of additional consumers.

Brands must prioritize investments in innovation to keep their search results relevant, accurate, and timely.

• 41% of consumers rely on relevant results to find new products or brands when they search, with this trend projected to continue.
• When asked about ways they would like to see their search experiences change in the future:
  • 38% of consumers said real-time search results that provide up-to-the minute information
  • 23% of consumers said predictive search results that anticipate their news
  • 20% of consumers said greater use of AI-driven search engines and 17% said increased use of augmented reality features to virtually try products.

Companies should leverage native search ads to grow their share of voice and market share.

• More than half (54%) of Americans say they are likely to trust a brand after seeing multiple ads for it across different platforms. In addition, 43% of consumers say they often search for more information about a product after seeing an ad for it.
• Most Americans (74%), regardless of generation, say they have purchased a product after seeing an ad and 68% say ads are helpful for discovering products they might not have searched for otherwise.

Buy Now, Pay Later (BNPL) Apps provide an enormous opportunity for companies to reach consumers and must be considered in a brand’s media portfolio.

• Over half (51%) of U.S. consumers have used BNPL apps (32% report using them often) and 51% also say they make a purchase after finding a product on the app within just a few hours.
• 60% of BNPL users say using BNPL apps helped them discover new brands or products.

Consumers are increasingly turning to alternative search browsers and brands must meet them there.

• Nearly half (48%) of Americans say they often use an Internet browser other than Google Chrome or Apple Safari.
• More than three-quarters (78%) of alternative browser users say these browsers have helped them discover new brands or products.

Editorial and review sites have traditionally been an undervalued part of the media portfolio by brands but that must change.

• Nearly half (45%) of Americans have used editorial or review sites to discover new products or brands.
• 49% of Americans purchase a product after seeing it on an editorial or review site within just a few hours or less; 74% have purchased a product by clicking on a product ad or link after exploring the product on an editorial review site.
• Nearly three-quarters (74%) have purchased a new brand or product that they would not have typically bought after reading a review.

“Consumer behavior is not the only thing that’s changing,” said Feldman. “The entire marketing mix for brands is evolving, and advertisers must diversify their media portfolios beyond traditional means to unlock incremental performance. A native search experience powered by search engine results and generative AI is the ideal state for search in 2025 and beyond. The brands who are quick to respond and adapt to this approach will be the power players in this exciting new native search ecosystem.”

To read the full report, please visit: The State of Search in 2025.

Methodology

adMarketplace commissioned TEAM LEWIS to survey 1,000 individuals in the United States. The sample was representative of the population in terms of gender and age. The survey was fielded from October 16 to 22, 2024. Respondents were recruited by Veridata, a leading online data collection and market research services           .

About adMarketplace:

adMarketplace is the leader in native search advertising. For over two decades, adMarketplace has delivered relevant search advertising to consumers who skip the legacy search results page. The world’s largest search advertisers drive measurably incremental results from adMarketplace’s exclusive media opportunities across the internet’s leading browsers, shopping apps, and editorial sites on the open web. adMarketplace’s mission is to shape the consumer journey with relevant native search ads and measure media value transparently to deliver performance at scale. Learn more about adMarketplace by visiting our website and following us on LinkedIn and Instagram.

Contact:
Haidi Kelly, SVP of Marketing
hkelly@admarketplace.com 

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SOURCE adMarketplace