AI-powered tools like ChatGPT are gaining ground, but Google and traditional search engines remain the dominant way users navigate online, according to a new report on Q1 desktop web search behavior, trends, and clicks from Datos and SparkToro.
- In the U.S., more users used traditional search (10.55%) vs. AI tools (0.55%).
- In the EU and UK, traditional search (10.25%) outperformed AI tools (0.71%).
Why we care. Despite headlines predicting the imminent death of search, this Datos data shows otherwise. People haven’t ditched Google and traditional search engines. And, actually, people are searching more.
The big picture.
- Clicks to organic search results are down. 40.3% of U.S. Google searchers clicked on an organic result in March, which was down from 44.2% the prior year. 43.5% of EU/UK Google searchers clicked on an organic result in March 2025 versus 47.10% in March 2024.
- Zero-click searches are up. In March, 27.2% of U.S. searches ended without a click compared to 24.4% in March 2024; for the same period in the EU/UK, zero-click searches increased from 23.6% to 26.10%.
- Searchers are staying in Google’s ecosystem. 14.3% of U.S. Google searches resulted in clicks on other Google-owned properties (e.g., YouTube, Maps) in March, compared to 12.1% a year ago. In the EU/UK, it increased to 12.60% from 11.60%.
- YouTube is the big winner. It’s now the top destination for traditional search in the U.S., EU, and UK. YouTube is also the second-most visited domain from AI tools in the U.S., EU, and UK.
What they’re saying. SparkToro’s Rand Fishkin wrote in the report:
- “If the headlines of Google’s death were true, the share of searches/searchers would decline, as would total visits. Neither are true, and we can see from this data that Google’s statements from their Q1 earnings report have 3rd-party validation. Despite all the threats from AI, Google grew query volume by multiple ChatGPTs in 2024.”
Bottom line: AI hasn’t killed traditional search. However, AI is reshaping search, including how brands are found and discovered online.
The report. State of Search Q1 2025: Behaviors, Trends, and Clicks Across the US & Europe