Keeping Up with Search Trends

You've probably noticed that your search behavior has changed to what it was even only a year ago. Advances in AI have contributed to a considerable amount of these changes. You might even notice yourself spending more time on your phone than you are watching TV. 

This is not surprising though. You've noticed this in younger generations and the time they may spend on their phones. For example, you may notice young ones (Gen Alpha - born in 2010 and after) going to YouTube as their media or entertainment outlet over traditional sources, like TV. Why wouldn't that affect you as well? 

Today's consumer experience can be categorized by the "4S behaviors". What are these? And how does AI enter the picture with these? 

What are the 4S Behaviors

The 4S behaviors are streaming, scrolling, searching, and shopping. What are some examples of each to help us define them? Let's take them one at a time...

1. Streaming - any platform used to stream media and video. You might think of traditional streaming platforms like Netflix or Amazon Prime, but you could include YouTube, YouTube Shorts, or TikTok and add these to the mix. 
2. Scrolling - while this is fairly self-explanatory, the swipe of your finger as you peruse Instagram or TikTok are great examples of the act of scrolling. A veritable rabbit-hole, you can get lost in search with this act, not just with content but with time! Scrollers beware :) 
3. Searching - this behavior is a little more intuitive and much less passive than streaming or scrolling. It implies intent to find what you are prompting Google or another search engine to find for you, or really any platform you may be on (i.e., Pinterest, Facebook Marketplace, Google, etc.)
4. Shopping - a very self-explanatory term which we all are familiar with, but it's important to note that brands are well aware of the need to be present across all relevant platforms to maximize impact and consumer awareness. 

AI Involvement with Mobile Search

So, how does AI enter the picture with these behaviors? 

Take Google's AI tools for example. Google Lens now powers over 20 billion visual searches each month, with 20% of these showing commercial intent. Moreover, tools like Circle to Search* is gaining traction among Gen Z (born between 1997 and 2012), who are known for quick, visual-first exploration. A tutorial for Circle to Search is found here...

AI is an extremely useful tool and is versatile with an endless number of applications. How exciting it is to be witnessing its practical use as it helps us perform duties and saves us time in our day to day lives! 

*Tip - the video I made demonstrating Circle to Search was done on a Google Pixel 9 Pro. Those with Samsung Galaxy phones can follow these instructions with relative ease to duplicate the process and get the same results. if you have an iPhone and want to use Circle to Search, a helpful video on how to perform this can be found here: https://youtube.com/shorts/b2kgxws3c84?si=D-uusHV1h3i4fpYe