According to their analysis of 41 major websites in the United States and Europe (covering the EU and UK), search now occurs across social networks, e-commerce sites, content platforms, and AI tools.

The researchers also note that a large portion of search occurs on mobile browsers and apps, which were not included in this analysis.

Other Key Findings from the Study Data

1. Google remains dominant, accounting for 73.7% of all desktop searches across the 41 domains analyzed in the US in Q4 2025. This is lower than the market share often reported by other sources, highlighting the importance of considering broader platforms in measuring search behavior.
2. Other platforms outpace ChatGPT in desktop search activity: Amazon, Bing, and YouTube each received more searches than the AI tool. AI search accounted for only 3.2% of desktop searches in the US.
3. Commerce sites account for ~10% of searches, while social networks make up roughly 5.5%.
4. The EU/UK showed similar patterns, with Google slightly more dominant (~80% share), and Amazon seeing notable growth in transactional searches.

‘Search Is Everywhere, Not Just on Google’

Fishkin emphasized that search is increasingly a behavior, not a single channel, and suggested that marketers rethink traditional SEO strategies. 

The study further reinforces the new concept of “Search Everywhere Optimization,” which encourages companies to ensure visibility wherever audiences actually search whether on search engines, e-commerce marketplaces, social networks, or AI tools.

In a separate analysis, NP Digital similarly notes that search is no longer confined to Google.

”Search everywhere optimization is the new SEO. It optimizes your brand’s organic presence on every platform your customers use,” Neil Patel wrote in his blog.

He thereby categorized search platforms into five groups, namely:

1. Traditional search (e.g., Google, Bing, DuckDuckGo)

2. Social search (e.g., Instagram, Twitter/X, Reddit)

3. AI search (e.g., ChatGPT, Claude)

4. Shopping platforms (e.g., Amazon, eBay)

5. Underdog platforms (e.g., podcasts, niche apps)

What Exactly is Search Everywhere Optimization?

Search Everywhere Optimization is a strategic approach to ensuring a brand is visible wherever users actively search for information, products, or services, not just on traditional search engines.

This is not only about to creating accounts on social networks, marketplaces, or content platforms. The key is to optimize your presence so that your brand appears when and where it matters most. This means tailoring your content and listings to each platform, understanding how users search in different environments, and focusing on the channels that are most likely to drive meaningful actions, whether that’s a purchase, sign-up, or engagement.

Companies that approach it strategically can turn fragmented search behavior into measurable business results.

  Our Recommendations for Brands Based on this Study

1. Adopt a “Search Everywhere Optimization” strategy

Since search behavior now spans multiple platforms, brands should ensure they are visible wherever users look for information, products, or services.  This means investing in:

• Marketplace optimization on platforms like Amazon

• Video discoverability on YouTube, Instagram and Tiktok

• Content visibility on discussion platforms such as Reddit

• A Wikipedia page for your brand

2. Maintain strong presence on traditional search engines because SEO still matters.

Despite the expansion of search across platforms, the study shows that Google still accounts for the vast majority of desktop search activity, making traditional SEO strategies evergreen. Companies should therefore balance experimentation with AI search tools like ChatGPT while maintaining strong visibility on dominant search engines such as Google, which still account for a much larger share of search activity.

3. Prioritize high-intent search environment that drive purchases

Not all search activity has the same commercial value. Users discover brands across social platforms, discussion forums, marketplaces like Amazon, and search engines such as Google. Each of these environments can drive purchase decisions, depending on the brand, product, and context.

Brands should therefore prioritize visibility in their considered high-intent environments to ensure discovery translates into measurable revenue opportunities. What counts as a high-intent platform will vary by industry and business model, so companies should identify the channels where their own customers are most likely to make purchasing decisions and focus their optimization efforts there.