What Our AI Mode User Behavior | Blog Post

What Our AI Mode User Behavior Study Reveals About The Future Of Search

Introduction

Search is evolving faster than ever before. In the age of AI assistants, voice search, and predictive algorithms, users no longer “search” they “converse,” “discover,” and “expect instant insights.”

At Vision ROI, we conducted an AI Mode User Behavior Study (2025) to decode how users are interacting with new AI-powered search systems from ChatGPT and Gemini to Google’s SGE (Search Generative Experience).

The results reveal one clear message:

“The traditional search journey is ending and predictive, conversational discovery is taking over.”

Let’s dive deep into what the data tells us about how AI is reshaping the future of search marketing.

1. The Rise of “AI Mode” Search Behavior

What We Observed

Over 2,000 participants were tracked using a mix of AI-integrated platforms Google SGE, Bing Copilot, ChatGPT Search, and voice assistants.
We analyzed query patterns, engagement depth, click behavior, and content preferences.

Insight

Search is shifting from “finding information” → “trusting responses.”
Users now depend on AI’s judgment to filter, summarize, and recommend redefining what SEO truly means.

2. The Evolution of “AI as a Search Engine”

Traditional Search vs AI Search

Aspect	Traditional Search (Pre-AI)	AI Mode Search (2025)
Query Style	Keywords (“Best shoes under ₹2000”)	Conversations (“What are comfortable shoes for office wear under ₹2000?”)
Output	List of ranked web pages	Contextual answers with summarized sources
User Effort	Click through multiple results	One-stop interaction within AI chat
Ranking Factor	SEO optimization & backlinks	Relevance, authority, freshness, and semantic trust
Experience	Static	Personalized & predictive

What This Means for Marketers

SEO is becoming “AEO” Answer Engine Optimization.
The new metric of visibility is not rank position but AI inclusion whether your brand is mentioned or cited by AI systems.
Authority, brand signals, and user trust matter more than backlinks alone.

3. User Intent is Becoming Contextual, Not Categorical

Old Model:

Users categorized their needs: “Buy,” “Learn,” “Compare,” “Find.”
Marketers built funnels based on those stages.

New Model:

AI understands emotions, tone, and intent depth.
Users might type:

“I’ve been struggling to increase my ad ROI what’s the best strategy right now?”

This single prompt includes:

Pain point (low ROI)
Context (digital ads)
Desired outcome (improvement strategy)

AI doesn’t just deliver links it delivers strategic advice, product recommendations, or even campaign frameworks.

Marketers now need to:

Create emotionally resonant, context-rich content
Optimize for semantic intent, not keyword density
Build trustworthy brand voices that AI systems will cite as “credible sources”

4. Multi-Device, Multi-Modal Search Behavior

Key Observations from Our Study:

Voice + Visual searches are up 48% YoY in 2025.
AI chat search on mobile devices increased 71% compared to 2024.
Visual discovery (via Lens or AI image search) is driving higher product interaction rates, especially in fashion, food, and lifestyle.

What’s Changing:

Voice search is evolving from basic commands to contextual dialogues (“Show me digital marketing case studies from agencies in India that improved ROAS.”)
Image-based search is becoming crucial for product discovery.
AI assistants integrate all these inputs seamlessly users switch between typing, speaking, and showing.

Marketing Takeaway:

Your brand visibility must extend beyond Google Search into AI chats, voice results, and visual databases.
That means optimizing content, media, and metadata for multi-modal discovery.

5. Trust Signals Are the New SEO

From Our Behavioral Data:

Users trust results with clear authorship or human-backed expertise.
Mentions of “verified professionals”, “case studies”, and “brand credibility” boosted AI citations by 37%.
E-E-A-T (Experience, Expertise, Authority, Trust) once a Google guideline is now the foundation of AI citation logic.

In Short:

AI prioritizes people-first content not algorithm-gaming tactics.

The brands that educate rather than advertise will dominate the AI search future.

6. Predictive Search Is the Next Big Leap

AI doesn’t just respond it anticipates.

Based on user context, device habits, and behavior history, predictive suggestions are replacing traditional “search bar” interactions.

Example:

Before you even search for “Meta Ads ideas,” your AI assistant might suggest:

“Would you like to see trending Meta Ad strategies performing well this week?”

What This Means for Marketers:

Your content must be updated, trend-aligned, and machine-readable.
Structured data, schema markup, and real-time insights will improve discoverability.
Predictive search means being one step ahead not just present when searched.

7. The Future of SEO: From Search to Suggestion

The Transition:

2020 → 2023: Keywords & backlinks
2023 → 2024: User experience & E-E-A-T
2025 → Beyond: AI discoverability & contextual authority

Future SEO will focus on:

🧩 Answer Engine Optimization (AEO)
🗣️ Conversational Keyword Clusters
🧱 Structured content for AI readability
🔗 Brand presence across AI ecosystems (ChatGPT, Gemini, Perplexity)
📈 Engagement metrics that reflect trust and clarity

In essence:

“SEO will no longer be about ranking it’ll be about relevance inside AI conversations.”

8. What Businesses Should Do Right Now

✅ Optimize for conversational queries
Use natural, question-based phrasing in blogs, FAQs, and product pages.

✅ Build AI-friendly authority
Publish expert-led content with data, proof, and clear author identity.

✅ Leverage structured data & schema
Enable AI crawlers to understand your brand context and expertise.

✅ Focus on omnichannel discoverability
Repurpose your insights for text, video, voice, and visuals.

✅ Integrate AI tools in marketing
Use ChatGPT, Meta Advantage+, and GA4 AI insights to refine targeting and creatives.

Final Insight

Our AI Mode User Behavior Study clearly shows:

Search is no longer static it’s predictive, personalized, and conversation-driven.
Users don’t just want answers they want trustworthy advisors.
The brands that educate, engage, and evolve with AI systems will own visibility in this new era.

“In 2025 and beyond, you’re not optimizing for search engines anymore —
you’re optimizing for AI trust engines.”

Conclusion

The future of search isn’t about chasing keywords it’s about building connections between people, questions, and credible answers.
AI is becoming the bridge between human curiosity and brand expertise.

Vision ROI