f you’re a Gen Z marketer, you’ve probably noticed something: search does not feel like it used to.

We still Google things. Obviously. But we also search TikTok, Instagram, YouTube, Reddit, Pinterest, Amazon and increasingly, AI tools like ChatGPT.

As a Gen Z myself, I don’t think we see “search” as one specific website anymore. We see it as a way of finding an answer, recommendation, opinion, tutorial or idea wherever it makes the most sense.

And that changes the SEO conversation.

Gen Z Isn’t Killing Google. We’re Expanding Search.

There is a tendency to frame Gen Z’s search behaviour as:

“Gen Z doesn’t use Google anymore.”

I don’t think that’s quite right.

We’re using more search environments, depending on what we’re trying to find.

Research from Sprout Social found that 41% of Gen Z respondents in the US, UK and Australia turn to social platforms first when looking for information, compared with 32% who turn to traditional search engines and 11% who use chat-based AI tools first.

Another 2025 survey found that 34% of respondents aged 16–27 used AI chatbots for search, while YouTube, Instagram and TikTok were also heavily used for information discovery.

That makes sense to me.

If I want to understand a complicated topic, I might Google it.

If I want to see how someone actually uses a product, I might search TikTok.

If I want visual inspiration, I’m probably going to Pinterest or Instagram.

If I want someone to explain something without making me read 14 tabs, I might ask AI.

The platform depends on the question.

And marketers need to understand that.

AI Is Changing What “SEO” Means

Traditional SEO has historically revolved around things like:

• Keywords
• Search intent
• Backlinks
• Technical SEO
• Metadata
• Content structure
• Rankings
• Organic traffic

Those things still matter.

But AI-powered search is introducing another layer: Can your content be understood, trusted and referenced by AI systems?

Google has already integrated AI Overviews and AI Mode into Search. Google reported that AI Overviews were driving more than a 10% increase in Google usage for the types of queries that trigger them in its largest markets.

That doesn’t mean traditional SEO is dead.

It means the search journey is becoming more conversational.

People can now ask longer, more complicated questions instead of typing a few keywords and hoping the right blue link appears.

So instead of only thinking:

“What keyword should I rank for?”

Marketers increasingly need to think:

“What question is my audience actually trying to answer?”

That’s a much more interesting question.

Gen Z Is Already Comfortable With AI Search

This is where Gen Z gets particularly interesting.

Adobe’s research found that 77% of surveyed US ChatGPT users had used it as a search engine, while 28% of Gen Z respondents said they started their searches with ChatGPT. Even more interestingly, 47% of Gen Z respondents said they had discovered a new product or brand through ChatGPT.

That’s not just an AI trend.

That’s a discovery trend.

If someone can discover your brand through an AI answer before they ever visit Google, your digital strategy needs to account for that journey.

SEO is no longer purely about getting someone to click a search result.

Sometimes the first interaction with your brand happens inside the answer itself.

But Please Don’t Let AI Write Your Entire Website

Here’s where I think marketers need to be careful.

AI is incredibly useful.

I’m a Gen Z marketer working in an industry where AI is becoming increasingly normal, and I genuinely think marketers should learn how to use it.

But there is a difference between:

Using AI to improve your thinking

and

using AI instead of thinking.

Research from Ahrefs found that 87% of surveyed marketers use AI to help create content.

That’s a huge shift.

But if everyone starts generating the same generic article from the same prompt, the internet becomes one enormous bowl of SEO-flavoured oatmeal.

Technically edible.

Absolutely nobody asked for it.

The advantage isn’t simply having AI.

The advantage is knowing what to do with it.

AI can help with research, ideation, content outlines, keyword exploration, optimisation and repetitive tasks.

But human marketers still bring:

• Personal experience
• Opinions
• Creativity
• Context
• Brand voice
• Cultural understanding
• Original examples
• Emotional intelligence
• Critical thinking

That’s where the human input matters.

SEO + AI Should Work Together

I don’t see SEO and AI as competing disciplines.

I see them as becoming increasingly connected.

SEO helps search engines understand your content.

AI search systems need useful, structured and trustworthy information to answer questions.

And marketers need to understand both traditional search behaviour and conversational discovery.

Research from BrightEdge found that 68% of surveyed organisations were actively changing their strategies because of AI search, while 54% said SEO and digital marketing teams were responsible for leading those efforts.

We’re also seeing marketers experiment with AI-assisted SEO, keyword research and content workflows.

A 2025 survey of 1,722 marketers found that 33% had recently started using AI for SEO and keyword research, while another 25% had already been using it for at least a year.

The message is pretty clear:

AI isn’t sitting outside the SEO department anymore.

It’s becoming part of the workflow.

So What Should Gen Z Marketers Actually Do?

My approach would be pretty simple.

1. Write for humans first.

Don’t create content that sounds like it was assembled by a robot who has never experienced the topic.

Give people something useful.

2. Understand search intent.

Don’t obsess over keywords without understanding why someone searched for them.

What are they trying to accomplish?

3. Create content that answers real questions.

Especially questions people might ask conversationally.

Instead of only targeting:

“Gen Z marketing”

you could create content around:

“How should brands market to Gen Z?”

or:

“Why does Gen Z prefer social search?”

or:

“How does AI change SEO for Gen Z audiences?”

The second approach reflects how people actually talk.

4. Don’t abandon traditional SEO.

Technical SEO, internal linking, site structure, useful content, accessibility and strong user experience still matter.

AI search doesn’t magically erase the fundamentals.

5. Build a recognisable voice.

This might become one of the biggest advantages humans have.

If every website sounds identical, personality becomes differentiation.

Your expertise shouldn’t disappear just because AI helped you draft something.

6. Think beyond Google.

Your SEO strategy should consider the entire discovery ecosystem.

Google → TikTok → Instagram → YouTube → Reddit → AI → Website

Gen Z doesn’t necessarily follow one straight path.

We bounce.

The Future of SEO Is Less About “Ranking” and More About Being Discoverable

This is probably the biggest shift I see.

SEO used to make me think:

“How do I get my website onto page one?”

Now I’m more interested in:

“How do I make my brand discoverable wherever my audience is looking?”

That could mean Google.

It could mean TikTok.

It could mean YouTube.

It could mean an AI assistant recommending your brand.

It could mean someone finding your article through a search result and then following your Instagram.

The journey isn’t linear anymore.

And honestly?

That’s what makes marketing interesting.

As Gen Z marketers, we shouldn’t be scared of AI changing SEO.

We should be learning how to work with it without losing the human perspective that makes marketing worth reading in the first place.

AI can help us find patterns.

AI can help us work faster.

AI can help us research, structure and optimise.

But we still decide what is worth saying.

And that, in my opinion, is where the real SEO advantage is going to live.

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