How AI is Changing Consumer Search Behavior
By: Michael Alston for Franchise Insights
May 20, 2026 – Along with the rest of consumers, persons searching for businesses have now had more than two years of experience with Google’s AI Overviews along with chatbots and AI-enhanced browsers. How might this have changed the process of finding the right franchise and thereby franchise lead generation? There may be clues in the preferences of the general population for chat over traditional search.
In a survey commissioned by Orbital Media, 50% of consumers began their searches by opening a chat app. But that number is no longer growing, likely given that Google Chrome is the most popular browser at 51%, and Google search remains the default choice on Apple and, of course, Google phones. It’s less trouble than opening an app.
Traditional Google Search remains the first choice of about 50% of consumers, given that it’s the default option on many devices and browsers, and features AI Overviews.
AI Overviews were launched in May 2024, and now appear in about 76% of search results, according to SearchEngineLand. With their location at the top of the page, they likely support continuing usage of Google Search in that they answer many questions and provide some of the benefits of AI without opening an app. Orbit Media’s research showed that 70% of consumers using search also use AI Overviews.
On the other hand, 30% of respondents either ignored or turned off AI Overviews (an option in Google Search), up from 28% in their 2025 survey.
Among AI chat tools, ChatGPT and Google’s Gemini were most preferred, at 36% and 33% respectively, according to Orbit Media. Microsoft’s Copilot was preferred by 18% of users, followed by Claude, Perplexity and others, none higher than 6% each
Gemini grew the most among chat options, from 29% to 33% in 2025 and 2026 respectively.
More than one third of users distrust results from AI, and just under one half trust results from a Google search more.
One surprising finding is that 36% users distrust results from AI, and that distrust grew from 32% in 2025. Further in 2025, 52% said they trusted results from a Google search more, though that dropped to 49% in 2026.
Respondents saying they are likely to use AI chat more as tools improve dropped from 51% to 49% in 2026.
Another area of the study is the difference in preference AI options over search depending on the type of inquiry, ranging from 24-40% in 2026, with higher preferences for AI chat for more detailed questions requiring longer answers e.g. “why something works” or “step by step instructions.”
There were many more observations in the Orbit Media AI-Search Adoption Study beyond the scope of this article, and it is worth reading for those interested in the topic.
Since franchise research can be shallow (is Chipotle a franchise?) to deep (which home services franchise best matches my set of skills?), we at FranchiseInsights.com are conducting surveys to ask franchise searchers directly and will report on the results soon.
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Published on Wednesday, May 20th, 2026.