Australians continue to rely on traditional search – meaning Google Search and Bing – for discovery when seeking specific information, comparing products with precise specifications, or when initiating a purchase journey with a clear intent, even as AI-powered discovery tools gain traction as of December 2025.
Google’s Search Generative Experience (SGE), now available to a wider Australian user base following its initial rollout in 2024, provides AI-powered overviews directly within search results. However, traditional ‘ten blue links’ remain crucial. Google Merchant Center, used by over 100,000 Australian retailers, feeds product listings into Google Shopping and standard search results. These listings are still displayed alongside, and often *above*, SGE summaries for product-focused queries. Furthermore, complex queries requiring nuanced information – like comparing NBN plans based on specific address availability – often lead users directly to websites via traditional search. Bing, while having a smaller market share in Australia (approximately 4% as of December 2025), functions similarly, integrating AI features but still heavily relying on indexed web pages. Google’s Performance Max campaigns, which utilise AI, still require a strong foundation of keyword-optimised landing pages discoverable through traditional search to function effectively.
Ultimately, traditional search continues to function as the primary mechanism for indexing and delivering website content based on user queries, even alongside increasingly sophisticated AI-driven search experiences.
