AI Is Changing Search. But It's Not Replacing Trust – And That's Good News for Brands.
- Alex Weller
- 3 days ago
- 4 min read
The latest YouGov research into how people in Great Britain search for information confirms something many marketers have suspected: AI is changing the way consumers discover information online, but it's not replacing trusted channels.
For brands, this presents an important opportunity.
While AI assistants are becoming part of the customer journey, trust, authority, and brand recognition remain the deciding factors behind consumer decisions.
That makes strong, memorable advertising more valuable than ever.
Search Isn't Dying – It's Evolving
Nearly 85% of online searchers in Great Britain used a traditional search engine in the past month, making it the dominant way people begin looking for information.
AI assistants are growing in popularity, but only 31% reported using one during the same period.
Consumers are no longer relying on a single platform. Instead, they move between search engines, maps, social media, video platforms, news sites and AI assistants depending on the task.
This fragmented discovery journey means brands need to be visible before consumers start searching—not just when they type a query.
AI Is Becoming a Research Assistant
Among people already using AI, the technology is primarily being used to get direct answers, summarise information, verify facts, compare options and troubleshoot problems.
Rather than replacing search engines, AI is acting as an additional research tool that helps consumers make sense of information.
Interestingly, even regular AI users rarely rely on AI alone. Most combine AI with search engines, websites and other trusted sources before making decisions.
Trust Still Wins
Perhaps the most important finding for advertisers is that consumers continue to place far greater trust in established information sources than AI-generated answers.
According to the research:
83% trust navigation apps.
77% trust search engines.
Only 31% trust AI assistants overall.
Even among AI users, trust only rises to 49%, highlighting that confidence in AI remains conditional.
Consumers consistently say they want:
Links to original sources
Official information
Transparency about where answers come from
Multiple sources for verification
In other words, people still want reassurance.
Why This Matters for Advertisers
Marketing has always been about reducing uncertainty. Consumers don't buy simply because information is available, they buy because they recognise, remember and trust a brand.
Television advertising excels at building exactly those qualities.
A brand consumers have seen repeatedly on television is more likely to be recognised when it appears in:
Google search results
AI-generated recommendations
Online reviews
Retail marketplaces
Social media discussions
AI may help answer questions, but it cannot manufacture trust. Trust is earned long before the search begins.
Brand Building Is Becoming More Important, Not Less
The report also highlights an important behavioural shift. People increasingly use multiple platforms during a single research journey. Rather than replacing one channel with another, consumers layer them together.
This means successful marketing will rely less on winning a single click and more on ensuring your brand is already familiar wherever consumers encounter it.
Television remains one of the most effective ways to build that familiarity at scale.
By creating broad awareness and emotional connection, TV advertising increases the likelihood that consumers will recognise—and choose—your brand whether they discover it through Google, ChatGPT, YouTube or any future AI-powered search experience.
SEO Is No Longer Enough – It's Time to Think About AI Optimisation
For years, businesses have invested heavily in Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) to improve their visibility on Google and other search engines. But as AI assistants become an increasingly common part of the research journey, brands need to broaden their thinking.
Just as websites have been optimised to rank highly in traditional search results, businesses should now be considering how they appear in AI-generated answers.
This emerging discipline—often referred to as AI Optimisation (AIO) or Generative Engine Optimisation (GEO)—focuses on ensuring your brand is discoverable, accurately represented and cited by AI assistants.
The good news is that many of the principles remain the same. High-quality, authoritative content, a technically sound website, credible third-party mentions and consistent brand messaging all increase the likelihood of being referenced by AI.
However, the YouGov research also highlights that people still want reassurance. They expect AI to reference trusted sources, official websites and credible information before they'll believe what they're reading.
That means businesses shouldn't see AI as replacing SEO—they should see it as the next evolution. Optimising for both search engines and AI assistants will become an increasingly important part of digital marketing.
And this is where brand building becomes even more valuable. A well-known, trusted brand is more likely to be recognised by consumers whether they discover it through Google, ChatGPT or any other AI-powered search tool. The stronger your brand presence, the more likely people are to trust—and act on—the answers they receive.
The Future Belongs to Trusted Brands
AI will undoubtedly continue to reshape how consumers access information.
But YouGov's findings suggest that the future isn't about AI versus search engines. It's about trusted brands appearing consistently across every touchpoint.
Businesses that invest in long-term brand building today will be better positioned for tomorrow's increasingly AI-assisted customer journeys.
As technology evolves, one principle remains unchanged:
People buy brands they know and trust.
And television remains one of the fastest and most effective ways to build both.
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