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Ask around in marketing circles today and you\u2019ll likely hear a familiar refrain: \u201cGen Z doesn\u2019t Google anything; they just search on TikTok.\u201d It\u2019s become one of the most persistent narratives about younger consumers, shaping everything from media strategies to channel investments. But how accurate is it?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
This idea has taken hold not because it’s entirely right, but because it’s incomplete. Yes, Gen Z uses TikTok, YouTube Shorts, and social platforms for discovery\u2014but assuming they\u2019ve left Google behind is a strategic misstep.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
During DAC\u2019s yearly internal account summit, Chris Loschiavo, Strategic Agency Manager at Google and YouTube, made the case\u2014with conviction and data\u2014that Gen Z isn\u2019t abandoning search engines. Instead, they\u2019re redefining how they use them, and in many ways, they\u2019re more engaged with search than any generation before them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Let\u2019s look at what Chris shared, and what it means for marketers trying to reach this dynamic audience.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The idea that Gen Z is \u201cmissing\u201d from Google Search quickly falls apart when you look at the data. According to Chris, with generative AI and new innovations like AI Overviews and visual search tools, people are now asking more complex questions and exploring information in new ways.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In fact, Chris pointed out that 15% of all searches Google receives each day are completely new. And with the new innovations, Google\u2019s seeing incredible feedback, particularly from younger generations, who find these new AI-powered features make their searches more helpful and satisfying. For Gen Z, this format aligns perfectly with how they engage with information. They want clarity, speed, and relevance. Rather than opening multiple tabs, they prefer an answer that brings everything together. Chris noted that users who interact with AI Overviews are more likely to continue searching, visit a wider variety of websites, and spend more time on those pages. They’re even searching more because of it: Gen Z are heavy users of Google Search in general, with signed-in users 18 to 24 issue more queries each day than other age groups<\/a>. Additionally, according to a survey with IPSOS, 84% of Gen Z consumers from Canada report using Google and\/or YouTube on a daily basis. These stats alone underscores a generation deeply engaged in experimenting, exploring, and refining how they search.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Marketers working with outdated assumptions may be missing the nuance here. Gen Z has not stepped away from search, they are engaging with it in ways that require more thoughtful, flexible strategies.<\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n If there is one area where Gen Z is truly driving change, it\u2019s in the shift from typed queries to visual exploration. Chris highlighted that visual search is the fastest-growing search behavior on Google, with Google Lens being used for over 20 billion search queries every month. This isn\u2019t just a trend\u2014it reflects a deeper change in how people process and pursue information: more visual, more mobile, and more immediate.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Tools like Google Lens and Circle to Search are enabling users to search using what they see, whether it’s a screenshot from social media or a photo taken in real life. And this behaviour isn\u2019t just about browsing. One in four Lens searches carries commercial intent, showing that visual search plays a real role in decision-making and purchase journeys.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Visual search is not a trend. It is a shift in how younger audiences process and pursue information. If your marketing strategy still centers around text-only keywords and assumes users begin with clear intent, you may already be behind.<\/p>\n\n\n\n This shift is especially pronounced among Gen Z. Much of the growth in visual search is being fueled by younger users<\/a>, who are far more likely to begin a search with an image than with words. This mirrors how they experience the world: highly visual, fast-moving, and anchored in mobile-first interactions. For Gen Z, the journey often begins with a tap on a photo\u2014not a keyword\u2014and smart brands are learning to meet them there.<\/p>\n \n Get exclusive insights into digital 2. Visual search is their native language<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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