Key stat: Nearly half (48%) of US Gen Z online searchers looked for information on a video platform in the past 30 days, compared with 34% of all searchers, according to a July report from YouGov.

Beyond the chart:

• Video search has gone mainstream well beyond Gen Z, with 49% of US consumers saying they have used TikTok as a search engine, according to Adobe.
• Meanwhile, the answers your buyers see are getting harder to track, and only 30% of brands stay visible from one AI answer to the next, according to AirOps.

Use this chart: Drop this in your search strategy deck to show why Gen Z discovery budget cannot sit entirely with text search. Use the 14-point video gap to defend YouTube and TikTok spend in planning meetings, and show the flat 25% AI chatbot line to cool overheated AI search projections.

Related EMARKETER reports:

• Gen Z Digital Trends 2026 (EMARKETER subscription required)
• YouTube for Social Media Teams 2026 (EMARKETER subscription required)

Methodology: Data is from the July 2026 YouGov report titled "Searching for Answers: How AI is Changing Online Discovery in 2026." 1,494 US adults ages 18+ were surveyed online during April 21-May 29, 2026. Sample is representative of the adult population ages 18+.