Gen Z Creates, Millennials Explore: Generational Search Trends in 2025

TL;DR: Gen Z and Millennials are shaping the future of search in very different ways. To reach both, brands need structured, actionable content built for discovery across AI, search, and social.

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As AI tools reshape how people search, shop, and make decisions, two generations are leading the way: Gen Z and Millennials.

It should come as no surprise to brands that younger people are at the forefront of leveraging new technologies. But there are key differences between these closely linked generations — and reaching them means understanding not just where they search, but how.

The TL;DR? Gen Z leans into AI as a creative partner. Millennials prefer a more pragmatic, multi-platform path to quick insights. Both of these patterns are transforming traditional SEO — and they demand smarter content strategies built for discovery across AI, social, and traditional channels.

Let's dive into data from our recent survey about how each generation is shaping the future of search and what brands can do to meet them there.

Gen Z treats AI as a creativity engine

For Gen Z, search isn't just about finding answers — it's about fueling imagination. This generation is very likely to use conversational AI for creative tasks.

For Gen Z, discovery often starts with a spark: "What could I create?" "What's trending?" "How do I make this mine?"

Takeaway: Brands targeting Gen Z should structure content for ideation. Think easy-to-read how-to guides, inspirational posts, and visually rich assets optimized for both GEO and social search.

Millennials take the cross-platform path to clarity

Like Gen Z, many Millennials rely on conversational AI. But it's important to note that they're very likely to check multiple sources before making a decision: 53% say they "often check multiple tools" to verify information.

For this generation, the journey often begins with a question and ends with a confident purchase — but not before triangulating across search engines, AI assistants, brand sites, and peer reviews.

Takeaway: Serve fast, clear, and structured answers across every channel. Product specs, reviews, comparisons, and price visibility are critical.

Different behaviors, shared expectations

Despite these generational contrasts, both groups are heavily engaged with AI:

• 85% of Gen Z and 74% of Millennials have used ChatGPT to research local products or services

• On the whole, 75% of all respondents — across generations — now use AI search more than they did a year ago

Yet both generations share the same frustrations with AI search:

• Lack of cited sources

• Inability to act on answers

• Poor handling of complex questions

Takeaway: It's not enough to show up in AI results — you need to show up well. Structured, verified, and actionable content is what earns trust.

What this means for brands

Reaching today's digital explorers means going beyond keywords and metadata. Brands must:

• Structure data so AI tools can understand and surface it accurately

• Tailor content to reflect the creative, curious, or pragmatic intent behind each query

• Show up everywhere — from AI-generated answers to social platforms

AI discovery is only growing. By meeting Millennials and Gen Z where they search, brands can build stronger connections — and spark the next conversion.

Click here to read the full survey.

FAQs

1. How does Gen Z use AI differently from Millennials in 2025? Gen Z leans on AI for creativity and ideation, while Millennials use it pragmatically to verify and compare across multiple platforms.

2. What types of content should brands create to engage Gen Z in search? Brands should focus on how-to guides, inspirational posts, and visually rich assets optimized for AI and social discovery.

3. How do Millennials approach cross-platform search before making a purchase? Millennials often triangulate information across search engines, AI assistants, brand sites, and peer reviews before making a confident decision.

4. What percentage of Gen Z and Millennials use ChatGPT for local research? 85% of Gen Z and 74% of Millennialsreport using ChatGPT to research local products or services.

5. Which channels do Millennials rely on most when verifying information? Millennials frequently turn to traditional search for price comparisons, AI for summaries, and social media for reviews and how-to content.

*Original survey details: The results in this report are from an online survey of 2,237 adults who made a purchase online within the past three months and used voice search (e.g., Siri, Google Assistant, Alexa) or conversational AI (e.g., ChatGPT, Perplexity, Claude) to find information online. The survey was conducted from March 20 to April 6, 2025, by Researchscape International on behalf of Yext. Results were weighted by country population, age, and gender. Respondents were from four countries: the United States, the United Kingdom, France, and Germany.