The Truth About AI Search vs. Google - What 20 Million Searchers Are Actually Doing

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Jul 3, 2025

Eli Goodman, co-founder and CEO of Datos, delves into the evolving world of search behavior. He reveals insights gleaned from 20 million users, juxtaposing AI search with traditional Google searches. Eli discusses why zero-click searches are on the rise and the misconceptions surrounding SEO's future amid AI advancements. He highlights how data analytics can forecast trends, the nuanced nature of user intent in search, and the impact of clickstream data across various industries. Prepare for a mind-expanding look at the future of search!

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INSIGHT

AI Search Growth Is Additive

AI search use is additive, complementing rather than replacing traditional search engines.
Most AI searches are informational, not commercial, showing differing user intents.

INSIGHT

Classic vs. AI Search Behavior

Classic searches focus on destinations, quickly finding direct links.
AI searches emphasize the journey with longer, conversational queries for deeper understanding.

INSIGHT

Search Behavior Changes Slowly

The shift from traditional to AI search will take years due to user habit inertia.
Older generations change behavior slower, preserving Google's dominance for now.

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E729: Datos - secretly one of the most important companies in the SEO ecosystem. Today’s guest is co-founder and CEO of Datos, Eli Goodman. While many marketers have never heard of Datos, the smartest ones quietly rely on its clickstream data to understand how the world searches, clicks, and behaves online.

This episode is a deep dive into how search is changing in actual behavior. Eli breaks down what the data shows about Google, AI search, ChatGPT, and what’s driving clicks in 2025.

We discuss: - What 20 million users reveal about search behavior - The truth about AI search vs. traditional Google search - Will AI kill SEO anytime soon - The rise of zero-click searches and what it means - How clickstream data works - and why it matters - How Datos tracks behavior across 200+ countries - Google’s AI overviews vs. ChatGPT and Perplexity - Why most AI search queries aren’t commercial - Classic search vs. AI search behavior patterns - The “additive” nature of AI search - What marketers get wrong about search trends - How Datos’ data predicted earnings for major companies - Pinterest’s early rise spotted in clickstream data - What most marketers miss about non-linear attribution - Whether AI search is more “journey” than “destination” - Why publishers should be worried - and what’s next - The war between LLMs and search engines - and its timeline - Why user behavior changes slower than people think - The future of data, privacy, and search segmentation

⭐️ Eli Goodman on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/eligoodman/

⭐️ Datos - clickstream data to power your products and insights - https://datos.live/

💎 Compact Keywords - My SEO Course - Get paying customers through SEO - Clear step-by-step video breakdowns - SEO templates to be copied and adapted for your products and services: https://compactkeywords.com/

00:00 Predicting the Future with Data 01:19 Real-World Examples of Accurate Predictions 01:47 Detecting Pinterest 02:51 Datos Is One of the Most Important SEO Players 04:01 Understanding Clickstream Data 05:10 The Role of Data in Marketing Decisions 11:03 The Evolution of Search and AI's Impact 19:27 Behavioral Differences in Search Patterns 26:57 The Ongoing Battle Between AI and Traditional Search 28:59 The Impact of ChatGPT on Google and Meta 29:46 The Power of Established Networks 30:38 Apple's AI and Market Dynamics 31:28 The Future of AI in Search 32:22 Behavioral Changes and Search Patterns 36:55 Predicting Trends with Clickstream Data 43:03 The Role of Clickstream Data in AI 50:16 Google's Zero Click Search and SEO Trends 54:52 Concluding Thoughts and Future Discussions

The Edward Show. Your daily search engine optimization podcast: https://edwardsturm.com/the-edward-show/

#searchengineoptimization #digitalmarketing #performancemarketing #seotips