Gen Z doesn’t use Google anymore

If you’re still optimizing for Google alone, you’re missing 41% of potential Gen Z customers.

Here’s why:

Sprout Social’s Q2 2025 data shows that 41% of Gen Z uses social platforms as their primary search engine.
Only 32% still use Google.

Let that sink in:
More Gen Zers now search TikTok, Reddit, and ChatGPT before they type into Google.

Translation:
Your SEO playbook has to include social now—Search Everywhere Optimization (SEvO) is becoming the new SEO.

Here’s what that looks like in practice:

• TikTok is the new YouTube.
  Gen Z is using it to find restaurants, product reviews, and how-tos. Your content needs to show up in their feed before they search.

• Reddit is trusted.
  Threads with authentic comments outperform polished blog posts. If you're not in the conversation, you're invisible.

• ChatGPT is a gatekeeper.
  It’s pulling answers from places like Reddit, StackOverflow, and niche blogs. If your brand’s not being referenced there, good luck ranking.

• Google is still relevant—but it’s not first.
  You should still rank for long-tail and transactional keywords. But Gen Z’s discovery path starts somewhere else.

This is a permanent shift in behavior. And the brands that don’t pivot will get left behind.

The new marketing stack includes:
SEvO + SEO + AI visibility.
That’s how you stay top-of-mind in 2025.

To staying searchable,
Eric Siu

P.S.

1 - If you want to grow faster using the power of AI, my agency Single Grain is offering free marketing plans to Leveling Up newsletter subscribers, check it out here.
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