This Survey Reveals How Different Generations Interact With Search Engines

Search engines are the core component of the internet because of the fact that this is the sort of thing that could potentially end up helping you acquire information and find websites based on your needs. However, not every generation is going to use these search engines in exactly the same manner. Quite on the contrary, each generation tends to have a distinct approach with respect to how they treat these search engines.

With all of that having been said and now out of the way, it is important to note that there are some similarities as well. For example, Baby Boomers and Gen Z tend to have a shared preference for privacy. Millennials and Gen X, on the other hand, desire speed above all else, even if privacy ends up falling by the wayside.

Interestingly, the way search engines function might just make them better suited to baby boomers than might have been the case otherwise. On average, baby boomers tend to have a 10% higher satisfaction rate with how search engines operate when compared to Gen Z. This might be due to Gen Z having more in depth knowledge about privacy violations that occur.

One of the most revelations from this survey conducted by Frontier is that people have a strong preference for using social media for all of their searches rather than search engines. This goes against the general understanding of search queries that people tend to operate under. 82% of people say that they prefer to make searches on social media, and that goes for every single generation with all things having been considered and taken into account.

Another revelation made in this survey which is a lot less surprising is that Google is the single most popular search engine out there. 80% of survey respondents said that they preferred to use Google, and a similar proportion, 80% to be precise, stated that they preferred to type out complete sentences when entering search queries into their search engine of choice.

Again, this is a trend that has an intergenerational aspect to it. All generations clearly have largely similar practices when it comes to search engines, which says a lot about the ubiquity of these services and how they’re capable of providing value to everyone regardless of their background.

Voice searches have also become the preferred mode of interfacing with a search engine. 87% of the people who responded to this survey stated that they have used voice searching features in the past, which makes sense considering how easy it can make the whole process.

As for the phrases that people often incorporate into their various search queries, this survey revealed some insight. 51% of survey respondents said that they use “what is” or “what are” terms while making searches. This made it the single most popular search term, with no other phrase breaking past the 30% mark.

This is yet another trend that seems to be quite consistent irrespective of the particular generation that you are focusing on. Search engines clearly have a universal appeal, and their legacy has given people the ability to optimize how they use them. However, they still seem to be in danger of getting replaced by social media.

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by Zia Muhammad via Digital Information World