How Much Do Your Customers Really Trust AI Answers?

This article explores how customer trust in AI-powered search is growing and how brands can stay relevant by optimizing their digital presence for AI platforms.

• How customer trust in AI is changing the search landscape

• Why marketers need to adapt their approach to surface in AI-led search

• The importance of structured, accurate, and consistent data for AI-driven search

• Actionable steps to keep your brand visible across AI tools like ChatGPT and in search generative experiences like AI Overviews

As AI tools like ChatGPT and AI Overviews become more integrated into digital experiences, marketers are facing a new challenge: do customers really trust AI to provide accurate answers to their search questions?

The answer is yes — and more than you think. With AI-powered search becoming a bigger part of the customer journey, positioning your brand with the right information at the right time is more important than ever.

Recent data shows that nearly 45% of customers say they would use and trust AI tools to gather more information about a brand. That trust extends to search engines as well—49% of customers* are likely to trust an AI-generated response (think AI Overviews or the recent Bing search generative experience update). These numbers indicate that, particularly in the early stages of their journey, many customers are more than happy to turn to AI for answers. Whether they're asking an initial question like, "What's the best paint for my deck?" or seeking out reviews for a specific product, AI is becoming a trusted tool in the discovery process. Brands need to meet this shift head-on.

As much as customers may trust AI, there's still a gap in how well AI models provide accurate, up-to-date information. According to our research, 56% of customers report that they often find outdated information when researching brands through AI-powered platforms. This presents both a challenge and an opportunity for marketers: if AI is only as good as the data it pulls from, keeping your brand's information current and accessible can be the difference between a conversion or a missed opportunity. Don't forget, if a customer encounters missing or bad information, 64% are likely to go on to the next option.*

Don't just take our word for it — there are clear indicators that this shift is happening. We're witnessing a rapid change in how customers search for information. Google's dominance is changing as more people turn to AI platforms like ChatGPT (which now has over 200 million weekly active users, and a recent study revealed a jump from 1% to 8% of Americans are using it as their primary search engine) and intent-based queries are rendering direct answers with Google's AI Overviews.

This fragmentation of search is accelerating, pushing brands to adapt quickly to stay visible. Gartner has even predicted a 25% decline in Google Search traffic by 2026 – and the data shows we're already on that path. By 2028, they predict that decline could reach 50%. These numbers seemed aggressive at first, but the latest trends prove that this shift is happening faster than anticipated.

So, how do you help your brand appear where customers are searching using generative AI, and with accurate information? It all starts with your digital presence. A strong cross-channel digital presence (think: listings, local pages, reviews, social media) can help your brand appear accurately and consistently across every platform and AI-led experience. AI models rely on diverse data sources – including:

• Major search engines like Google and Bing

• Brand websites and local landing pages

• Smaller search engines and publishers (don't ignore the value of the extended publisher network like LocalMint, YP, TripAdvisor, and more)

AI models prioritize breadth, accuracy, and consistency. If your brand's data isn't structured in a way it can be understood, or you're not prioritizing timely updates, you'll start to get lost in the customer journey. Soon, this level of digital optimization will be necessary for building customer trust and engagement.

Want to learn more about how AI is shaping the future of customer behavior? Read the Digital Customer Journey in 2024 report.

*Survey details: The results are from an online survey of 2,312 adults who purchased something online within the past year. The survey was conducted from June 14 to 25, 2024, by Researchscape International on behalf of Yext. Results were weighted by country population, age, and gender. Respondents were from five countries: France, Italy, Germany, the United Kingdom, and the United States.