AI Is Shifting Search Behavior
AI is reshaping how people search, explore, and make decisions online. Instead of typing short, keyword-heavy queries into a search box, users are talking to AI tools like ChatGPT and Gemini. They’re having full conversations that reveal their goals, frustrations, and thought processes.
At Seer, we‘ve always said there’s a person behind every search — in the AI age, we’re swapping “search” for “prompt”. Understanding that user’s needs and shifting behaviors are key to keeping your digital strategy relevant as the web becomes more AI-driven. That’s why we’re following up our post on how AI can improve your user research by analyzing how real users are searching with AI tools.
What Is AI Search User Testing?
AI Search User Testing is a new strategic offering from Seer that uncovers how real users leverage AI tools in their customer journeys to research and make decisions. Through a mix of observational and task-based user testing sessions, we analyze:
- What users ask and how they phrase prompts
- Deeper insight into their intent
- When and why they move between AI tools and traditional search
- What triggers them to act, click, or explore more
It’s about understanding the why behind a person’s search behavior. This research gives brands a deeper understanding of user intent, emotion, and motivation — allowing them to drive more user-centric digital strategies.
Why It Matters for Your Brand
1. See Beyond Keywords to Intent
Generative Engine Optimization (GEO) helps us understand both how AI models find and present information and how our content performs in AI-driven search.
While GEO shows what happens, AI Search User Testing uncovers why it happens. Understanding user intent allows us to solve problems more effectively and make our content more relevant in AI conversations.
2. Inform Content and UX Opportunities
By monitoring how users move between AI tools and your site, we can identify where AI-generated responses fall short and where your brand can step in.
This helps you:
- Create content that fills gaps AI can’t yet answer
- Design user experiences that build confidence when users click from an AI result
- Match your messaging to the way people naturally phrase their prompts
- Create owned experiences unique to you that AI can’t replicate
The goal is simple: meet people where they are and give them what they actually need.
3. Connect AI Insights Across SEO, Paid, and Analytics
AI Search User Testing doesn’t live in a silo. It connects directly to your broader marketing ecosystem. Our team blends AI-driven insights with GEO, SEO, paid media, and analytics to create a full picture of how people find and engage with your brand.
Using custom GPTs and analysis agents, we can speed up the discovery process and quickly surface actionable themes to make informed decisions faster and pivot as the search landscape changes.
4. Replace Guesswork with Real-World Evidence
Every AI Search User Testing engagement ends with a readout report that includes:
- User quotes and video clips
- Themed insights and recommendations
- Actionable next steps for your SEO, UX, and content strategies
Instead of guessing what your audience wants, you’ll have real data about how people interact with AI and where your brand fits into that journey.
How We Put This Into Practice
In a recent qualitative study for a client, we asked a cohort of participants to use various LLMs exactly as they normally would within their work environment. When we reviewed the dozens of prompts they generated, a clear pattern emerged: most people gave the model just a line or two of context, often adding one or two personal details in hopes of a more tailored response.
Those small details became incredibly informative. By looking at how participants described themselves or their situation, and how those details influenced the model’s responses and perceived usefulness, we were able to see which types of personal information actually mattered for personalization.
That real, unprompted user behavior is now directly shaping how we think about a more personalized content strategy for that client’s audience segments moving forward.
The Takeaway
Search behavior is changing fast. People aren’t searching the way they used to, and strategies need to adapt and evolve.
AI Search User Testing provides the data and empathy to create content, experiences, and campaigns that match how people think and talk with AI at their fingertips.
At Seer, we’re here to help you uncover the story behind every prompt and turn those insights into smarter, more human digital strategies.
Want to learn how AI Search User Testing can evolve your digital strategy? Let’s connect and explore how your audience is already shaping the next era of search.
