Has social media surpassed Google for online searches, particularly those with business intent? The answer varies by age, but the bigger factor is understanding how customers are most likely to discover your product or service.

According to a recent Forbes study, there’s a notable preference for social media searches over Google among younger generations:

• Gen Z: 46%

• Millennials: 35%

• Gen X: 18%

• Boomers: 7%

If you dig into the nuances of the study, you’ll see that the uptick in social searches is particularly strong for topics like gift ideas, interior design, fashion, and cars. In other words, searches that may have more to do with exploring possibilities versus seeking something specific. So, while age is a factor, it really all boils down to intent. As a sidebar, Pinterest should have excelled in these areas but (IMO) missed the mark, probably due primarily to their lack of emphasis on video. But anyways...

The key takeaway is that while age is a factor, the real focus should be on the intent behind the search and how customers logically discover your product or service.