Survey on AI Tool Usage and Search Behavior [United States, Germany, India, Singapore, Japan]

Aun Consulting Co., Ltd. (Headquarters: Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo; CEO: Akira Shinta; TSE Standard: 2459) provides marketing services including AI Marketing* and Global Marketing**.

We are pleased to announce the results of a survey conducted on AI tool usage and actual search behavior in the United States, Germany, India, Singapore, and Japan.

* AIO (AI Optimization: AIO×SEO) [Service Overview: https://www.auncon.co.jp/solutions/aio/]

** SEO (Search Engine Optimization) and advertising services for domestic and international markets [Service Overview: https://www.auncon.co.jp/service/]

Introduction

With the widespread adoption of generative AI and the evolution of search engines, user behavior in searching for and collecting information is undergoing a significant transformation. In particular, the introduction of Google's "AI Overviews" and the conversational AI feature "AI Mode" is dramatically altering traditional website traffic pathways.

Against this backdrop, we conducted a questionnaire survey targeting Japan, the United States, Germany, India, and Singapore, focusing on AI tool usage frequency, purposes, and search behaviors.

Generative AI Tool Usage Share by Country

Our investigation into the most frequently used generative AI tools revealed that tools provided by OpenAI and Google dominate globally. In all five countries—Japan, the United States, Germany, India, and Singapore—"ChatGPT" holds the largest market share in both private and business contexts.

In private use, ChatGPT's market share stands at 57.8% in Singapore, 55.6% in India, 43.8% in the United States, and 40.8% in Japan. For work or school use, the shares are 56.3% in Singapore, 55.8% in India, 39.6% in the United States, and 39.7% in Japan. These figures indicate that ChatGPT is becoming an integral AI tool, used from daily information gathering to improving work efficiency.

Frequency of Generative AI Tool Usage

When comparing the frequency of generative AI tool usage with traditional search engines like Google, the percentage of respondents who answered "do not use AI tools regularly" was low in India (1.6%) and Singapore (3.4%). In the United States (20.8%) and Germany (17.0%), the figure remained below 20%.

In contrast, over 30% of respondents in Japan reported not using AI tools, indicating a slower pace of daily AI adoption compared to other countries.

Strategic Direction for SEO and AIO

The survey results suggest that AI tools are increasingly becoming a significant means of search and information gathering, both domestically and internationally. Particularly in global markets, where AI adoption rates are high, businesses must adapt to evolving search behaviors.

As indicated by Google's core algorithm updates and the "Search Quality Evaluator Guidelines*1," Google consistently prioritizes delivering the most useful and trustworthy information to users*2. This fundamental principle remains unchanged even in the era of AI-powered search. Moving forward, it will be essential to continue traditional SEO efforts while proactively adapting to the expanding AI search market.

The full report includes all survey results, detailed analysis, and strategic recommendations for SEO and AIO. For more information, please visit the Aun Consulting website.

Access the full report here

【Survey Purpose】

Survey on AI Tool Usage and Search Behavior

【Survey Overview】

・Target Countries (Sample Size): United States (324), Germany (335), India (385), Singapore (325), Japan (600)

・Survey Period: June 30, 2026 – July 6, 2026

・Target: Men and women aged 20 and above in each country

・Method: Online survey

※ Conducted by Aun Consulting using the survey tool "Surveroid, https://surveroid.jp"

【Sources】

*1 Search Quality Evaluator Guidelines

https://static.googleusercontent.com/media/guidelines.raterhub.com/en//searchqualityevaluatorguidelines.pdf

*2 Google Search documentation "Optimizing websites for generative AI in Search"

https://developers.google.com/search/docs/fundamentals/ai-optimization-guide?hl=ja

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