Have you noticed that your Google traffic feels a little softer lately? Me too—and we’re not imagining it. Google searches per U.S. user are down nearly 20% year over year. That’s not a blip. That’s a behavioral shift—and for small business owners trying to get found, it matters.
Before we continue, this data is based on a report from Meta, The Search Shift. Obviously, we expect them to tout social media as an increasingly important component of the consumer’s discovery quest.
And they do. But that claim is based in the reality of what’s actually happening. It’s not that consumers have stopped searching. They’ve just started searching in two very different places, for two very different reasons.
Two Modes, One Customer
First, think like a consumer. Consider how you shop versus how you buy. When you already know what you want, you go to a search engine. You type it in, compare options, click a link. That’s utility search—efficient, intentional, transactional.
But what if you’re just browsing, curious, or open to being surprised? You’re probably scrolling. A video catches your eye. You see a product you didn’t know you needed. A comment section full of real people confirms it’s worth buying. That’s discovery search—and it happens before a single query is typed.
The data backs this up. Recent research shows that 92% of consumers now use social platforms to find product information, compared to 79% who use traditional search engines. And 61% say a purchase starts with seeing something visually appealing—not with typing a question into a search bar.
That means the moment that determines what gets purchased often occurs long before the purchase itself. If you’re only showing up at checkout, you’ve already missed it.
The New Purchase Triggers
What actually sparks someone’s interest in a product? According to the research, the top triggers are overwhelmingly visual and social:
- 61% see something visually appealing
- 46% get a recommendation from someone they know
- 44% come across something unexpected but interesting
- 38% see someone actually using it in a post or video
- 31% see a creator or influencer talking about it
Four of the top five triggers are social experiences. None of them are keyword bids.
That’s the fundamental difference between the two modes. Traditional search captures demand that already exists. Social discovery creates demand—by showing people something in context, through voices they trust, in moments when they’re open to it.
Why This Matters for Small Businesses Specifically
Large brands have the budget to be everywhere. Small businesses have to be strategic. So where should your attention go?
The encouraging news is that social discovery actually tends to favor authenticity over production value. Short-form video is now the number-one format consumers encounter during the shopping journey—and the most helpful for moving them forward. That doesn’t require a film crew. It requires showing up consistently, putting your product or service in a real context, and writing captions the way your customers actually talk.
A few things worth knowing:
Captions are searchable. On social platforms, the text in your captions gets indexed—not just your hashtags. Write them the way someone would type a question: “best coffee shop for remote work” rather than #CoffeeShop.
Short videos work as search assets. Build content that answers what people are actually looking for: “Is it worth it?” “How does this work?” “What’s the difference between X and Y?” These aren’t just engagement posts. They’re discovery tools.
Social proof closes the loop. Customer reviews, user-generated content, and real people using your product in real life—these build purchase confidence. Research shows that when social plays a role in the journey, 65% of consumers feel more confident in their purchase, and 63% say they buy faster.
The Bigger Picture
None of this means abandoning traditional search. Google isn’t going anywhere, and showing up in local search results is still critical for most small businesses. The shift is about recognizing that your next customer might find you on a Tuesday afternoon while they’re scrolling, not on a Saturday morning when they’re ready to buy.
The businesses winning right now aren’t choosing between search and social. They’re showing up in both—and understanding that each one does a different job.
Traditional search is where you get found when someone already wants you. Social discovery is where you earn the want in the first place.
For small businesses, that second part has never been more accessible—or more important.
Rieva Lesonsky is the founder of Small Business Currents, a content company focusing on small businesses and entrepreneurship. You can find her on Twitter @Rieva, Bluesky @Rieva.bsky.social, and LinkedIn. Or email her at Rieva@SmallBusinessCurrents.com.
Photo courtesy Getty Images for Unsplash+
