Australian consumer search habits have undergone a radical transformation, according to new research from Oysterly Media. It found that just 26% of Gen Z Australians now turn to Google search first when they want to buy something, compared to 40% of the total population. And the generation gap is growing.

Melissa Laurie (pictured), CEO and founder of Oysterly Media, says the data points to a fundamental mismatch between where marketers are spending and where their customers actually are.

“Australian marketers are still allocating significant budget to search channels their customers have already moved away from,” she said.

“The data tells us where the audience is. The next step is making sure the spend follows them there.”

Social media and AI are the new search engines

Seven in ten young Australians (74%) now begin their product research on social media or AI rather than a traditional search engine, according to the Oysterly Media research, conducted with Oaktree Insights and Consulting.

The research, which surveyed 1200 Australians in Q1 2026 as part of its report The Changing Landscape of Discovery and Trust, found that social media now drives 29% of all product discovery among Australians. That’s more than three times the rate of brand websites. Nearly half of young Australians (42%) go to a brand’s social profile to make final purchase decisions, with just 11% starting on brand websites.

The Google exodus is cross-generational

Another significant finding in the Oysterly Media research is that the social search shift extends well beyond Gen Z, with three in ten Gen X Australians now discovering products while scrolling on social media feeds , which may surprise some marketers, many of whom continue to plan short form video investment primarily as an afterthought to more traditional methods. 

Ms Laurie says the Gen X finding should prompt a rethink of how brands allocate social investment.

“The idea that short form videos is something you create to reach young people is no longer accurate,” she said.

“Gen X grew up in an era of window shopping and word of mouth. The social feed is just a digital version of both, and they have taken to it. Brands that are not building for that audience in social are leaving real money on the table.

“Australians are changing where they search, and what they trust. Brands that understand that shift and build content that earns attention rather than buying it, are the ones that will come out ahead,” said Ms Laurie.