#Japan #Tokyo #Asmark #AI Overviews #search behavior

Understanding Search Behavior in Business: Insights from Recent Survey

On August 15, 2025, Asmark Co., a marketing research company based in Tokyo, released crucial findings from a survey exploring search behaviors in business environments. Conducted between July 29 and July 31, the study specifically targeted white-collar workers in the age range of 20 to 50 who utilize online services and applications and are involved in information retrieval.

The Rise of AI in Information Gathering

Recent advancements in Artificial Intelligence (AI) technologies have notably reshaped how individuals collect information and conduct work-related tasks. A prominent feature introduced by Google is the "AI Overviews," which has begun to influence user actions following search results significantly. The study aimed to examine the varying sources of information that professionals rely on when choosing tools and services for their work and their perception of AI Overviews.

Survey Insights

Awareness and Engagement with AI Overviews

One of the survey's key findings was that awareness of AI Overviews surpassed 50% across all professions surveyed. Among the highest awareness rates, executives and marketing professionals led with about 68%. However, there was a notable lack of awareness among administrative roles, with 30% asserting they were not familiar with these AI enhancements.

Usage and Perceived Value

The survey results revealed that a significant proportion of respondents from non-technical roles engage with AI Overviews. More than 40% of participants reported reading content from AI Overviews after their Google search queries. This behavior soared to approximately 61% for those in management and strategic positions, indicating a strong reliance on these AI-generated summaries for decision-making.

In a comparison of how various types of professionals perceive the usefulness of AI Overviews, over half of all respondents rated the tool as beneficial, with general administrative roles recognizing its utility at about 68%.

Decision-Making Influencers

When asked about the information sources that significantly influenced their work-related decisions in the past six months, search engines dominated the responses across all professions. However, unique trends emerged among specific job categories. For instance, professionals in management utilized social networks about 26% of the time, while about 32% of designers relied on generative AI when finalizing choices on applications and services.

Variability in AI Adoption

The survey also categorized participants based on their approach to adopting generative AI. Notably, the "trend-focused" category showed high engagement, with approximately 57% admitting to a tendency to use generative AI. In stark contrast, the efficiency-driven group displayed hesitance, with about 29% less inclined to adopt AI technologies.

Conclusion

As the findings from Asmark's survey indicate, the advent of AI technologies—especially features like AI Overviews—has established new norms in search behaviors across various professions. With over half of the surveyed individuals recognizing the importance and usefulness of AI-enhanced search tools, businesses can leverage these insights for improved decision-making processes and information sourcing in the future. As the landscape of work evolves, understanding and adapting to these changes becomes paramount for professionals.

For more detailed insights and to download the full survey results, visit Asmark's promotional materials.