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posted on Jul. 31, 2025 at 12:41 pmAug 1, 2025

Search advertising report: How are people picking their path to purchase?

posted on Jul. 31, 2025 at 12:41 pmAug 1, 2025

Read findings from research conducted by WARC, in partnership with TikTok and behavioural scientist Richard Shotton, to offer marketers insights into how search is evolving, and what this means for the future of marketing.

Search advertising now accounts for close to a quarter, 22 per cent, of all media budgets.

The way people seek information and find – or are guided through – their path to purchase is changing rapidly. People are currently leaning into social and video platforms far more than traditional search engines at a time when search advertising now accounts for close to a quarter, 22 per cent, of all media budgets, and global search advertising spend is projected to reach $248.6bn in 2025 and rise to $265.5bn in 2026.

These are some of the findings from a new research conducted by WARC in partnership with TikTok and behavioural scientist Richard Shotton, to offer marketers insights into how search is evolving, and what this means for the future of marketing.

The research, based

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Tags:Alexis Wolf beavioural science Brand channels content creators curiosity Discovery experiential full-funnel impact Future of marketing Gen Z Inspiration intent learning MAP framework Marketers mix-align-prime path to purchase platforms purchase purchase intent relational research Richard Shotton search Search Advertising search strategies search users searchers Sissi Xu social media Solution targeting TikTok video video platforms

the authorAnup Oommen

Anup Oommen is the Editor of Campaign Middle East at Motivate Media Group, a well-reputed moderator, and a multiple award-winning journalist with more than 15 years of experience at some of the most reputable and credible global news organisations, including Reuters, CNN, and Motivate Media Group. As the Editor of Campaign Middle East, Anup heads market-leading coverage of advertising, media, marketing, PR, events and experiential, digital, the wider creative industries, and more, through the brand’s digital, print, events, directories, podcast and video verticals. As such he’s a key stakeholder in the Campaign Global brand, the world’s leading authority for the advertising, marketing and media industries, which was first published in the UK in 1968.