In Indonesia and Singapore, ChatGPT attracted more web traffic than Facebook, while 71% of shoppers across Southeast Asian markets find products through marketplaces, according to Seotal.
SINGAPORE, SINGAPORE, September 14, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ — Google’s AI-powered search now delivers responses in Filipino, Indonesian, Malay, Thai, and Vietnamese. Its AI Mode support documentation, reviewed on September 13, 2026, lists all five languages and identifies Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand, Vietnam, and the Philippines as supported regions.
Seotal, a platform connecting businesses with pre-screened freelance SEO experts, examined Google’s documentation alongside Similarweb traffic rankings, Statcounter referral metrics, and two consumer studies to outline the current state of AI search optimization—also referred to as AI SEO or generative engine optimization—in those six nations.
The analysis highlights three key developments for companies relying on search in the area: AI-generated answers are now available in regional languages, AI assistants have emerged as significant web traffic sources, and product discovery frequently begins outside traditional search engines.
State of AI SEO in Southeast Asia, key highlights:
– AI search in local languages is operational, yet the latest functionalities remain English-only. Google identified Indonesian as one of six languages when AI Overviews rolled out to over 100 countries in October 2024, and AI Mode incorporated Indonesian on September 8, 2025. Google’s help page indicates that Gemini 3 Pro powers AI Mode, while interactive charts within AI Mode are restricted to English.
– Queries are becoming more extensive. The e-Conomy SEA 2025 report, produced by Google, Temasek, and Bain and Company, references Google data showing search queries are 2 to 3 times longer than conventional searches as of May 2025, with visual search expanding 70% annually as of July 2025.
– AI assistants are now among the most frequented websites. According to Similarweb’s country rankings for August 2026, chatgpt.com ranked as the 4th most visited site in both Indonesia and Singapore, surpassing facebook.com in each market. gemini.google.com placed between 9th and 13th across all six countries, up from outside the top 20 in every one between June and August 2025. perplexity.ai remained outside the top 50 in all six locations.
– Referral traffic from AI assistants is heavily weighted toward ChatGPT, with some regional variations. Statcounter data shows ChatGPT contributed 86.13% of AI chatbot referrals to websites in Indonesia during August 2026. Microsoft Copilot accounted for 8.27% of referrals in the Philippines in June 2025, while Claude achieved 5.58% in Singapore in June 2026, its highest monthly share across any of the six countries.
– Marketplaces serve as the starting point for product discovery. A July 2026 study by impact.com, Cube Asia, and dentsu, surveying 2,400 consumers across the six markets, found that 71% discover new products via online marketplaces, 57% through search engines, and 24% incorporate generative AI into their shopping experience, as covered by ITBrief Asia.
– AI capabilities are already influencing purchasing decisions. A Google and Milieu survey of 7,200 consumers across ASEAN in September 2025, referenced in the e-Conomy SEA 2025 report, revealed that 75% said AI chatbots, translators, and image search aided their content discovery, and 62% indicated that AI features like personalised recommendations affected a purchase.
Search efforts in Southeast Asia must now address both the answer and the ranking, in Thai, Vietnamese, and Bahasa Indonesia as well as English,” said Ali, co-founder of Seotal. “Local-language content, marketplace presence, and structured data should be integrated into the same strategy as Google rankings, as the evidence shows discovery expanding across all three channels.”
Methodology
Seotal did not conduct its own survey for this analysis. Language and feature details are sourced from Google’s AI Mode and AI Overviews help pages and Google’s official announcements. Website rankings derive from Similarweb’s public country lists, which rank sites by web traffic rather than app usage. Referral shares come from Statcounter, which tracks clicks from AI chatbots to websites instead of user counts. Consumer data draws from the impact.com, Cube Asia, and dentsu report as relayed by ITBrief Asia, and from the Google and Milieu survey featured in e-Conomy SEA 2025.
About Seotal
Seotal connects small and medium enterprises with pre-vetted freelance SEO and marketing professionals on dedicated part-time engagements. Established in November 2020, it collaborates with talent across India, the Philippines, Vietnam, Indonesia, Malaysia, and Cambodia. Further details are available at seotal.com.
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