In Indonesia and Singapore, ChatGPT attracted more web traffic than Facebook, while 71% of shoppers across SEA markets find products through marketplaces, as reported by 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, includes 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 specialists, examined Google’s documentation alongside Similarweb traffic rankings, Statcounter referral data and two consumer surveys to outline the current state of AI search optimization—also known as AI SEO or generative engine optimization—within those six markets.
The analysis highlights three key developments for businesses relying on search in the region: AI-generated answers now appear in local languages, AI assistants have emerged as significant web traffic sources, and product discovery frequently begins outside traditional search engines.
Key insights from the State of AI SEO in Southeast Asia report:
– AI search in local languages is operational, yet the latest features remain English-only. Google listed Indonesian among six languages when AI Overviews expanded 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 and that interactive charts within AI Mode are available exclusively in English.
– Search queries have grown longer. According to the e-Conomy SEA 2025 report from Google, Temasek and Bain and Company, Google data reveals that queries in May 2025 were 2 to 3 times longer than traditional searches, with visual search expanding 70% annually as of July 2025.
– AI assistants rank among the most-visited websites. On Similarweb’s country rankings for August 2026, chatgpt.com secured the 4th position in both Indonesia and Singapore, surpassing facebook.com in each market. gemini.google.com placed between 9th and 13th across all six countries, a significant jump from being outside the top 20 in every market from June to August 2025. perplexity.ai remained outside the top 50 in all six countries.
– AI assistant referral traffic is heavily concentrated on 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 reached 5.58% in Singapore in June 2026—its highest monthly share across all six countries.
– Product discovery increasingly begins on marketplaces. A report released in July 2026 by impact.com, Cube Asia and dentsu, surveying 2,400 consumers across the six markets, found that 71% discover new products on online marketplaces, 57% use search engines and 24% incorporate generative AI into their shopping journey, as covered by ITBrief Asia.
– AI features already influence purchasing decisions. A Google and Milieu survey of 7,200 consumers across ASEAN in September 2025, referenced in the e-Conomy SEA 2025 report, found that 75% said AI chatbots, translators and image search aided content discovery, while 62% indicated that AI features like personalised recommendations influenced 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 pages, marketplace presence and well-structured data should be integrated into the same strategy as Google rankings, since the evidence shows discovery spreading across all three channels.”
Methodology
Seotal did not conduct its own survey for this report. Language and feature details derive from Google’s AI Mode and AI Overviews help pages and Google’s official product announcements. Website rankings come from Similarweb’s public country lists, which rank sites by web visits rather than app usage. Referral shares are sourced from Statcounter, which tracks clicks from AI chatbots to websites instead of individual users. Consumer data is drawn from the impact.com, Cube Asia and dentsu report as reported by ITBrief Asia, and from the Google and Milieu survey published in e-Conomy SEA 2025.
About Seotal
Seotal connects small and medium businesses with pre-vetted freelance SEO and marketing specialists on dedicated part-time arrangements. Established in November 2020, the company works with professionals in India, the Philippines, Vietnam, Indonesia, Malaysia and Cambodia. Additional information can be found at seotal.com.
Trivita Utami
Asiatal
+62 896-1080-1846
email us here
