The Biggest Leap in Search: Why You Should Be Using Reasoning + Search

Search has evolved dramatically over the years. We've moved from pages of blue links in traditional Google Search to AI-generated summaries, and now we’re entering a new phase—search that reasons, iterates, and refines its answers.

The latest upgrade? ChatGPT’s o3-mini-high + Search—and it’s a game-changer.

Beyond the Traditional Search Model

For years, search engines have followed a familiar pattern: input a query, get a ranked list of results, and sift through them yourself. Even with AI summaries, the model remains largely the same—just a condensed answer at the top.

But true innovation in search isn’t just about summarizing results; it’s about understanding the question, planning a research approach, iterating over multiple sources, and synthesizing a comprehensive answer.

Why o3-mini-high Search Changes the Game

The key advantage of o3-mini-high is its ability to plan and iterate rather than just fetch results. It works like a real researcher:

• Step 1: Plan the search – It determines the best way to answer the question.
• Step 2: Read multiple sources – It doesn’t just retrieve; it analyzes several pages.
• Step 3: Iterate and refine – It conducts follow-up searches based on initial findings.
• Step 4: Pull everything together – It synthesizes the most relevant and accurate information into a comprehensive response.

This isn’t just search—it’s deep research in a fraction of the time it would take a human to do the same.

How This Helps in Real Life

I now default to o3-mini-high for most searches. Yes, it takes a bit longer—20 seconds to a couple of minutes—but the quality of the results is leagues ahead.

A practical example? Shopping. Instead of wading through endless spam-filled coupon sites, you can get ChatGPT to search for promo codes and just return the ones that work. No more clicking through shady links—just results that matter.

The Future of Search is Here

Reasoning + Search is more than an incremental improvement—it’s a fundamental shift in how we access information. Instead of simply retrieving, AI now thinks through the problem for you. If you haven’t tried it yet, I’d highly recommend giving it a go.

Have you tested this new approach? Let’s discuss—how do you see reasoning-based search changing the way we interact with information?