Generative AI is quickly reshaping really group hunt for information.
A caller Statistica and Semrush .Trends report indicates that the generative AI marketplace was weighted astatine $67 cardinal successful 2024 and is expected to turn annually by 24.4% done 2030.
This maturation is making waves successful the hunt motor sector, wherever platforms for illustration ChatGPT alteration much conversational and context-aware hunt experiences.
In a erstwhile SearchGPT study, we recovered that erstwhile compared to Google and Bing, SearchGPT tended to return smaller domains successful its results, hinting astatine a displacement successful really users could observe caller content.

Note: OpenAI has since retired “SearchGPT” successful favour of ChatGPT’s integrated hunt feature, which we’ll mention to arsenic ChatGPT aliases ChatGPT Search passim this article.
Though accepted hunt engines for illustration Google still person the bulk of hunt traffic, ChatGPT introduces a caller attack to searching for information.
These changing behaviors inspired our investigation into ChatGPT’s effect connected website postulation and integer marketing. By analyzing millions of clickstream records, we explored really AI-driven hunt affects some postulation distribution and personification navigation patterns.
Search manufacture master Kevin Indig puts these changes successful perspective:
“The mobility is if you want to put now for a imaginable first-mover advantage. I deliberation it will salary disconnected for illustration it did pinch SEO, but if you’re looking for speedy results, conscionable attraction connected doing bully SEO.
Tech SEO for LLM Crawlers, listicles, and driving much mentions crossed the web thief pinch Generative AI visibility because LLMs still usage hunt results from Google aliases Bing to crushed their answers. But for really overmuch longer? I deliberation LLMs will soon create their ain weighting algorithms.”
Kevin Indig, Organic Growth Advisor
Methodology
Semrush analyzed much than 80 cardinal lines of world clickstream information from the 2nd half of 2024 to place really group interacted pinch ChatGPT.
Clickstream data is the integer way of a user’s activity arsenic they navigate done websites, apps, aliases different integer platforms. This captures elaborate accusation astir personification interactions, specified arsenic the series of pages visited, clip spent connected each page, and referral sources.
With this data, we were capable to see:
- The circumstantial ChatGPT prompts group queried
- Where they would navigate to aft interacting pinch ChatGPT
- Whether aliases not ChatGPT’s “Search” characteristic was enabled during the interaction
From there, we examined the mean magnitude and intent of the queries on pinch the types of websites ChatGPT directed users to. We besides utilized clickstream information from our .Trends level to comparison assemblage demographics betwixt ChatGPT.com and Google.com.
Growth of ChatGPT arsenic a Traffic Referrer
Understanding really users navigate from ChatGPT to different websites reveals its increasing power connected net traffic. In early July, ChatGPT sent postulation to little than 10,000 unsocial domains successful a azygous day.
This number expanded dramatically by November, reaching complete 30,000 unsocial domains successful a time - an summation that demonstrates ChatGPT's quickly expanding domiciled successful directing users crossed the internet.
Number of Unique Domains Receiving Referral Traffic from ChatGPT
This floor plan shows the maturation successful the number of unsocial domains that received referral postulation from ChatGPT complete time.
Each constituent connected the floor plan reflects really galore chopped websites were referred postulation from ChatGPT connected a fixed day. The upward inclination demonstrates that much domains are benefiting from referrals complete time, indicating a broader distribution of postulation crossed the web.

Interestingly, this number spiked successful August—months earlier the October 31st hunt characteristic launch. This early surge suggests that users were already exploring ChatGPT’s capabilities to observe and navigate content, moreover earlier the enhanced hunt functionality was available.
As ChatGPT’s hunt capabilities proceed to develop, we whitethorn spot moreover greater shifts successful really users observe and prosecute pinch online content.
Analysis of ChatGPT Searches
How do group interact pinch ChatGPT compared to accepted hunt engines for illustration Google?
This conception explores the prompts group taxable to ChatGPT and compares them pinch accepted hunt motor queries—like those connected Google.
Are users experimenting pinch much imaginative requests aliases asking questions that simply don’t fresh the modular keyword approach?
Understanding these interactions helps america grasp really generative AI is shifting hunt behaviors, perchance influencing early developments successful hunt exertion and integer trading strategies.
SearchGPT On vs Off
Currently, ChatGPT operates without SearchGPT by default, handling prompts and generating responses solely based connected its soul knowledge. However, users person the action to alteration web searches by clicking the globe icon erstwhile they want ChatGPT to propulsion successful accusation from the internet.

There are besides instances wherever ChatGPT will automatically activate the web hunt characteristic for definite types of queries. When this happens, a “Searching the web” notification appears while ChatGPT retrieves the information.

In our analysis, we recovered that astir 54% of ChatGPT queries were handled pinch SearchGPT turned off, while 46% utilized the web hunt feature.

This divided highlights that users are engaging pinch ChatGPT successful some modes—leveraging its built-in capabilities and its expertise to entree unrecorded web data.
Let’s return a person look astatine these usage patterns.
Length of ChatGPT Prompts
When users interact pinch ChatGPT without the SearchGPT feature, the prompts thin to beryllium much detailed. During this period, we observed an mean punctual magnitude of 23 words, pinch immoderate reaching up to 2,717 words.

Conversely, erstwhile SearchGPT is enabled, the punctual magnitude drops importantly to an mean of conscionable 4.2 words, pinch the longest punctual capped astatine 301 words.
This shorter query magnitude aligns much intimately pinch accepted Google searches, suggesting that users move to a much nonstop hunt mode, apt seeking specific, concise answers.
These distinguishable punctual lengths bespeak ChatGPT's dual use: longer prompts for in-depth discussions aliases instructions and shorter ones for speedy searches.
Search Intent Analysis
Beyond punctual length, knowing why users move to ChatGPT—their hunt intent—reveals deeper patterns successful really group usage AI to find accusation and lick problems. For marketers and contented creators, these patterns guideline contented strategy and personification acquisition design.
Traditional hunt engines for illustration Google typically service four types of intent:
- Navigational (finding circumstantial sites)
- Informational (learning astir topics)
- Commercial (researching products)
- Transactional (making purchases)
But ChatGPT is breaking this mold. Only 30% of ChatGPT prompts successful our dataset could beryllium identified arsenic 1 of these accepted categories. The different 70% consisted of unsocial queries seldom seen successful modular hunt engines—suggesting users are uncovering caller ways to lick problems and stitchery information.

This indicates that galore ChatGPT queries correspond wholly caller types of intent, perchance related to problem-solving, brainstorming, aliases exploratory inquiries that don't fresh neatly into accepted categories.
But earlier we research the broader implications of ChatGPT's unsocial queries, let's attraction connected the 30% of prompts we could categorize.
Search Intent connected Google vs ChatGPT
Our study compared hunt intent betwixt Google and ChatGPT (the 30% that we could explanation by intent)—examining what users were trying to execute pinch their queries connected each platform. The information showed that informational and navigational intents predominate some Google and ChatGPT.

Note: The hunt intent of only 30% of the ChatGPT queries we studied is known and displayed successful the floor plan connected the right. The different 70% of queries are not searched capable connected Google to beryllium recovered successful the Semrush database.
However, Google exhibited a higher proportionality of navigational intent, while informational intent was much prevalent successful the identifiable ChatGPT prompts.
To understand these differences further, we explored really these trends varied erstwhile ChatGPT's SearchGPT characteristic was either enabled aliases disabled.
Search Intent connected ChatGPT: SearchGPT On vs Off
When examining really the activation of ChatGPT's SearchGPT characteristic affects hunt intent, we noticed respective differences.

With SearchGPT enabled, the intent distribution much intimately mirrored that of Google, pinch a noticeable summation successful commercialized and transactional searches.
With SearchGPT disabled, ChatGPT prompts leaned heavy towards informational intent. However, it's apt that galore autumn into the "unknown" intent class owed to their longer, much elaborate nature.
The “Unknown” Intent of ChatGPT: What It Means for SEOs and Marketers
Our investigation underscores a important quality successful really users prosecute pinch ChatGPT compared to accepted hunt engines for illustration Google. While we could categorize the hunt intent of 30% of ChatGPT queries that matched position successful the Semrush keyword database, the remaining 70% had "unknown intent."
This immense disparity indicates that galore ChatGPT queries are pioneering caller ways of seeking accusation and interacting online.
This variety stems from the truth that ChatGPT is not conscionable different instrumentality for uncovering websites aliases straightforward answers. Instead, it positions itself arsenic a move and imaginative resource.
Take a look astatine the suggestions highlighted connected its main page:
- Create image
- Make a plan
- Surprise me
- Summarize text
- Get advice
- Help maine write
- Brainstorm
- Analyze images

These capabilities propose uses that spell beyond the accepted hunt intent categories—transactional, informational, commercial, and navigational—that SEOs typically consider. Rather, ChatGPT introduces caller intents focused connected creation, conversation, and captious reasoning facilitated by AI.
This improvement successful personification relationship whitethorn require SEOs and marketers to rethink their strategies and see these unsocial intents successful their integer trading plans.
Industry experts are opening to research imaginable strategies for this shift. Chris Long, VP of Marketing astatine Go Fish Digital and Creator of The Splash Newsletter, shares his position connected optimizing for Large Language Model (LLM) driven search:
As the hunt scenery continues to beryllium decentralized - optimizing for LLM-driven is going to beryllium a must-have accomplishment for immoderate SEO successful the future. LLMs are capable to cater to a user’s highly personalized needs, frankincense making marque mentions and postulation from these platforms invaluable.
For OpenAI, SEOs will request to understand the types of queries that trigger ChatGPT Search. What we’ve recovered is that listicle articles thin to execute rather good for marque mentions. Creating your ain article tin springiness your marque powerfulness to power the response.
Chris Long, VP of Marketing astatine Go Fish
And Michael King emphasized that "conversational search" is much of a branding transmission than a capacity channel.
We perfectly request to optimize for SearchGPT, but we don't request to measurement it by the magnitude of referral postulation it drives arsenic though it's a capacity channel. I deliberation our community, aliases immoderate organization emerges to support Conversational Search channels, will recognize that these are branding channels. There is worth for brands to show up present truthful they summation and support mindshare. It's my dream that those of america doing trading present will not undervalue it successful the measurement that those that started SEO devalued Organic Search.
Michael King, Founder and CEO astatine iPullRank
While the afloat effect of these hunt patterns is still emerging, we are starting to spot patterns successful really ChatGPT is reshaping postulation distribution. Let’s return a look astatine which domains and industries are presently affected by this shift.
Analyzing Traffic Preferences: Which Sites Gain More from ChatGPT Than Traditional Search Engines?
Identifying which websites person much postulation from ChatGPT compared to accepted hunt engines for illustration Google and Bing tin thief pinpoint shifts successful personification behaviour and uncover caller opportunities emerging from AI-driven hunt trends.
From our caller study connected our Evolution of Online Search study, we identified respective domains that person important postulation from ChatGPT.

Interestingly, celebrated sites specified arsenic YouTube and Facebook besides rank precocious successful postulation from Google.
This isn’t surprising, arsenic they rank among the internet’s astir visited domains and person important postulation from different hunt engines arsenic well.
However, our study focused connected domains that person much postulation from ChatGPT than from accepted hunt engines.
Here’s what the information showed us:
Websites Receiving More Traffic from ChatGPT Than Google
The information reveals that domains related to exertion are experiencing a surge successful postulation from ChatGPT.
OpenAI-related domains (oaiusercontent.com) person astir 14x much postulation from ChatGPT than Google. In addition, different tech and AI-focused platforms for illustration aiprm.com and gptinf.com besides show importantly higher ChatGPT traffic.
Note: openaiusercontent.com is simply a domain utilized by OpenAI to service user-generated contented (generated images, documents, etc), which explains the precocious level of traffic.

But really does this shape comparison to Bing? Let's return a look.
Websites that Receive More Traffic from ChatGPT than Bing
When we look astatine postulation from ChatGPT versus Bing, tech domains lead successful earthy postulation numbers. However, a clear inclination emerges successful world and acquisition sites receiving much postulation from ChatGPT than Bing:
Academic Publishers & Research
- Major publishers (Springer, MDPI, OUP)
- Research institutions (WHO, World Bank)
Education & Technical Resources
- Learning platforms (Instructure, Blackboard)
- Universities (CUNY, UCI)
- Technical archiving (Python.org)

This information suggests ChatGPT has go a salient postulation root for world and acquisition content. But to understand the afloat scope of ChatGPT's effect crossed the internet, let's analyse really postulation is distributed crossed each awesome industries.
Top Industries Receiving Traffic from ChatGPT
A person look astatine ChatGPT's referral postulation reveals which sectors tie the astir personification engagement.
Our study examined the 10,000 most-visited domains aft ChatGPT interactions, categorizing each by industry. The information represents unsocial sessions—meaning individual visits that ended connected websites wrong each category.

Online services predominate pinch astir 10M sessions, but acquisition contented shows a beardown presence—education and region learning together relationship for complete 9M sessions.
Information exertion and package improvement likewise guidelines out, driving 7.8M mixed sessions.
These numbers propose ChatGPT often guides users to platforms offering applicable devices and learning resources.
Traditional sectors for illustration unit (1.9M), finance (1.6M), and healthcare (1.5M) show notable but little postulation volumes.
But what’s driving these patterns? To understand this, we request to look much intimately astatine who is utilizing ChatGPT.
Audience Demographics: Who is Using ChatGPT and Google?
Understanding personification demographics helps uncover really these platforms service different segments of the online population.
Scale and Reach
According to our Semrush .Trends data, Google reached 6.5B unsocial worldwide visitors successful December 2024, while ChatGPT drew 566M visitors. These numbers show that while Google remains dominant, ChatGPT has built a important personification guidelines successful its first year.
Demographics astatine a Glance
The demographic information reveals chopped patterns betwixt the platforms. While Google shows wide practice crossed property groups and occupations, ChatGPT's personification guidelines shows higher concentrations among definite segments.

Age and Gender
ChatGPT's personification guidelines skews younger and much antheral compared to Google.
Occupation
ChatGPT’s assemblage is skewed much towards students.
While Google shows higher practice among:
- Full-time workers
- Homemakers
- Retirees
These demographic patterns thief explicate the postulation trends we observed earlier, peculiarly the precocious measurement of postulation to acquisition and region learning sites.
This suggests an opportunity for universities and world institutions. With the correct strategy, these institutions could grow their scope done ChatGPT much than done accepted hunt alone.
What This Means for Your Digital Strategy
ChatGPT is changing really users interact pinch online content, shifting from passive find to progressive creation and refinement of ideas. And having a clear marque pinch accusation that's accessible and retrievable for LLMs will beryllium much important than ever.
As SEOs we do not request to wantonness the strategies we’ve ever relied connected but we do request to germinate them. Where successful the past we looked astatine crawlability, indexability and extremity astatine rankability, we now request to adhd successful Retrievability. That is, taking other steps to make judge that halfway accusation astir our brands is available, accessible and prioritized for LLMs. What useful is having contented successful hunt engines, websites and knowledge chart entities that shape portion of the training data.
Crystal Carter, Head of SEO Communications astatine Wix Studio
Our study of 80 cardinal clickstream records, mixed pinch demographic information and postulation patterns, reveals 3 cardinal changes successful online contented discovery:
- Traffic Distribution: ChatGPT drives notable postulation to acquisition resources, world publishers, and method documentation, peculiarly compared to Bing.
- Query Behavior: While 30% of queries lucifer accepted hunt patterns, 70% are unsocial to ChatGPT. Without hunt enabled, users constitute longer, much elaborate prompts (averaging 23 words versus 4.2 pinch search).
- User Base: ChatGPT shows higher practice among students and younger users compared to Google's broader demographic distribution.
For marketers and contented creators, this information reveals an emerging reality: occurrence successful this caller scenery requires a displacement from accepted SEO metrics toward contented that actively supports learning, problem-solving, and imaginative tasks.
Organizations that accommodate their contented strategy to service these "creation-first" intents will beryllium amended positioned to link pinch audiences, peculiarly younger users and students.