Wondering if there’s room for different large subordinate successful the hunt world?
In July 2024, OpenAI launched their SearchGPT hunt motor to a constricted group of trial users.
Since then, it’s been integrated into ChatGPT for Plus and Team subscribers, and location are plans to make it disposable to free users successful early 2025.
As we hold for the level to go afloat public, you whitethorn beryllium wondering: How does this caller hunt motor guidelines up against the long-established giants Google and Bing?
How SearchGPT Stacks Up Against Bing and Google
To find out, we put each 3 hunt engines to the trial by moving 5,000 queries done each. Our extremity was simple—get a consciousness for really they take and rank accusation and spot if SearchGPT really brings thing caller to the table.
Our study revealed differences successful the websites each motor chooses to highlight—differences that could reshape really users observe contented online.
Specifically, we saw SearchGPT opinionated retired by highlighting smaller domains and unsocial content, perchance offering caller opportunities for hunt trading compared to Google and Bing.
Methodology
Keyword / Query Selection
We selected 5,000 random keywords from the Semrush database pinch a mates of rules. First, we only gathered keywords pinch astatine slightest 3 words wrong the query.
Then, we made judge location was an adjacent distribution of keywords pinch hunt measurement betwixt 10-1,000 and 1,001-10,000 monthly searches.
Then, wrong those 2 groups of volume, we collected an adjacent distribution from Semrush’s 4 groups of search intent (informational, navigational, commercial, and transactional).
Data Collection
The 5,000 keywords were queried connected each hunt motor from a US-based location successful November 2024. Then, we recorded the apical 10 integrated URLs provided by each hunt motor (not taking into relationship immoderate ads aliases SERP features).
Analysis
We examined 3 aspects - the magnitude of overlap betwixt hunt engines, domain size preferences, and immoderate different patterns crossed website categories. To measurement the size of domains we saw successful the study, we utilized monthly postulation estimates from Semrush Traffic Analytics.
Key Takeaways
SearchGPT Overlapped More pinch Bing than Google
SearchGPT's results had much overlap pinch Bing than pinch Google, showing the imaginable effect of their use of Bing’s index.
Google Showed a Preference for Larger Domains
On average, Google tended to showcase larger domains, while SearchGPT showed smaller domains. This was existent crossed each of the apical 10 hunt results arsenic good arsenic looking conscionable astatine the apical result. Bing’s mean domain size classed successful the mediate of the two.
Domain Preferences Differed Among Search Engines
Each hunt motor showed immoderate unsocial preferences for definite types of domains:
- SearchGPT: Major retailers and manner magazines had much visibility present than connected Google aliases Bing.
- Google: Reddit, Quora, and different awesome societal media platforms had overmuch much visibility connected Google than connected Bing aliases SearchGPT.
- Bing: Yelp and Yellowpages appeared much connected Bing than Google aliases SearchGPT.
Search Engine Overlap: How Much Do Search Engines Agree?
When you participate the aforesaid keywords crossed different hunt engines, do they show you the aforesaid websites?
The short reply is no. If you participate a query connected Google and aren’t happy pinch what you see, you’re apt to find different results connected Bing aliases SearchGPT.
Measuring SERP Overlap
To quantify really overmuch overlap exists betwixt the hunt engines, we calculated the mean number of matching domains that appeared successful the apical 10 results for the aforesaid query.
On average, this is really overmuch we saw:
- SearchGPT & Bing: 3.5 domains
- Bing & Google: 2.8 domains
- SearchGPT & Google: 2.5 domains
What does this show us?
These preliminary results propose that SearchGPT and Bing stock the highest grade of similarity successful what they coming to users, apt reflecting their shared indexing foundations.
Meanwhile, Bing and Google show a mean overlap, indicating immoderate communal ground, but not arsenic much.
The smallest overlap exists betwixt SearchGPT and Google, suggesting that these 2 pat into different priorities aliases ranking factors.
Although the wide differences are subtle, they do hint that each hunt motor leverages its ain unsocial attack to prioritizing and ranking content. And crossed the board, there’s only an mean of 25-35% similarity successful the apical integrated results.
To put this successful perspective, erstwhile our study queried "white h2o rafting tennessee,” we saw:
- SearchGPT and Google shared 3 of the aforesaid domains successful their apical 10 results
- SearchGPT and Bing shared 7 of the aforesaid domains
- Google and Bing shared 4 of the aforesaid domains
- 7 of Google's apical 10 domains did not look successful the apical 10 results connected the different 2 engines
This illustration reinforces the conception that SearchGPT presently aligns much intimately pinch Bing’s indexing choices than Google’s, astatine slightest for now.
But communal crushed isn’t the full story. Next, let’s look astatine the sizes of domains listed by each hunt engine.
Domain Size Distribution: Where Do Bigger Sites Get Better Rankings?
How overmuch does size matter to these hunt engines?
Looking astatine median values of domain size (monthly traffic), we saw that Google had the biggest penchant for larger domains. Meanwhile, SearchGPT showcased smaller domains the astir retired of the three.
Bing tends to onshore location successful between.
Median Size of Domain by Search Intent
When breaking down the keywords by search intent, we saw the aforesaid inclination of Google preferring larger domains successful each class isolated from transactional.
This aligns pinch different uncovering successful the information - SearchGPT tends to springiness much visibility to smaller domains. The objection was pinch transactional queries, wherever SearchGPT really preferred larger sites than Google.
What does this mean?
- SearchGPT: By favoring smaller domains, SearchGPT elevates sites that mightiness not typically scope premier visibility connected different platforms.
- Google: Google’s results often characteristic high-traffic domains, particularly for informational queries. However, for transactional queries, Google’s median tract size was smaller than the different 2 engines.
- Bing: Falling successful betwixt the 2 extremes, Bing still leans toward larger sites but not astir arsenic powerfully arsenic Google, particularly for informational queries.
As SearchGPT continues to evolve, it will beryllium absorbing to spot if its inclination to spot smaller domains astatine the apical could situation accepted SEO practices that often favour larger, much established sites.
Unique Preferences of Each Search Engine
After examining the wide patterns successful ranking and domain sizes, we turned our attraction to circumstantial domains.
Were location peculiar sites that 1 hunt motor elevated acold much than the others?
Some domains showed monolithic differences successful visibility crossed platforms, while others maintained a dependable beingness everywhere.
Through our study of 5,000 SERPs for each engine, a fewer clear patterns emerged successful the types of sites each level elevated to apical positions.
SearchGPT: More Visibility for Major Retail and Lifestyle Brands
SearchGPT’s results revealed a penchant for established unit brands, charismatic wellness resources, and mainstream manner content.
Note: These numbers correspond really galore full times a domain was seen successful the apical 10 results of each hunt engine. If, for example, lowes.com classed doubly connected the aforesaid Google SERP, it counted doubly successful this number.
Major Retailers Receive Significant Visibility
We noticed a fewer ample brick-and-mortar unit chains received importantly much visibility connected SearchGPT compared to different hunt engines.
For example, Lowes.com appeared 246 times successful SearchGPT’s results, much than double Google's 105 appearances.
Similar patterns emerged for Best Buy and Macy's.
Some wellness and wellness sites featured much prominently
SearchGPT showed a beardown penchant for established wellness accusation websites:
- Healthline.com appeared 153 times (compared to Google's 71 and Bing's 131)
- Verywellhealth.com showed up 127 times (versus 33 connected Google and 84 connected Bing)
A fewer manner magazines sewage notably much vulnerability than connected different platforms
Perhaps astir distinctively, SearchGPT gave importantly much visibility than Google to a fewer mainstream manner publications:
- Better Homes & Gardens: 66 appearances (7x much than Google)
- Southern Living: 43 appearances (6x much than Google)
- Real Simple: 53 appearances (9x much than Google)
SearchGPT Key Insights
While this was only a sample size of 5,000 searches, SearchGPT showed immoderate unsocial preferences compared to Google and Bing.
Specifically, awesome companies pinch beardown marque nickname successful retail, lifestyle, and aesculapian fields saw the astir visibility connected this hunt engine.
Google: Social and User-Generated Content Focus
Google's hunt results revealed a penchant for user-generated contented and societal platforms, pinch Reddit, Quora, and societal media emerging arsenic salient examples.
Reddit’s Presence connected Google
Reddit's visibility connected Google acold exceeded immoderate different domain crossed each hunt engines successful our study:
- 4,497 full appearances crossed 2,449 unsocial SERPs
- Dramatically higher beingness compared to SearchGPT (202 appearances) and Bing (442 appearances)
Since our sample included 5,000 Google SERPs, this intends that Reddit appeared astatine slightest erstwhile (and often doubly aliases more) connected astir half of each Google SERPs successful our study.
By contrast, SearchGPT only showed Reddit a full of 202 times (on 26 SERPs). And Bing only showed Reddit 442 times (on 235 SERPs).
Social Platform Dominance
Reddit’s awesome tally connected Google is portion of a larger trend—other social-focused domains for illustration Facebook besides look acold much often connected Google than connected SearchGPT aliases Bing.
When we looked astatine the full appearances of 7 of the largest societal media domains crossed each queries, the numbers were striking:
- SearchGPT: 672 full appearances
- Google: 6,958 full appearances
- Bing: 1,427 full appearances
In different words, Google showcased societal media domains astir 10 times arsenic often arsenic SearchGPT and almost 5 times arsenic often arsenic Bing.
The shape is accordant crossed each awesome societal platforms we examined.
Notice the abundance of user-generated aliases societal platforms—Reddit, Facebook, Instagram, Quora—that thrived connected Google’s SERPs but appeared acold little often elsewhere.
Google Key Insights
Google’s results indicated a notable penchant for platforms wherever user-generated contented and organization engagement thrived. This is indicated by the following:
- Reddit’s beingness connected Google is significant, appearing successful the apical 10 results 89% of the clip - by acold the astir of immoderate tract connected immoderate hunt motor from the sample.
- Social media and organization platforms person much visibility connected Google compared to SearchGPT and Bing.
- Quora was seen 457 times connected Google but 0 times connected the different hunt engines, suggesting Google values organization Q&A content.
Bing: Directories and Local Listings
While Bing's wide hunt measurement is little than Google's, our study revealed patterns successful really it shows content.
Most notably, Bing showed a penchant for directory and section listing sites successful comparison to the different 2 hunt engines.
Directory Site Preference
While Google is spotlighting Reddit, Bing heavy featured Yelp, the celebrated directory for section businesses (and competitor to Google’s ain Google Business Profile).
This penchant extends to different directory and reference sites, sites that supply system accusation and business data:
Bing Key Insights
Compared to Google’s community-driven results and SearchGPT’s accent connected unit and manner brands, Bing showed an inclination toward directories and reference-based websites.
- Yelp was the biggest victor connected Bing, and it had almost 10 times arsenic overmuch visibility present than connected SearchGPT.
- The prominence of Yellowpages, different directory site, contrasts pinch Google’s societal attraction and SearchGPT’s unit orientation.
- Reference sites for illustration Wikihow saw higher visibility connected Bing compared to Google and SearchGPT.
Consistent Across All Three Search Engines
While each hunt motor shows chopped preferences, definite domains maintained comparatively unchangeable visibility crossed each 3 platforms.
Key Insights
- Reputable informational sites for illustration Fandom and ESPN look consistently crossed each 3 engines.
- Well-respected wellness authorities (Mayo Clinic, Cleveland Clinic) besides achieved accordant representation, suggesting that value and trustworthiness tin transcend each engine’s unsocial preferences.
- Two awesome edifice brands (Marriott and Hilton) were comparatively accordant arsenic well.
What This Means for Marketers
While this study provides only a preliminary look into really the caller hunt motor stacks up against the position quo, it still offers clues that marketers tin usage erstwhile readying for 2025 and beyond.
- Opportunities for New Retailers connected SearchGPT: If you’re a caller retailer, it's worthy keeping an oculus connected SearchGPT. This motor seems much unfastened to showcasing a assortment of unit websites compared to Google, which could beryllium a aureate opportunity for caller aliases smaller brands trying to make their mark.
- Leveraging Social Media for Visibility connected Google: Compared to the different 2 hunt engines, Google gave tons of visibility to Reddit, Facebook, Quora, and different awesome societal platforms. Branding and increasing your visibility connected those sites could thief your visibility connected Google, too.
- Insights from Bing's Influence connected SearchGPT: Since SearchGPT uses Bing’s index, knowing your rankings connected Bing could springiness you a bully hint astir really you'll do connected SearchGPT. This underscores the value of optimizing your tract for Bing and monitoring your rankings there.
- The Need for Broader Tracking: There are notable differences betwixt these hunt engines, truthful conscionable focusing connected Google mightiness mean you're missing out. Keeping tabs connected really your contented performs connected platforms for illustration SearchGPT and Bing tin uncover opportunities that Google unsocial won't show.
- It’s Not the Same Search Experience: Ultimately, group are apt to interact pinch SearchGPT otherwise compared to Google aliases Bing, making a nonstop comparison little applicable.
It’s worthy noting that this study looked astatine keywords that were already being searched connected Google, but SearchGPT whitethorn spot group hunt differently. They mightiness effort longer, much elaborate queries than they would connected Google aliases Bing.
Could these differences foreshadow a opposition successful hunt trading for Google vs. SearchGPT? Only clip will tell.
Keep an oculus retired for much studies from america successful the future, arsenic we’ll beryllium keeping our eyes connected immoderate caller developments from SearchGPT present astatine Semrush.