ChatGPT Impact on Google Search Traffic: What It Means [2025]

Let’s be honest — search isn’t what it used to be.

If you’ve spent the past year Googling things like “best AI tools for marketing” or “how to remove a background in Photoshop,” chances are you’ve at least considered asking ChatGPT instead.

And you’re not alone.

People aren’t just trying ChatGPT — they’re using it. Every day. Often for tasks they used to take straight to Google.

That begs the question:

Is ChatGPT impacting Google search traffic?

Short answer: It’s starting to — and while the numbers are small now, the momentum is undeniable.

Long answer: it depends on the type of query.

This article breaks down exactly how ChatGPT is impacting Google search traffic, which queries are shifting, what’s actually happening behind the scenes, and how marketers and SEO pros should adjust — starting now.

Let’s dive in.

Google Still Dominates — But ChatGPT Is Changing How (and Where) People Search

If you’re wondering whether ChatGPT is impacting Google search traffic, the numbers still lean heavily in Google’s favor.

Here’s the current picture:

• Google handles more than 5 trillion searches a year
• That’s around 14 billion searches every day
  

By comparison, ChatGPT sees about 37.5 million search-like queries a day — just a fraction of what Google processes.

So, ChatGPT isn’t toppling Google — yet. But does that mean it won’t?

Here’s what actually matters: how people are using ChatGPT prompts — and how that behavior is changing what they use Google for.

ChatGPT has grown fast. Its website now sees over 3.7 billion visits a month, and it recently crossed 80 million visits in a single day. That kind of traffic isn’t just curiosity — it’s a clear sign that people are building habits around asking ChatGPT instead of Googling.

And if you’ve started doing the same thing — skipping search for certain tasks and just asking ChatGPT — you’re not alone.

That’s the key shift: people aren’t replacing Google — they’re replacing Google for specific types of queries.

And if you’re in SEO or content marketing, this matters — because the types of queries moving to ChatGPT are the exact ones that used to drive top-of-funnel traffic to your site.

Also read: Does AI Content Rank in Google?

Most Queries Going to ChatGPT Are TOFU — and That’s a Problem for SEO

Here’s what we’re seeing: most of the queries people bring to ChatGPT are top-of-funnel.

They’re not looking to buy something. They’re not trying to find a specific website. They’re not searching for a local business or tracking a package.

They’re asking:

• “What is customer onboarding?”
  
• “How does semantic SEO work?”
  
• “Best free tools for content planning”
  
• “Explain the difference between GPT-4 and Claude”
  

In other words, they’re looking to learn, explore, or compare — and that’s exactly what ChatGPT is built for. For SEO, it means ChatGPT is impacting Google search traffic.

It’s fast. It’s direct. And it doesn’t ask users to scroll through a dozen ads and SEO-optimized blog posts to find what they need.

This is why ChatGPT has become the default assistant for so many TOFU searches. Definitions, how-tos, summaries, checklists, comparisons — these are its sweet spot. And they just happen to be the exact same queries that used to bring users to your site.

And it’s not just developers.

Marketers are using it to brainstorm blog titles. Students are asking it to summarize articles. Executives are using it to get quick breakdowns on new tech.

The big shift here? Users aren’t Googling first — they’re skipping search entirely.

This matters because TOFU content is where many discovery journeys begin. It’s how users find your brand, build awareness, and start down the conversion path. If those discovery points are happening inside ChatGPT instead of your blog post, guide, or landing page — that’s lost visibility.

It doesn’t matter how well-optimized your content is if users never search in the first place.

And the more ChatGPT gets used for these TOFU queries, the less traffic Google sends to sites that build their content strategy around owning those early-stage moments.

So while Google still dominates in raw search volume, it’s losing ownership of a growing category of search intent. And if you’re in content or SEO, that shift is something you can’t afford to ignore.

The Numbers Are Small But They are Growing

So, is ChatGPT impacting Google search traffic for real?

Let’s look at the data.

Based on the stats shared in the section above, Google holds a massive 93–94% of the global search engine market.

ChatGPT? It has just 0.25% of Google’s search volume.

But here’s what makes that number meaningful: ChatGPT had zero share of search in 2022.

In less than two years, it went from non-existent to handling tens of millions of queries per day — without any search engine UI, ads, or blue links. And that growth isn’t slowing down.

• As of late 2024, ChatGPT’s website was seeing 3.7+ billion visits a month
  
• In May 2025, it hit a record-breaking 80 million visits in a single day
  
• User sessions last 8–13 minutes on average — far longer than the quick in-and-out of a typical Google search
  

What this tells us: people aren’t just testing ChatGPT — they’re sticking around.

Meanwhile, something else is happening: Google’s own zero-click results are increasing. A 2023 study showed that ~58% of Google searches now end without any click at all — because the answer is already there on the page, in a snippet, a knowledge panel, or an AI overview.

In other words, even when users do search on Google, they’re not always visiting your site. And when they turn to ChatGPT instead? There’s no click at all.

To make matters more complicated, ChatGPT isn’t acting alone. Bing’s integration of GPT-4 brought conversational AI directly into search, helping Bing gain some ground on desktop. Google’s own AI Overviews is doing the same — using AI summaries to answer questions at the top of the results page.

So while Google’s total search volume is still growing, what’s actually reaching your website is becoming harder to measure — and easier to lose.

You need visibility in AI traffic analytics, that a very few tools like Writesonic are currently able to do.

And if your content lives primarily in the TOFU layer — blog posts, explainers, comparison guides — the impact is already underway.

What This Means for Your Content — and Why SEO Needs to Adjust

If you rely on top-of-funnel content to attract users — blog posts, explainers, how-tos, comparison guides — this shift to AI-assisted search is already starting to affect you.

Here’s what’s happening:

• People are asking ChatGPT the same questions they used to type into Google.
  
• They’re getting full, direct answers — without needing to visit a website.
  
• And in many cases, those answers are based on content that lives on your site — without attribution, links, or traffic in return.
  

So even if your rankings haven’t changed, your visibility might have.

And that’s the part that’s easy to miss.

ChatGPT doesn’t present a list of results like a traditional search engine. It delivers a single, synthesized response — which changes how users find information and whether they ever visit a website at all.

It’s a different kind of interaction — one that removes the choice between sources and replaces it with a ready-made answer. For marketers and content creators, that means fewer clicks, less brand exposure, and fewer opportunities to enter the user’s journey.

This doesn’t mean SEO is becoming irrelevant. But it does mean the landscape is shifting — especially at the top of the funnel, where AI tools are gaining traction fast.

So the question becomes: how do you make your content useful — not just for users, but for the AI systems that are now helping them decide what matters?

Adapting to the Shift: What Generative Engine Optimization Actually Looks Like

As AI tools like ChatGPT, Bing Chat, and Google’s AI Overviews continue to shape how users access information, SEO isn’t going away — but it is expanding.

That’s where the idea of Generative Engine Optimization (GEO) comes in.

Unlike traditional SEO, which focuses on rankings and clicks, GEO is about making your content useful to AI systems — so that when a tool like ChatGPT generates a response, your content is part of the answer.

This isn’t about chasing new algorithms. It’s about applying what you already know — clean structure, clear explanations, trustworthy sources — in a way that makes your content easier for AI to interpret and reuse.

Here’s what that looks like in practice:

1. Structure Your Content Clearly

Break content into logical sections, use headers properly, and keep formatting clean. AI models parse the structure to identify what’s relevant.

• Use H2s and H3s to define topics
• Include bulleted lists, summaries, and Q&A formats

2. Answer Questions Directly

Include concise, accurate answers near the top of your content. If you’re writing about “what is customer onboarding,” start with a single-sentence definition before diving deeper.

3. Use Schema Markup

FAQ schema, How-To schema, and Article schema help machines understand your content more precisely — and may increase your chances of being cited or referenced in AI-generated summaries.

4. Build E-E-A-T Signals

Make it clear who’s behind your content. Include bylines, bios, citations, and external references. AI models are trained to recognize authority, not just keywords.

5. Make Your Site Crawlable by AI Bots

Don’t block GPTBot (OpenAI’s crawler) or other emerging AI agents unless you have a specific reason. If your content isn’t accessible, it can’t be learned from — or referenced.

6. Monitor for Mentions — Not Just Clicks

Traffic alone may not reflect your visibility anymore. Some tools are starting to track AI referrals and mentions. Keep an eye on how your content is being used, even if it isn’t driving a traditional visit.

Use Writesonic’s Generative Engine Optimization tool to easily track your visibility in generative engines.

This isn’t a replacement for SEO — it’s an extension of it. And for now, most best practices still apply. But the intent is shifting.

Instead of just optimizing for rank and click-through, you’re optimizing for inclusion — making your content the kind that AI can confidently draw from when users ask.

And as user behavior continues moving toward chat-style discovery, that inclusion may end up being just as important as position one.

Final Thoughts: ChatGPT Impact on Google Search Traffic is Already Growing

Google is still the dominant force, but tools like ChatGPT are changing how, when, and where people find information. And for SEO professionals and marketers, the real risk isn’t losing rankings — it’s losing relevance in environments where links don’t matter and clicks never happen.

Top-of-funnel queries are already shifting. AI-first discovery is accelerating. And the brands that adapt now will be the ones users — and AI — trust tomorrow.

If your content strategy still revolves around ranking alone, it’s time to expand your approach.

Writesonic’s Generative Engine Optimization tool is designed to help you do exactly that — by giving you a clear idea of your content’s visibility in AI search and helping you optimize it for increased brand visibility.

From smart structuring to schema guidance and AI-ready formatting, it’s built for the new wave of discovery.

Because the next version of SEO isn’t just about showing up on search results. It’s about showing up in the answers.

FAQs on ChatGPT’s Impact on Search and SEO

1. Has ChatGPT affected Google searches?

Yes — but mostly for top-of-funnel queries. While Google still dominates search volume, ChatGPT is increasingly being used for quick answers, research, and content exploration. Instead of Googling “what is semantic SEO” or “tools for content planning,” many users now ask ChatGPT directly — skipping search entirely. This behavioral shift is subtle but growing, especially among marketers, developers, and students.

2. Does Google penalize ChatGPT content?

No, Google does not specifically penalize content created using ChatGPT or other AI tools — as long as it follows quality guidelines. What matters most is the content’s usefulness, originality, and alignment with E-E-A-T (Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness). 

Google has publicly stated that AI-generated content isn’t inherently bad, but it must be valuable and not spammy.

3. Does using ChatGPT affect SEO?

Yes, but it depends on how it’s used. ChatGPT can be a powerful tool for SEO when used to brainstorm content ideas, draft outlines, or generate schema markup. However, blindly publishing unedited AI content can hurt your rankings. For best results, treat ChatGPT as a collaborator — refine its output, ensure factual accuracy, add expert insights, and optimize for user intent.

Niyati Mahale

Niyati Mahale is a Content Writer @Writesonic. She specializes in artificial intelligence and B2B, with a flair for combining effective storytelling and SEO best practices to create impactful content.