ChatGPT has practically a fifth of the question quantity as Google, however individuals use the platform in quite a lot of methods.
I needed to see how ChatGPT compares to Google, not solely by way of complete searches, but in addition by way of aggressive searches, the quantity of site visitors despatched to your web site, and the variations within the system’s CTR.
Let’s dig deeper.
- 65% of ChatGPT utilization qualifies as searchNonetheless, it may be decrease relying on the way you outline your search.
- Queries much like all searches in ChatGPT embody: 8.33 searches on Googlee.
- Despatched by Google 190x improve in site visitors You may entry the web site higher than ChatGPT.
- ChatGPT’s CTR is 96% low than Google’s CTR.
The information reveals two completely different enterprise fashions. Google connects individuals to web sites, and ChatGPT retains individuals speaking. If AI search is the way forward for search, web site site visitors can be in hassle.
| platform | Every day Search/Immediate | Annual complete |
|---|---|---|
| 13.7 billion | Over 5 trillion | |
| Chat GPT | 2.5 billion | ~912 billion |
Google processes over 5 trillion searches yearly (Supply: Google inner information, January 2025).
ChatGPT will course of 18 billion messages weekly as of July 2025. This equates to roughly 2.5 billion prompts per day.
Not all ChatGPT prompts are search queries. Based on OpenAI and Harvard University researchAfter analyzing 1.5 million conversations, 24% had been pure searches and 51.6% had been questions. Query intent contains interactions through which customers ask for recommendation, perspective, or info to enhance their selections, relatively than delegating process completion.
I’ve seen some research that used these numbers for comparability, however I do not agree with them. Google is extra than simply search. There are instruments akin to calculations, translations, and so on., that are included in different classes of analysis. Builders have been looking out Google (and Stack Overflow) for his or her issues for years, though they’re categorized in many alternative methods, together with coding assist.
For instance, individuals seek for translations on Google lots of of tens of millions of instances every month.
Taking a look at their instance, 65% of searches on ChatGPT are categorized as historically searched on Google. That is increased than what researchers have categorized, however I’ve entry to extra information than what individuals have looked for.
| class | ChatGPT utilization (%) | ChatGPT each day quantity | % of Google quantity |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pure search (details, merchandise, recipes) | 24.0% | 600 million | 4.38% |
| Query intent (search + recommendation) | 51.6% | 1.29 billion | 9.42% |
| My search classes (what individuals historically seek for on Google) | 65.0% | 1.625 billion | 11.86% |
ChatGPT captures as much as 12% of Google’s search quantity for what individuals historically seek for on Google. For comparability, Bing is estimated to have 1.2 billion searches per day. ChatGPT beats Bing in search.
If you have not seen it but, Ahrefs constructed it https://chatgpt-vs-google.com/ Makes use of information from Ahrefs Net Analytics throughout 76,000 web sites.
While you take a look at the site visitors coming into your web site, Google sends 190x extra site visitors to your web site than ChatGPT. Google accounts for nearly 40% of the site visitors to web sites, whereas ChatGPT solely accounts for 0.21%.


That is the place the platforms utterly diverge.
I calculated the numbers for varied classifications, and I nonetheless suppose that my search classification is extra correct than the paper’s classification. We discovered that ChatGPT has a 96% decrease CTR than Google.
Calculation methodology: Estimated CTR = (Visitors Share % / Every day Queries in billions) × 10
| Platform/Class | each day queries | site visitors share | Estimated click on fee | CTR vs Google |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 13.7 billion | 39.98% | 29.2% | baseline | |
| ChatGPT (pure search) | 600 million | 0.21% | 3.5% | 88% low |
| ChatGPT (ask intent) | 1.29 billion | 0.21% | 1.6% | 94% low |
| ChatGPT (my search classification) | 1.625 billion | 0.21% | 1.3% | 96% low |
| ChatGPT (all usages) | 2.5 billion | 0.21% | 0.84% | 97% low |
ultimate ideas
Google stays the dominant search engine, with each day exercise rising 5.5x. ChatGPT has superior search in a brief time period. They’ve surpassed long-time search rivals like Bing.
Nonetheless, we do not know if web site homeowners will settle for the drop in site visitors or if they are going to finally push again on AI search.

