OpenAI Says Google Search Volume Is Five Times ChatGPT's
OpenAI reports that Google's search volume is about five times that of ChatGPT, according to a recent discussion. This comparison matters as it provides insight into the search query market.
Original reporting · searchenginejournal.com
Original: “Google’s Search Volume Is About 5x ChatGPT’s, OpenAI Says via @sejournal, @MattGSouthern”
Read “Google’s Search Volume Is About 5x ChatGPT’s, OpenAI Says via @sejournal, @MattGSouthern” at Search Engine Journal →
How this was written. Content Catalyst wrote this article with a language model from Search Engine Journal’s reporting (model: @cf/meta/llama-3.3-70b-instruct-fp8-fast); it describes that reporting rather than adding to it. The original, linked above, is the full story.
Key points from Search Engine Journal’s report
- OpenAI reports that Google's search volume is approximately five times that of ChatGPT.
- The comparison is based on the volume of search-like queries made by users of ChatGPT versus those using Google.
- ChatGPT's search volume is estimated to be around 12 percent that of Google's, according to Ahrefs.
- Google accounts for 24.74% of tracked traffic, while ChatGPT accounts for 0.36%, according to Ahrefs.
- The relationship between ChatGPT and Google's search volumes is not yet clear and requires further clarification.
OpenAI recently shared that Google's search volume is approximately five times that of ChatGPT, according to Search Engine Journal. This information was revealed during a discussion between OpenAI and Big Technology. The comparison is based on the volume of search-like queries made by users of ChatGPT versus those using Google.
OpenAI counts a search each time a question sends ChatGPT to the web, as explained by Fry. This counting rule includes only the search requests made by ChatGPT users in order to send a question to the web. In contrast, outside data on traffic to websites puts ChatGPT far behind Google.
The types of questions that ChatGPT users ask have changed over time, with people initially seeking help with writing and coding, and later asking questions about people, places, and things that require up-to-date information. This shift has led to an increase in searches that would have traditionally been made on a search engine like Google.
Ahrefs, a tracking tool, has estimated that ChatGPT's search volume is around 12 percent that of Google's, using a different definition of search. This estimate is based on the number of daily ChatGPT prompts and the percentage of those that are search-like queries. Ahrefs also tracks referral traffic to websites, with Google accounting for 24.74% of tracked traffic and ChatGPT accounting for 0.36%.
Google's search query growth has been driven by AI investments, according to CEO Sundar Pichai. The company's year-over-year query growth rate is the highest it has been in the last five years. However, neither OpenAI's nor Google's data illustrates whether ChatGPT searches are replacing searches on Google.
The comparison between ChatGPT and Google's search volumes is difficult to make without further clarification from OpenAI on which Google figure was used. Ahrefs' tracker provides a regular outside perspective on the traffic ChatGPT sends, and OpenAI's ratio is roughly one-fifth of Google's search volume.
Looking ahead, it will be important to consider the definitions of query volume and referral traffic when reporting on search. This will provide two different metrics and help to clarify the relationship between ChatGPT and Google's search volumes.
Questions and answers
How does OpenAI count a search?
OpenAI counts a search each time a question sends ChatGPT to the web.
What percentage of ChatGPT's search volume is estimated to be that of Google's?
Ahrefs estimates that ChatGPT's search volume is around 12 percent that of Google's.
What is the source of the data comparing ChatGPT and Google's search volumes?
The data comes from a discussion between OpenAI and Big Technology, as well as estimates from Ahrefs.
