Investigating Chatgpt Search: Insights From 80 Million Clickstream Records

Generative AI is quickly reshaping really group hunt for information. 

A caller Statistica and Semrush .Trends study indicates that nan generative AI marketplace was weighted astatine $67 cardinal successful 2024 and is expected to move annually by 24.4% done 2030. 

This maturation is making waves successful nan hunt centrifugal sector, wherever platforms for illustration ChatGPT alteration overmuch 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.

Source: SearchGPT vs. Google and Bing (analysis of 5,000 unsocial queries)

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 personification nan bulk of hunt traffic, ChatGPT introduces a caller onslaught 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 immoderate postulation distribution and personification navigation patterns.

Search manufacture maestro Kevin Indig puts these changes successful perspective:

Kevin Indig, Organic Growth Advisor

Methodology

Semrush analyzed overmuch than 80 cardinal lines of world clickstream accusation from nan 2nd half of 2024 to spot really group interacted pinch ChatGPT. 

Clickstream information is nan integer measurement of a user’s activity arsenic they navigate done websites, apps, aliases different integer platforms. This captures elaborate accusation astir personification interactions, specified arsenic nan bid of pages visited, clip spent connected each page, and referral sources. 

With this data, we were tin 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 nan interaction 

From there, we examined nan mean magnitude and intent of nan queries connected pinch nan types of websites ChatGPT directed users to. We too utilized clickstream accusation 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 expanding powerfulness connected nett traffic. In early July, ChatGPT sent postulation to small than 10,000 unsocial domains successful a azygous day. 

This number expanded dramatically by November, reaching complete 30,000 unsocial domains successful a clip - an summation that demonstrates ChatGPT's quickly expanding domiciled successful directing users crossed nan internet.

Number of Unique Domains Receiving Referral Traffic from ChatGPT 

This level scheme shows nan maturation successful nan number of unsocial domains that received referral postulation from ChatGPT complete time.

Each constituent connected nan level scheme reflects really galore chopped websites were referred postulation from ChatGPT connected a fixed day. The upward inclination demonstrates that overmuch domains are benefiting from referrals complete time, indicating a broader distribution of postulation crossed nan web.

Interestingly, this number spiked successful August—months earlier nan October 31st hunt characteristic launch. This early surge suggests that users were already exploring ChatGPT’s capabilities to observe and navigate content, moreover earlier nan 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 nan prompts group taxable to ChatGPT and compares them pinch accepted hunt centrifugal queries—like those connected Google. 

Are users experimenting pinch overmuch imaginative requests aliases asking questions that simply don’t caller nan 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 psyche knowledge. However, users personification nan action to alteration web searches by clicking nan globe icon erstwhile they want ChatGPT to propulsion successful accusation from nan internet.

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

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

This divided highlights that users are engaging pinch ChatGPT successful immoderate modes—leveraging its built-in capabilities and its expertise to entree unrecorded web data.

Let’s return a personification look astatine these usage patterns.

Length of ChatGPT Prompts

When users interact pinch ChatGPT without nan SearchGPT feature, nan prompts bladed to beryllium overmuch 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, nan punctual magnitude drops importantly to an mean of conscionable 4.2 words, pinch nan longest punctual capped astatine 301 words. 

This shorter query magnitude aligns overmuch intimately pinch accepted Google searches, suggesting that users move to a overmuch 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 line contented strategy and personification acquisition design. 

Traditional hunt engines for illustration Google typically work 4 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 caller neatly into accepted categories.

But earlier we investigation nan broader implications of ChatGPT's unsocial queries, let's attraction connected nan 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 mentation by intent)—examining what users were trying to execute pinch their queries connected each platform. The accusation showed that informational and navigational intents predominate immoderate Google and ChatGPT.

Note: The hunt intent of only 30% of nan ChatGPT queries we studied is known and displayed successful nan level scheme connected nan right. The different 70% of queries are not searched tin connected Google to beryllium recovered successful nan Semrush database.

However, Google exhibited a higher proportionality of navigational intent, while informational intent was overmuch prevalent successful nan 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 nan activation of ChatGPT's SearchGPT characteristic affects hunt intent, we noticed respective differences.

With SearchGPT enabled, nan intent distribution overmuch intimately mirrored that of Google, pinch a noticeable summation successful commercialized and transactional searches. 

With SearchGPT disabled, ChatGPT prompts leaned dense towards informational intent. However, it's apt that galore autumn into nan "unknown" intent people owed to their longer, overmuch elaborate nature.

The “Unknown” Intent of ChatGPT: What It Means for SEOs and Marketers

Our investigation underscores a important value successful really users prosecute pinch ChatGPT compared to accepted hunt engines for illustration Google. While we could categorize nan hunt intent of 30% of ChatGPT queries that matched position successful nan Semrush keyword database, nan remaining 70% had "unknown intent." 

This immense disparity indicates that galore ChatGPT queries are pioneering caller ways of seeking accusation and interacting online.

This assortment stems from nan 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 nan 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 nan 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 betterment successful personification narration whitethorn require SEOs and marketers to rethink their strategies and spot these unsocial intents successful their integer trading plans. 

Industry experts are opening to investigation 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:

Chris Long, VP of Marketing astatine Go Fish

And Michael King emphasized that "conversational search" is overmuch of a branding transmission than a capacity channel.

We perfectly petition to optimize for SearchGPT, but we don't petition to measurement it by nan magnitude of referral postulation it drives arsenic though it's a capacity channel. I deliberation our community, aliases immoderate statement emerges to support Conversational Search channels, will admit that these are branding channels. There is worthy for brands to show up coming truthful they summation and support mindshare. It's my dream that those of america doing trading coming will not undervalue it successful nan measurement that those that started SEO devalued Organic Search.

Michael King, Founder and CEO astatine iPullRank

While nan 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 personification overmuch 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 personification important postulation from ChatGPT.

Interestingly, celebrated sites specified arsenic YouTube and Facebook too rank precocious successful postulation from Google.

This isn’t surprising, arsenic they rank among nan internet’s astir visited domains and personification important postulation from different hunt engines arsenic well. 

However, our study focused connected domains that personification overmuch postulation from ChatGPT than from accepted hunt engines.  

Here’s what nan accusation showed us:

Websites Receiving More Traffic from ChatGPT Than Google 

The accusation reveals that domains related to exertion are experiencing a surge successful postulation from ChatGPT. 

OpenAI-related domains (oaiusercontent.com) personification astir 14x overmuch postulation from ChatGPT than Google. In addition, different tech and AI-focused platforms for illustration aiprm.com and gptinf.com too show importantly higher ChatGPT traffic.

Note: openaiusercontent.com is simply a domain utilized by OpenAI to work user-generated contented (generated images, documents, etc), which explains nan precocious level of traffic.

But really does this style 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 overmuch 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 accusation suggests ChatGPT has spell a salient postulation guidelines for world and acquisition content. But to understand nan afloat scope of ChatGPT's effect crossed nan internet, let's analyse really postulation is distributed crossed each awesome industries.

Top Industries Receiving Traffic from ChatGPT 

A personification look astatine ChatGPT's referral postulation reveals which sectors necktie nan astir personification engagement.

Our study examined nan 10,000 most-visited domains aft ChatGPT interactions, categorizing each by industry. The accusation represents unsocial sessions—meaning individual visits that ended connected websites incorrect each category.

Online services predominate pinch astir 10M sessions, but acquisition contented shows a beardown presence—education and region learning together narration for complete 9M sessions. 

Information exertion and package betterment 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 portion (1.9M), finance (1.6M), and healthcare (1.5M) show notable but small postulation volumes. 

But what’s driving these patterns? To understand this, we petition to look overmuch intimately astatine who is utilizing ChatGPT. 

Audience Demographics: Who is Using ChatGPT and Google?

Understanding personification demographics helps uncover really these platforms work different segments of nan 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 accusation reveals chopped patterns betwixt nan platforms. While Google shows wide believe crossed spot groups and occupations, ChatGPT's personification guidelines shows higher concentrations among definite segments.

Age and Gender

ChatGPT's personification guidelines skews younger and overmuch antheral compared to Google.

Occupation

ChatGPT’s assemblage is skewed overmuch towards students. 

While Google shows higher believe among:

• Full-time workers
• Homemakers
• Retirees

These demographic patterns thief explicate nan postulation trends we observed earlier, peculiarly nan precocious measurement of postulation to acquisition and region learning sites. 

This suggests an opportunity for universities and world institutions. With nan correct strategy, these institutions could turn their scope done ChatGPT overmuch 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 overmuch important than ever. 

As SEOs we do not petition to wantonness nan strategies we’ve ever relied connected but we do petition to germinate them. Where successful nan past we looked astatine crawlability, indexability and extremity astatine rankability, we now petition to adhd successful Retrievability. That is, taking different 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 floor plan entities that style information of nan training data.

Crystal Carter, Head of SEO Communications astatine Wix Studio

Our study of 80 cardinal clickstream records, mixed pinch demographic accusation and postulation patterns, reveals 3 cardinal changes successful online contented discovery:

1. Traffic Distribution: ChatGPT drives notable postulation to acquisition resources, world publishers, and method documentation, peculiarly compared to Bing.
2. Query Behavior: While 30% of queries lucifer accepted hunt patterns, 70% are unsocial to ChatGPT. Without hunt enabled, users represent longer, overmuch elaborate prompts (averaging 23 words versus 4.2 pinch search).
3. User Base: ChatGPT shows higher believe among students and younger users compared to Google's broader demographic distribution.

For marketers and contented creators, this accusation 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 work these "creation-first" intents will beryllium amended positioned to nexus pinch audiences, peculiarly younger users and students.