ChatGPT processed 2.5 billion prompts per day as of July 2025, representing 12% of Google's search volume when accounting for queries that traditionally belonged to search engines. Despite this substantial query volume, the conversational AI platform sends 190 times less traffic to websites than Google, according to research published February 11, 2026, by Ahrefs.

The analysis reveals fundamentally different business models between the two platforms. Google connects people to websites through search results. ChatGPT keeps users engaged in conversation. The data demonstrates that if AI search represents the future of information discovery, website traffic faces serious challenges ahead.

Google processes over 5 trillion searches annually, according to internal data released January 2025. That translates to approximately 13.7 billion daily searches across the platform. ChatGPT handles 18 billion messages weekly as of July 2025, which equals approximately 2.5 billion prompts per day, according to research from Ahrefs examining traffic patterns across 76,000 websites through the company's Web Analytics platform.

The raw volume comparison shows ChatGPT at 18% of Google's total query volume. However, not every ChatGPT prompt functions as a traditional search query. According to research from OpenAI and Harvard analyzing 1.5 million conversations, 24% represents pure search while 51.6% involves asking intent where users seek advice, perspective, or information to improve judgment rather than delegating task completion.

Patrick Stox, Product Advisor at Ahrefs who authored the analysis, disagrees with using those exact percentages for comparison purposes. "Google does more than just search," according to Stox in the research publication. The search engine includes tools for calculations, translation, and other functions categorized differently in academic studies. Even coding assistance gets classified separately, despite developers searching issues on Google and Stack Overflow for years.

Examining the examples provided in the OpenAI research, Stox classified 65% of ChatGPT searches as activities traditionally performed on Google. This percentage exceeds the researchers' original classification based on access to data showing actual search patterns. Using this 65% classification, ChatGPT achieves approximately 12% of Google's search volume for traditionally searched content.

For comparison context, Bing receives an estimated 1.2 billion searches daily. ChatGPT has surpassed Microsoft's search engine in query volume for search-like activities, representing a significant milestone less than three years after the platform's public launch in November 2022.

The traffic distribution tells a dramatically different story than query volume. Ahrefs built a dedicated comparison tool at chatgpt-vs-google.com using data from its Web Analytics platform across 76,000 websites. The analysis shows Google sending 190 times more traffic to websites than ChatGPT.

Google accounts for nearly 40% of all traffic to websites analyzed in the study. ChatGPT represents just 0.21% of total website traffic. This massive gap between query volume and traffic delivery illustrates where the platforms diverge completely in their approach to information distribution.

The platforms demonstrate radically different click-through rate patterns. Google maintains an estimated CTR of 29.2% based on the relationship between daily queries and traffic share. ChatGPT's CTR varies depending on how searches are classified, but using Stox's methodology for traditional search queries, the platform achieves an estimated CTR of 1.3% - representing a 96% reduction compared to Google's performance.

The calculation methodology involves dividing traffic share percentage by daily queries in billions, then multiplying by 10 to produce estimated CTR. For ChatGPT's 1.625 billion daily search-classified queries combined with 0.21% traffic share, the resulting CTR reaches only 1.3%.

Even when examining pure search classification at 600 million daily queries, ChatGPT achieves just 3.5% estimated CTR - still 88% lower than Google. The asking intent category, encompassing 1.29 billion daily queries, produces 1.6% estimated CTR, representing 94% lower performance than traditional search engines.

These patterns reflect fundamental differences in platform design and user expectations. ChatGPT referrals surge as Google searches hit zero-click records, with the conversational AI platform focusing on providing complete answers within the interface rather than directing users elsewhere.

Google's business model depends on sending traffic to websites, both through organic results and paid advertisements. The company generated more than $198 billion in revenue during 2024, predominantly from advertising tied to search traffic distribution. Maintaining high click-through rates serves Google's fundamental economic interests.

ChatGPT operates on a different economic model. OpenAI, valued at $157 billion following significant Microsoft investment, monetizes primarily through subscription fees for ChatGPT Plus and enterprise deployments rather than advertising revenue dependent on traffic distribution. The platform's success metrics center on conversation quality and user engagement rather than external click generation.

The traffic quality discussion adds complexity to simple volume comparisons. Ahrefs study finds AI search visitors convert 23x higher than organic traffic, with AI search accounting for just 0.5% of total website visits yet generating 12.1% of all signups according to research published June 16, 2025.

This conversion advantage suggests that when ChatGPT does send traffic, those visitors arrive further along in their decision-making process compared to traditional search users. Microsoft Clarity reveals how AI assistants are reshaping website traffic patterns, with analysis showing AI referrals convert at 11 times better rates than search despite representing under 1% of traffic share.

However, ChatGPT traffic underperforms Google in e-commerce study examining 973 websites with $20 billion combined revenue. The research found ChatGPT referrals demonstrated conversion rates inferior to all channels except paid social media, with affiliate marketing producing 86% greater likelihood of conversion compared to ChatGPT traffic.

The contradictory findings suggest traffic quality varies significantly across industry verticals and website types. Publishers and information-focused sites may benefit from higher-intent AI traffic, while e-commerce properties experience different patterns where traditional search and direct navigation prove more valuable for actual purchase completion.

The competitive landscape between platforms continues evolving rapidly. ChatGPT could overtake Google search traffic by 2030, according to predictions from growth advisor Kevin Indig published June 18, 2025. Such forecasts depend on sustained growth trajectories and potential changes in how AI platforms approach traffic distribution.

Recent measurements show ChatGPT traffic reaches 0.19% while Google maintains 41.9% share according to August 2025 data, though ChatGPT demonstrates 3.8 times faster growth rate on a percentage basis. ChatGPT's lead shrinks as Gemini surges in AI traffic war, with Google's own AI assistant capturing market share from OpenAI's platform.

Google faces its own traffic distribution challenges amid the AI transformation. Google's AI summaries now swallow 58% of clicks that once went to websites according to December 2025 research from Ahrefs, up from 34.5% in April 2025. Zero-click searches increased from 56% to nearly 69% since AI Overviews launched in May 2024.

News publishers lose half their Google search traffic in two years, with traditional web search dropping from 51% of traffic in 2023 to just 27% in the fourth quarter of 2025. Google Discover dominates news traffic as search declines, accounting for two-thirds of Google referrals to news organizations by August 2025.

The UK market experienced particularly severe impacts. UK website traffic growth collapses 86% since Google AI search rollout, with average monthly organic traffic growth dropping to 3.7% from 26.3% following AI Overviews deployment in August 2024.

These parallel trends suggest both Google and ChatGPT are reducing the percentage of queries that result in website visits, though through different mechanisms. Google answers questions directly through AI Overviews while maintaining some traffic distribution through traditional results. ChatGPT provides comprehensive responses within conversations while occasionally offering citation links users rarely click.

The implications for website owners appear increasingly challenging regardless of which platform users prefer. Both dominant information platforms are moving toward answering queries directly rather than serving primarily as intermediaries directing traffic elsewhere. Stox noted in the research that he remains uncertain whether website owners will accept the dramatic traffic reductions or eventually push back against AI search implementations.

Marketing professionals face strategic decisions about resource allocation across these changing platforms. Traditional search engine optimization focusing on Google rankings continues delivering the majority of referral traffic despite declining effectiveness. New approaches targeting how brands manipulate ChatGPT to dominate AI search resultsthrough generative engine optimization have emerged, though their long-term viability remains uncertain.

Citation dynamics add another layer of complexity to traffic planning. ChatGPT referral traffic drops 52% as citation patterns shift dramatically according to August 2025 research, with Reddit and Wikipedia absorbing millions of potential referrals as OpenAI adjusted citation weighting preferences. When platforms can swing traffic volumes 52% through backend adjustments, building sustainable business models on AI referrals becomes extraordinarily difficult.

The measurement infrastructure for AI traffic continues improving. ChatGPT adds UTM parameters to more links for better analytics tracking, addressing gaps where ChatGPT traffic previously appeared as direct visits in analytics platforms. More accurate attribution enables better strategic decision-making as marketing teams allocate budgets across platforms.

For the marketing community, these findings represent more than academic interest in platform comparisons. They demonstrate two fundamentally different visions for how people access information online. Google built its business by connecting people to websites, creating an ecosystem where content creators could build audiences and monetize through advertising or subscriptions. That model faces increasing pressure as the company adopts AI features that reduce traffic distribution.

ChatGPT never promised to serve as a traffic source. The platform designed conversations to keep users engaged within the interface, occasionally providing citations for verification rather than as primary navigation tools. Website owners who expected ChatGPT would replace Google as a major referral source may need to reconsider their assumptions about AI search platforms.

The traffic gap between platforms - 190 times more traffic from Google despite ChatGPT handling 12% of search volume - illustrates this fundamental difference. Users who turn to ChatGPT expect conversational assistance solving problems through dialogue. Users who search on Google expect links to websites providing detailed information. Even as Google adds conversational AI features, its core search business still revolves around traffic distribution in ways ChatGPT's conversational model does not.

Both platforms will likely continue evolving their approaches to information delivery and traffic distribution. Google faces revenue pressures to maintain advertising effectiveness even as AI Overviews reduce clicks. OpenAI may explore citation enhancements or partnership programs that increase traffic distribution as the platform matures. Neither trajectory is predetermined.

The research provides baseline measurements showing the current state of traffic distribution across these competing information platforms. How this landscape transforms over the next several years will shape not just search engine optimization practices but the fundamental economics of content publishing online.

Timeline

Summary

Who: Ahrefs conducted the research, with Patrick Stox serving as Product Advisor and primary author, while Ryan Law provided research review as Director of Content Marketing. The study impacts digital marketing professionals, SEO practitioners, website owners, and content publishers evaluating AI search optimization strategies and traffic expectations.

What: ChatGPT processes approximately 2.5 billion daily prompts (12% of Google's search volume when accounting for traditional search queries) but sends 190 times less traffic to websites than Google, with an estimated click-through rate of 1.3% compared to Google's 29.2% - representing a 96% lower CTR. Google accounts for nearly 40% of website traffic while ChatGPT represents just 0.21% despite handling substantial query volume.

When: The research was published February 11, 2026, analyzing data as of July 2025 when ChatGPT reached 2.5 billion daily prompts compared to Google's 13.7 billion daily searches announced in January 2025. The analysis used Ahrefs Web Analytics data across 76,000 websites to measure actual traffic distribution patterns.

Where: The research analyzed global traffic patterns across 76,000 websites using Ahrefs Web Analytics platform, with the comparison tool hosted at chatgpt-vs-google.com. The findings affect the entire digital publishing ecosystem as both platforms compete for user attention while delivering vastly different traffic outcomes to content creators.

Why: The research matters because it demonstrates two fundamentally different business models shaping the future of information discovery - Google connects people to websites through search results while ChatGPT keeps users engaged in conversation. For marketing professionals dependent on search traffic, understanding these platform differences is essential for strategic planning as AI search adoption accelerates, traffic quality patterns diverge across channels, and traditional search traffic faces sustained pressure from both Google's own AI features and competing conversational platforms.

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