The SEO world is buzzing — AI search engines like ChatGPT, Gemini, and Perplexity are popping up in headlines, workflows, and boardroom conversations. It’s a lot to take in.
But how big is their impact on SEO really? And do they actually change the rules of search?
The data makes one thing clear: ChatGPT is leading the pack in adoption and usage by a wide margin. But as Google’s AI Mode rolls out, the landscape is set to shift again.
Let’s break down what enterprise SEOs need to know about AI search, grounded in the latest data and a reality check on adoption, impact, and opportunity.
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ChatGPT.com currently ranks #39 among global web domains according to Cloudflare, sitting just below platforms like Pinterest with 570M monthly average users (MAUs) and Discord.
While exact numbers are hard to pin down, this positions ChatGPT somewhere in the 520–560 million MAU range — with potential to overtake Reddit (#34) at some point.
Further, ChatGPT's web traffic is in striking distance of Yandex (#36), but Bing (#18) still likely receives 2-3 times the search traffic of ChatGPT.
In short, while ChatGPT’s growth is impressive, the data shows it’s still far behind the true scale of major search engines.
We applied a statistical model to estimate ChatGPT searches based on the relative (to Google) active user counts and average number of queries. As a result, we uncovered that ChatGPT is generating around 2.5 percent of the queries that Google does.
That’s hundreds of millions of interactions per day, and a clear signal that generative AI tools are becoming a major part of how people seek information.
But let’s not overstate it: Google is still the giant in the room. According to recent data from SparkToro and Datos, Google Search grew by over 20% in 2024 and continues to handle vastly more queries than ChatGPT.
To truly understand ChatGPT’s place in the search ecosystem, we need to look beyond query volume and examine the nature of what users are actually doing with it.
Prompts entered into ChatGPT often go beyond what we traditionally define as “search” in the SEO world. A significant portion consists of creative tasks — ideation, writing, image generation. These queries are less about navigating the web and more about transforming or generating content.
As such, they are fundamentally different from the queries typical of Google or Bing which are almost always search-related.
In addition, ChatGPT is not currently built to effectively handle queries such as:
Further, ChatGPT does not have the built-in access to shopping, news, and finance resources that Google does. It still needs to build partnerships for shopping and develop reliable data aggregation for news and finance.
Google’s answer to the ChatGPT interface — AI Mode in Search — is poised to pose a major competitive threat to the generative AI platform. Here’s why:
What sets Google’s AI mode apart isn’t just the tech — it’s the ecosystem:
All of these aspects, plus Google’s revenue model create a search experience that ChatGPT can’t easily match.
At seoClarity, we already have the technology to scan AI Mode to determine what is said in the response, who is mentioned and/or cited, and where your gaps might be.
We are currently working on getting AI Mode support added as part of our AI Search Visibility – allowing you to see how your brand performs in this new search feature for priority topics. Sign up now to make sure you have it available as soon as its live!
Yes, adoption is real. Yes, it’s a new channel. But no — this isn’t the end of traditional SEO.
Generative AI tools like ChatGPT still rely on ranked, high-quality content as their foundation. They summarize, repackage, and remix information that already exists — and much of that comes from well-optimized web pages.
Rather than replacing SEO, AI search engines represent a new layer of visibility — one that builds on the fundamentals of strong content, structure, and search intent.
The rules may be evolving, but the game isn’t over. It’s expanding.
Here are some practical recommendations on how to optimize for AI Mode:
Recommended Reading: Understanding AI Search Engines: What All SEOs Should Know
The buzz around AI Search engines is loud — and growing. But when you cut through the noise, the picture becomes clearer.
Ultimately, generative AI like ChatGPT provides a new layer of visibility — not a replacement for organic search.
Enterprise SEOs who understand the nuances of this shift will be best positioned to lead.