ChatGPT May Be Taking Search Share, But Google Still Drives Most Website Traffic

AI is changing how people search, and the numbers are starting to show it.

According to Ahrefs, ChatGPT now handles around 12% of Google’s search volume, based on how many daily prompts are being used in ways that resemble traditional search behaviour. There’s no doubt about the fact that this is a huge milestone for a product that wasn’t originally positioned as a search engine at all.

But, while the headline figure sounds dramatic, the real story is more nuanced. Because although ChatGPT is absorbing more search-like activity, Google is still doing something ChatGPT can’t match at scale: sending traffic out to the open web.

And for publishers, startups and businesses that rely on visibility, clicks and conversions – that distinction matters.

ChatGPT Is Growing Fast, But It’s Not Quite “Google” Yet

According to Ahrefs’ analysis, ChatGPT is now seeing roughly 2.5 billion prompts per day, compared to Google’s estimated 20+ billion searches daily.

That gap is still enormous, but what makes the shift really interesting is how quickly ChatGPT has climbed into search territory. People are increasingly using it for the same reasons they once relied exclusively on Google – that is, quick answers, product research, comparisons, recommendations, explanations and summaries.

In other words, it’s user behaviour that’s changed – search is no longer always a search bar. Sometimes, it’s a full-on conversation.

And that means AI isn’t just competing with Google, it’s reshaping the definition of what “search” even is.

Search Volume Isn’t the Same as Website Traffic

Now, here’s where things get especially important (and interesting). According to Ahrefs, Google sends roughly 190 times more traffic to websites than ChatGPT does.

That’s a massive difference, and it highlights the key structural gap between the two platforms.

Google, on the one hand, is designed to route people outward. Even when it provides quick answers at the top of the page, the ecosystem still revolves around clickable links. Its role is to act as the middle layer between the user and the internet.

But ChatGPT, on the other hand, is designed to keep users inside the experience. It provides direct responses, summarises information and often satisfies curiosity without requiring a click at all. It makes things as easy as possible for users.

So, while ChatGPT might be handling more “search-like” questions, it isn’t behaving like a traditional traffic engine. Rather, it’s behaving like a self-contained knowledge layer.

And, that’s why publishers are nervous. Because the internet economy is built on clicks, not just curiosity.

AI Search Is Creating a New Kind of Authority Altogether

This also ties into a broader shift that we’ve already started seeing in the AI search world. In the past, we’ve explored how platforms like Wikipedia, Reddit and YouTube are increasingly dominating AI-driven search results, largely because AI systems treat them as credible “source environments”. These are platforms with scale, structure, and user-generated trust signals.

What we’re seeing now is a continuation of that trend. AI doesn’t just rank websites the way Google does. It actually synthesises information and pulls from sources that feel consensus-driven, well-referenced and widely discussed.

That means that the future of digital visibility may not be about ranking first in Google anymore. It may be about becoming the kind of source AI tools repeatedly cite, reference or learn from.

For startups, that creates a new challenge – how do you become visible in a world where traffic doesn’t always flow outward? And there’s no easy answer.

So, Is ChatGPT a Threat to Google?

Not exactly.

Well, maybe not yet. The Ahrefs data suggests that ChatGPT is gaining share in the “search behaviour” category, but Google still owns the most valuable part of the ecosystem: distribution.

Google remains the primary gateway between users and websites, and it’s still the engine that powers the web’s commercial model.

But, what ChatGPT is doing is slowly training people to expect something different: fewer links, more direct answers and a faster path to clarity.

That shift could eventually weaken Google’s grip – not because Google becomes obsolete, but because user expectations evolve. And sometimes, the human aspect is something people forget.

The Real Future of Search Is Probably Multi-Platform

The bigger takeaway here is that we’re entering a hybrid era. Google is still the web’s biggest traffic driver, and it will likely remain that way for a long time. But, at the same time, ChatGPT is becoming the place where people start their thinking process.

And that matters, because “where people start” often determines what (and who) they trust.

For startups, this means the game is expanding. Traditional SEO still matters, but so does building a presence that AI tools recognise as credible, quotable and worth referencing.

Google still controls the clicks, but AI is increasingly controlling the conversation.