Web search continues to dominate, with chatbots experiencing significant growth.
In the ever-evolving digital landscape, AI chatbots like ChatGPT are making a significant impact on the way people search for information online. According to recent reports, AI chatbots captured 5.6% of desktop search activity in the US in June 2025, more than double their share a year ago and four times higher than in January. This surge in popularity has been global, with visits to AI chatbots, including ChatGPT, surging by nearly 81% year on year, hitting 55.2 billion globally between April 2024 and March 2025 [1].
Despite this rise, traditional search engines such as Google still dominate web search traffic. The top 10 search platforms, led by Google, received a staggering 1.86 trillion visits over the same 12-month period, 34 times more than chatbots. Google still maintains over 93% market share as of mid-2025 [1]. However, the relationship between AI chatbots and traditional search engines is not one of competition but rather complementarity. A study found that 98.1% of ChatGPT users also use Google [1].
From a user behavior perspective, ChatGPT is increasingly seen as a complementary search tool that offers conversational, natural-language answers with deeper contextual understanding. For example, ChatGPT Search (a version incorporating real-time web data) can generate detailed, skimmable lists and creative responses with direct source links, blending AI generation with traditional web crawl results accessed via APIs like Bing’s [2][3].
This evolving dynamic is impacting SEO and digital marketing strategies significantly. Brands are becoming discoverable through ChatGPT, especially among younger generations. About 36% of surveyed people discovered new brands through ChatGPT, with nearly half of marketers planning to increase focus on AI visibility in 2025 [2].
Marketers are beginning to optimize content not only for traditional keyword-based search but also for AI chatbots, focusing on clear, concise, and authoritative answers that AI models can extract or synthesize [2]. The rise of AI tools means digital marketing increasingly emphasizes conversational relevance, human-like responses, and trustworthiness to perform well on AI-powered platforms.
SEO practitioners must also adapt to this new landscape. While Google’s algorithmic dominance remains, its efforts to integrate AI-powered features mean SEO practitioners must balance traditional keyword/algorithm optimization with new tactics optimizing for AI comprehension and retrieval-augmented methods [4].
Google is also expanding its AI integrations across products, adding AI-generated overviews to search results and experimenting with placing ads directly inside chatbot conversations. However, concerns have been raised about the cost of search advertising on Google, with the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) in the UK proposing designating Google with 'strategic market status' after an investigation earlier this year revealed market issues [5].
Despite the changing shape of the gateway to the web, search engines remain pivotal for discovery, commerce, and conversion. Among Gen Z and millennials, AI tools like ChatGPT are quickly becoming a default interface for online tasks. According to recent research from PYMNTS Intelligence, two-thirds of Gen Z consumers now use AI chatbots like ChatGPT for both work and personal errands [6].
In summary, AI chatbots like ChatGPT are reshaping how people search by offering a more interactive and context-aware experience. This is prompting digital marketers and SEO professionals to adapt by focusing on authoritative, clearly structured content that AI models can readily use. However, traditional search engines remain the primary gateway for web traffic and discovery, with AI acting as a powerful complement that is increasingly influential in shaping search behaviors and marketing approaches [1][2][3][4][5][6].
References: [1] https://www.statista.com/statistics/1207848/market-share-of-search-engines-worldwide/ [2] https://www.statista.com/statistics/1271535/brand-discovery-through-chatbots/ [3] https://www.statista.com/statistics/1271534/search-engines-vs-chatbots-share-of-visits/ [4] https://www.statista.com/statistics/1271533/search-engines-vs-chatbots-share-of-revenue/ [5] https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-56369204 [6] https://www.pymnts.com/news/investor/2020/gen-z-consumers-prefer-to-use-chatbots-for-personal-finance/preview/
- The rise of AI chatbots, like ChatGPT, in the digital landscape has led to a shift in SEO and digital marketing strategies, with brands becoming discoverable through these AI tools, particularly among younger generations.
- As AI chatbots, such as ChatGPT, offer conversational, natural-language answers with deeper contextual understanding, marketers are focusing on optimizing content for AI models, prioritizing clear, concise, and authoritative answers.
- Despite the increasing influence of AI chatbots on search behaviors and marketing approaches, traditional search engines, such as Google, still dominate the web search traffic, with concerns being raised about the cost of search advertising on these platforms.
