AI SEO Statistics You Need To Know

1. ChatGPT reached 100M users faster than any app

ChatGPT’s rise to 100 million users wasn’t gradual. It was the fastest adoption curve in tech history. For SEO, that surge matters. It shows how quickly audiences shift platforms, and why waiting to adapt your content for generative engines is a risky bet.

2. ChatGPT reached 700M weekly users

As of August 2025, ChatGPT boasts over 700 million weekly active users. What this clearly means is that now, AI search is not a niche, but the mainstream. For businesses, it proves GEO is not a “future trend”, but the present, influencing how millions search, learn, and make decisions week by week.

3. SearchGPT makes up 2.1% of market share

Although I assume most of the readers of this article use SearchGPT or another LLM for queries, as of writing, SearchGPT only makes up 2.1% of market share as a search engine, while Google still dominates with 90% of market share. On the surface, that looks minor, but the growth tells the real story…

4. SearchGPT’s market share increased 740% in 12 months

Since May 2024, SearchGPT’s share has skyrocketed by 740% year-on-year. This surge places SearchGPT in third place, just behind Bing. If this growth trend continues, it will surpass Bing by the end of the year and establish itself as a key contender in the search engine market.

For context, Google and Bing have held the top two places since 2009, so this growth positions SearchGPT as a serious player.

Google’s AI Overview Dominance

And speaking of Google’s power, it’s also worth recognising just how much Google’s AI Overviews are shaping the search landscape. Here are a few key stats to understand why they are becoming the default way millions consume answers.

5. AI Overviews feature in 18% of searches

When it comes to generative search, Google is still the heavyweight. AI Overviews already feature in around 18% of global searches, making them the single biggest driver of how billions of users now consume answers. That means if your content isn’t visible here, a huge slice of potential visibility is already slipping away.

6. Google utilises the top 10 search results in its AI reviews

No real surprise here. According to a study by SurferSEO, 52% of sources mentioned by Google AI overviews rank in the top 10 results. In practice, that means the old SEO fundamentals are still the entry ticket. If you want to appear in Google’s AI Overview, you need high-quality, well-optimised pages.

7. AI overviews reduce CTR by 34.5%

The catch? AI summaries shrink the pie. Click-through rates drop by an average 34.5% because many users get their answer without leaving Google’s search results page. That impact is felt most on simple, top-funnel queries where a short summary is enough. For more complex or technical searches, though, AI Overviews are less of a threat…

8. AI overviews still skew toward top-of-funnel queries

With an average length of just 153 words, AI Overviews can’t fully answer in-depth questions, so users still click through to detailed content. Early studies suggested that AI Overviews showed up in only about 5% of bottom-funnel, high-intent searches. That figure was from mid-2024, and newer research might indicate the share has increased.

The exact rate also varies by geography, since AI Overviews are rolled out differently across countries.

Consumer Trust and Behaviour

It’s not just adoption driving GEO’s rise. It’s trust. AI search is fast becoming the default way people find information, and consumer confidence is growing quickly. Here are a few key stats that show why being visible inside AI answers is no longer optional.

9. 41% of consumers trust AI results more than paid ads

Around 41% of people say they trust AI-generated answers more than paid ads. That’s a big behavioural shift. It means showing up in generative search can build more credibility than simply paying to appear at the top of Google. And that trust is turning into reliance…

10. 80% of users now rely on AI summaries, at least 40% of the time

A recent study found that 80% of users depend on AI summaries for at least 40% of their searches. That means people are no longer just “checking” AI results. They’re leaning on them as a regular part of decision-making. So if you’re not appearing in those summaries, you’re effectively cut out of a growing share of the market.

11. 79% expect to use AI-enhanced search by the end of 2025

Trust and reliance are only part of the story, though. Usage is accelerating just as quickly. By late 2025, nearly 79% of consumers expect they’ll be using AI-driven search. That expectation sets a clear deadline: brands that delay GEO risk being absent from the very platforms where buyers will soon make everyday decisions.

12. GEO-optimised content increases online exposure by 40%

The payoff is clear. Companies using GEO optimisation on their content see an increase in online visibility that is upwards of 40%, proof that this is not just theory. Increased visibility means more opportunity to be trusted, to be discovered, and to be chosen by the right audience.

13. AI search visitors convert at a 23x higher rate

And it isn’t just visibility that matters. The quality of these visits matters too. Visitors coming from AI search are converting at a rate that is 23 times higher than visitors coming from traditional search. That’s huge. It shows that appearing in AI results not only creates visibility but also attracts buyers who are far closer to making a purchasing decision.

GEO vs. Traditional SEO: What’s Changing

The obvious question now is how to take advantage of this new path to visibility. The playbook looks different from traditional SEO. Instead of obsessing over page-one rankings, the goal is to earn citations inside AI-generated answers. Here are a few key shifts, backed by data, that show what really matters now.

14. Fresh content gets chosen more often

AI tools like ChatGPT and Google’s Overviews prefer citing newer content. One Ahrefs study found that AI-cited pages are, on average, 25.7% fresher than Google’s SERP hits. That means regularly updating your site isn’t optional anymore. It’s the difference between being cited or skipped.

15. Schema triples your visibility in AI Overviews

Content that’s easy to read isn’t just better for people. It’s better for AI. Research shows that pages that use structured data, like FAQ and HowTo schema in JSON‑LD, are three times more likely to be cited in Google AI Overviews. That’s because generative engines don’t read whole articles; they just pull structured snippets. So if your content is clear and digestible, engines are far more likely to surface it in answers.

16. Expert quotes and clear statistics drive more visibility

Authority is yet another determining factor in generative search. Research shows content with clear statistics and well-placed expert quotes obtains 30% to 40% more visibility in generative search. That means that in addition to establishing trust with readers by adding verifiable voices to your content, you are also training AI engines to treat your content as credible and citation-worthy.

17. More Mentions, More Visibility

Research shows that brands with the most web mentions get the lion’s share of AI citations. Those in the top 25% for mentions average 169 AI Overview references. That’s over 10 times more than the next tier down, which averages just 14. The takeaway? In GEO, it’s not just about links anymore; it’s about being talked about. The more your brand is mentioned across the web, the more likely AI engines are to include you in their answers.

Projections on the Future of AI Search 

The bigger question is what comes next. If generative engines are already reshaping visibility and traffic, what does that mean for the future of search? Here are the forecasts that matter for a forward-looking plan of action.

18. Search traffic could decrease by 25% by 2026

By 2026, analysts expect traditional search traffic to fall by as much as 25% as AI assistants replace clicks. That’s not just a dip; it’s a structural shift. If you’re not preparing for GEO today, you’re effectively preparing for less visibility tomorrow.

19. AI search could overtake traditional search by 2028

And the shift won’t stop there. By early 2028, AI-driven engines could generate more visitors than traditional search. That would mark a tipping point, with the majority of discovery and decision-making flowing through AI platforms instead of Google’s blue links.

20. By 2027, AI search could match or surpass Google in value

Volume is one thing. Value is another. Forecasts suggest that by late 2027, AI-driven search traffic could deliver equal, or even greater, economic value than traditional search. That’s not just clicks, that’s dollars. For local businesses, it means the customers you’ve always relied on from Google may soon be making their choices inside AI engines instead.

From Statistics to Strategy: What’s Next

The numbers make one thing clear: AI search is changing how people find businesses and products. The question isn’t whether it will matter, but how you prepare to use it.

As I mentioned before, you don’t need a secret formula. As the evolution of SEO, GEO is about making sure your content is clear, trustworthy, and easy for AI to use when answering people’s questions.

Here’s where I tell most business owners to start:

• Keep your content fresh and easy to read, so engines can easily pull sections into their responses
• Make sure your expertise shows by adding expert quotes, statistics, and clear proof points to your content
• Be present in your community and online conversations, because mentions matter more than ever
• And try new tools if they make things easier, but remember it’s the real, human stories about your business that customers connect with most.

At the end of the day, this isn’t about chasing algorithms. It’s about showing up where your customers are looking. And right now, more and more of them are turning to AI search. Hiring an experienced SEO consultant in Sydney can you help you navigate these changes – and be at the forefront of AI search