chatbot

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is reshaping the digital landscape, and nowhere is this more evident than in the search market. Tools like ChatGPT, Perplexity, and other AI-powered chatbots are emerging as formidable challengers to Google’s search dominance. A groundbreaking study by Previsible reveals shifting user behaviors and the increasing role of Large Language Models (LLMs) in driving referral traffic.

Disrupting the Status Quo

For years, Google has been synonymous with online search, but the rise of AI chatbots marks a turning point. According to Previsible, Google’s dominance is beginning to plateau, with LLMs gaining traction as alternative sources for fulfilling user search intents. AI-driven tools like ChatGPT, Claude, Co-Pilot, and Perplexity are now reshaping how users find information, signaling a new era in search behavior.

“People are starting to use ChatGPT, Claude, Co-Pilot, Bing, and other AI-powered experiences to better solve their search intent,” noted the report.

Key Findings from the Study

The analysis of over 30 websites highlights significant trends in referral traffic from LLMs:

• Market Leaders: Perplexity and ChatGPT command 37% of LLM-driven referral traffic, with CoPilot and Gemini trailing at 12-14% each.
• Sector-Specific Dominance: The finance sector leads the way, accounting for 84% of all LLM referrals. This surge is attributed to the integration of AI tools with finance platforms, offering users seamless access to targeted information.
• Content Impact: Blogs receive the lion’s share of LLM-driven traffic (77.35%), followed by homepage visits (9.04%) and news content (8.23%). In contrast, product pages attract less than 0.5% of this traffic, presenting challenges for e-commerce businesses.

The Growth Trajectory

LLM referral traffic may currently represent just 0.25% of total website traffic for impacted sectors, but its growth is exponential:

• 900% Growth in ChatGPT referrals for the events industry within the last 90 days.
• 400%+ Growth in ChatGPT-driven traffic for e-commerce and finance sectors.
• Consistent Growth across all LLMs except CoPilot.

With such promising growth rates, LLM referral traffic could account for 20% of total traffic within a year if trends persist.

Previsible’s LLM Traffic Dashboard

To help businesses adapt to this evolving landscape, Previsible offers a free Looker Studio Dashboard for tracking website traffic from LLMs like ChatGPT, Perplexity, Gemini, and Claude. Key features include:

• Organic vs. LLM Sessions: Compare total organic sessions with LLM-driven sessions.
• Traffic Trends: View LLM traffic growth over time through detailed line graphs.
• Landing Page Analysis: Identify top-performing pages and optimize them for engagement.
• Time-on-Page Insights: Measure the average time spent by LLM users to identify areas for improvement.

Strategic Insights for Businesses

As LLMs continue to gain ground, businesses must align their strategies to capture this traffic effectively. Here’s how:

1. Optimize Informational Content: Blog posts dominate LLM referrals, making high-quality, engaging content essential for attracting and retaining traffic.
2. Rethink E-Commerce Strategies: With product pages rarely surfacing in LLM results, businesses should explore new ways to integrate e-commerce within informational content.
3. Focus on CRO and User Experience: Enhancing conversion rate optimization and refining the user journey are critical to leveraging LLM-driven traffic.

Looking Ahead

AI chatbots are no longer just a novelty—they are transforming the way users interact with online content. Although LLM traffic currently accounts for a small fraction of overall website visits, its rapid growth is undeniable.

For sectors like finance and events, the rise of LLMs presents an opportunity to engage users more effectively. However, businesses must balance AI-driven traffic with their core objectives to ensure that innovation doesn’t come at the expense of sales.

The evolution of search behavior signals a dynamic future for the digital landscape. As we move forward, one thing is certain: AI tools like ChatGPT are not just gaining ground—they are shaping the future of online search.