ChatGPT Search — About 20% of Google's Query Volume

On November 2, 2026, OpenAI reported that the volume of search queries in ChatGPT is approximately 20% of Google's volume, while Ahrefs data shows that ChatGPT accounts for only 0.36% of referral traffic to websites, compared to 24.74% for Google.

Compiled by Sergey KostenchukPublished 2026-11-05Updated 2026-11-05

2026-11-05 Business OpenAI

💼 ChatGPT Search Reaches Approximately 20% of Google's Volume

OpenAI Consumer Products Lead Adam Fry stated on November 2, 2026, at a dinner in New York and in an interview with Big Technology, that the volume of search queries in ChatGPT is about 20% of Google's, meaning Google processes five times as many. OpenAI counts any query where the model triggers a web search as a 'search.'

🌍 For the SEO market, this is a signal: ChatGPT is already a noticeable channel, but the gap in referral traffic to websites (Ahrefs: 24.74% for Google, 0.36% for ChatGPT) is huge, and OpenAI has not disclosed its counting methodology.

👤 For readers: searching via ChatGPT is becoming a habit, but it provides almost no traffic to websites—Google remains the primary source of visitors.

Source 1: https://www.searchenginejournal.com/googles-search-volume-is-about-5x-chatgpts-openai-says/595817/ Source 2: https://www.bigtechnology.com/p/openai-chatgpt-search-is-about-20

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