AI vs Search Traffic Analysis 2025

Sites Analyzed

81,360

Months Analyzed

Jan '25 - Jan '26

All Traffic Sources Comparison

Comprehensive comparison of all traffic sources showing traffic share and growth trends

January 2026

Latest month's traffic share percentages and month-over-month percentage point changes for all tracked sources.

Traditional Search Engines

Google

38.92% -1.06%

Bing

1.44% +0.03%

DuckDuckGo

0.29%

AI Assistants

ChatGPT

0.23% +0.02%

Perplexity

0.02%

Gemini

0.01%

Traffic Channels

Unknown

4.67% -0.20%

Paid

16.27% -0.48%

Direct

38.97% +1.83%

Social

7.50% -0.07%

Traffic by Category

Aggregated view of traffic sources grouped into major categories: Traditional Search, AI Search, and channel types

Traffic distribution across major categories over time.

40.65% -1.03%

AI Search

0.26% +0.02%

Unknown

4.67% -0.20%

Paid

16.27% -0.48%

Direct

38.97% +1.83%

Social

7.50% -0.07%

Month-over-Month Growth Comparison

% change in visitors sent by each source: (This month − Last month) / Last month

% change in visitors sent by each source: (This month − Last month) / Last month

Month-over-Month Growth Details

% change in visitors sent by each source: (This month − Last month) / Last month

% change in visitors sent by each source: (This month − Last month) / Last month

Nov 2025 → Dec 2025

Google

+0.2%

Bing

+5.6%

DuckDuckGo

+6.3%

ChatGPT

+9.2%

Claude

+20.7%

Perplexity

-13.8%

Gemini

+53.1%

Oct 2025 → Nov 2025

Google

+2.5%

Bing

-3.5%

DuckDuckGo

+14.0%

ChatGPT

-11.6%

Claude

-17.3%

Perplexity

-18.4%

Gemini

+31.7%

Sep 2025 → Oct 2025

Google

-6.3%

Bing

-7.9%

DuckDuckGo

-4.2%

ChatGPT

-0.5%

Claude

-2.9%

Perplexity

-5.3%

Gemini

-0.7%

Aug 2025 → Sep 2025

Google

-2.3%

Bing

+2.0%

DuckDuckGo

+4.5%

ChatGPT

+5.4%

Claude

-2.2%

Perplexity

-4.1%

Gemini

-0.7%

Jul 2025 → Aug 2025

Google

-3.8%

Bing

+2.6%

DuckDuckGo

+0.9%

ChatGPT

+12.1%

Claude

+8.5%

Perplexity

+25.2%

Gemini

+35.5%

Jun 2025 → Jul 2025

Google

-4.6%

Bing

-2.6%

DuckDuckGo

-2.6%

ChatGPT

+5.7%

Claude

-10.1%

Perplexity

+8.1%

Gemini

-13.1%

May 2025 → Jun 2025

Google

+1.5%

Bing

+3.2%

DuckDuckGo

+6.3%

ChatGPT

+5.4%

Claude

+5.6%

Perplexity

+5.1%

Gemini

-1.3%

Apr 2025 → May 2025

Google

-6.8%

Bing

-4.2%

DuckDuckGo

-4.6%

ChatGPT

+1.6%

Claude

+108.7%

Perplexity

-8.9%

Gemini

+2.6%

Mar 2025 → Apr 2025

Google

-1.2%

Bing

+3.5%

DuckDuckGo

-12.8%

ChatGPT

+24.2%

Claude

+136.5%

Perplexity

+7.4%

Gemini

+5.9%

Feb 2025 → Mar 2025

Google

-3.3%

Bing

-8.7%

DuckDuckGo

-37.2%

ChatGPT

+25.0%

Claude

+56.9%

Perplexity

-10.5%

Gemini

+0.4%

Jan 2025 → Feb 2025

Google

+1.2%

Bing

+11.4%

DuckDuckGo

+9.5%

ChatGPT

+17.9%

Claude

+235.6%

Perplexity

+16.8%

Gemini

+21.0%

Period	Google Goo	ChatGPT Cha	Bing Bin	DuckDuckGo Duc	Claude Cla	Perplexity Per	Gemini Gem
Dec 2025 → Jan 2026	0.2%	9.2%	5.6%	6.3%	20.7%	13.8%	53.1%
Nov 2025 → Dec 2025	2.5%	11.6%	3.5%	14.0%	17.3%	18.4%	31.7%
Oct 2025 → Nov 2025	6.3%	0.5%	7.9%	4.2%	2.9%	5.3%	0.7%
Sep 2025 → Oct 2025	2.3%	5.4%	2.0%	4.5%	2.2%	4.1%	0.7%
Aug 2025 → Sep 2025	3.8%	12.1%	2.6%	0.9%	8.5%	25.2%	35.5%
Jul 2025 → Aug 2025	4.6%	5.7%	2.6%	2.6%	10.1%	8.1%	13.1%
Jun 2025 → Jul 2025	1.5%	5.4%	3.2%	6.3%	5.6%	5.1%	1.3%
May 2025 → Jun 2025	6.8%	1.6%	4.2%	4.6%	108.7%	8.9%	2.6%
Apr 2025 → May 2025	1.2%	24.2%	3.5%	12.8%	136.5%	7.4%	5.9%
Mar 2025 → Apr 2025	3.3%	25.0%	8.7%	37.2%	56.9%	10.5%	0.4%
Feb 2025 → Mar 2025	1.2%	17.9%	11.4%	9.5%	235.6%	16.8%	21.0%
Jan 2025 → Feb 2025	7.5%	22.1%	5.3%	8.4%	73.8%	4.8%	20.5%
Average	2.5%	9.7%	0.3%	2.4%	51.2%	0.5%	9.5%

Traffic Share Comparison

All traffic sources displayed on the same percentage scale for direct comparison

Traffic share percentages on the same scale

Traffic Share Comparison - Without Google

Google is hidden by default. When shown, chart switches to dual-axis with Google on the right scale.

Focus on emerging AI & alternative search sources (Click Google in legend to show with dual-axis)

Traffic share within different regions

Shows how web traffic is distributed across different continents and regions

January 2026

South America

Google 25.75%

Bing 0.77%

ChatGPT 0.14%

DuckDuckGo 0.03%

Perplexity 0.01%

Gemini 0.01%

Claude 0.00%

Others 73.29%

Asia

Google 41.20%

Bing 0.99%

DuckDuckGo 0.22%

ChatGPT 0.20%

Perplexity 0.02%

Gemini 0.02%

Claude 0.00%

Others 57.35%

Africa

Google 42.90%

Bing 0.98%

ChatGPT 0.26%

DuckDuckGo 0.05%

Perplexity 0.01%

Gemini 0.01%

Claude 0.00%

Others 55.78%

Europe

Google 44.81%

Bing 1.56%

ChatGPT 0.30%

DuckDuckGo 0.27%

Perplexity 0.02%

Gemini 0.01%

Claude 0.00%

Others 53.02%

North America

Google 32.76%

Bing 2.20%

DuckDuckGo 0.55%

ChatGPT 0.22%

Perplexity 0.02%

Gemini 0.01%

Claude 0.00%

Others 64.23%

Oceania

Google 45.57%

Bing 1.89%

ChatGPT 0.32%

DuckDuckGo 0.30%

Perplexity 0.02%

Gemini 0.01%

Claude 0.00%

Others 51.88%

Traffic Share by Region

Stacked bar chart showing the distribution of each traffic source across geographic regions

Month-over-Month Regional Growth Trends

Displays month-over-month growth rates for each traffic source by geographic region

Traffic Share Across Different Industries

Breakdown of traffic sources across different industry sectors and verticals

January 2026

Food And Drink 66.9%

Google 65.7%

Bing 0.8%

DuckDuckGo 0.2%

ChatGPT 0.1%

Perplexity 0.0%

Others 33.1%

Reference 61.0%

Google 49.5%

Bing 7.8%

ChatGPT 1.8%

DuckDuckGo 1.4%

Gemini 0.3%

Perplexity 0.2%

Claude 0.0%

Others 39.0%

Online Communities 57.0%

Google 55.4%

Bing 1.4%

DuckDuckGo 0.1%

ChatGPT 0.0%

Others 43.0%

Travel And Transportation 56.4%

Google 55.1%

Bing 1.0%

ChatGPT 0.2%

DuckDuckGo 0.1%

Perplexity 0.0%

Gemini 0.0%

Others 43.7%

Law And Government 55.9%

Google 50.7%

Bing 4.2%

ChatGPT 0.4%

DuckDuckGo 0.4%

Perplexity 0.1%

Gemini 0.0%

Others 44.1%

Health 53.9%

Google 51.3%

Bing 2.0%

DuckDuckGo 0.4%

ChatGPT 0.3%

Perplexity 0.0%

Gemini 0.0%

Others 46.1%

Jobs And Education 50.2%

Google 47.0%

Bing 2.6%

ChatGPT 0.4%

DuckDuckGo 0.2%

Perplexity 0.0%

Gemini 0.0%

Others 49.8%

Arts And Entertainment 49.9%

Google 49.2%

Bing 0.6%

DuckDuckGo 0.2%

ChatGPT 0.0%

Others 50.1%

Books And Literature 49.7%

Google 47.9%

Bing 1.4%

ChatGPT 0.2%

DuckDuckGo 0.1%

Others 50.3%

Pets And Animals 48.8%

Google 46.4%

Bing 1.8%

DuckDuckGo 0.4%

ChatGPT 0.2%

Perplexity 0.0%

Gemini 0.0%

Others 51.2%

Adult 47.7%

Google 47.3%

Bing 0.2%

DuckDuckGo 0.1%

Others 52.3%

Internet And Telecom 47.3%

Google 45.5%

Bing 1.4%

ChatGPT 0.2%

DuckDuckGo 0.1%

Gemini 0.0%

Perplexity 0.0%

Claude 0.0%

Others 52.7%

Autos And Vehicles 46.8%

Google 45.0%

Bing 1.5%

DuckDuckGo 0.2%

ChatGPT 0.2%

Perplexity 0.0%

Others 53.2%

Computers And Electronics 46.4%

Google 39.8%

Bing 3.3%

DuckDuckGo 2.8%

ChatGPT 0.4%

Gemini 0.1%

Perplexity 0.0%

Claude 0.0%

Others 53.6%

News 44.8%

Google 43.8%

Bing 0.7%

DuckDuckGo 0.2%

ChatGPT 0.1%

Perplexity 0.0%

Others 55.2%

Real Estate 43.1%

Google 41.1%

Bing 1.7%

ChatGPT 0.2%

DuckDuckGo 0.1%

Perplexity 0.0%

Gemini 0.0%

Others 56.9%

Home And Garden 41.0%

Google 39.4%

Bing 1.2%

DuckDuckGo 0.2%

ChatGPT 0.2%

Perplexity 0.0%

Gemini 0.0%

Others 59.0%

Sports 38.8%

Google 38.0%

Bing 0.7%

DuckDuckGo 0.1%

ChatGPT 0.1%

Perplexity 0.0%

Others 61.2%

People And Society 38.7%

Google 37.2%

Bing 1.1%

DuckDuckGo 0.3%

ChatGPT 0.1%

Perplexity 0.0%

Others 61.3%

Business And Industrial 35.8%

Google 32.4%

Bing 2.6%

ChatGPT 0.5%

DuckDuckGo 0.1%

Perplexity 0.1%

Gemini 0.1%

Claude 0.0%

Others 64.2%

Hobbies And Leisure 35.0%

Google 30.8%

Bing 3.6%

DuckDuckGo 0.4%

ChatGPT 0.1%

Perplexity 0.0%

Gemini 0.0%

Others 65.0%

Finance 34.1%

Google 32.1%

Bing 1.7%

DuckDuckGo 0.1%

ChatGPT 0.1%

Perplexity 0.0%

Gemini 0.0%

Others 65.9%

Games 29.7%

Google 27.4%

Bing 2.1%

DuckDuckGo 0.2%

ChatGPT 0.1%

Others 70.3%

Shopping 29.3%

Google 28.3%

Bing 0.8%

ChatGPT 0.1%

DuckDuckGo 0.1%

Perplexity 0.0%

Others 70.7%

Science 21.3%

Google 19.8%

Bing 1.2%

ChatGPT 0.2%

DuckDuckGo 0.1%

Perplexity 0.0%

Gemini 0.0%

Others 78.7%

Beauty And Fitness 13.6%

Google 13.4%

Bing 0.1%

ChatGPT 0.1%

DuckDuckGo 0.0%

Others 86.4%

Food And Drink

Google 65.7%

Bing 0.8%

DuckDuckGo 0.2%

ChatGPT 0.1%

Perplexity 0.0%

Claude 0%

Gemini 0%

Others 33.1%

Reference

Google 49.5%

Bing 7.8%

ChatGPT 1.8%

DuckDuckGo 1.4%

Gemini 0.3%

Perplexity 0.2%

Claude 0.0%

Others 39.0%

Online Communities

Google 55.4%

Bing 1.4%

DuckDuckGo 0.1%

ChatGPT 0.0%

Claude 0%

Perplexity 0%

Gemini 0%

Others 43.0%

Travel And Transportation

Google 55.1%

Bing 1.0%

ChatGPT 0.2%

DuckDuckGo 0.1%

Perplexity 0.0%

Gemini 0.0%

Claude 0%

Others 43.7%

Law And Government

Google 50.7%

Bing 4.2%

ChatGPT 0.4%

DuckDuckGo 0.4%

Perplexity 0.1%

Gemini 0.0%

Claude 0%

Others 44.1%

Health

Google 51.3%

Bing 2.0%

DuckDuckGo 0.4%

ChatGPT 0.3%

Perplexity 0.0%

Gemini 0.0%

Claude 0%

Others 46.1%

Jobs And Education

Google 47.0%

Bing 2.6%

ChatGPT 0.4%

DuckDuckGo 0.2%

Perplexity 0.0%

Gemini 0.0%

Claude 0%

Others 49.8%

Arts And Entertainment

Google 49.2%

Bing 0.6%

DuckDuckGo 0.2%

ChatGPT 0.0%

Claude 0%

Perplexity 0%

Gemini 0%

Others 50.1%

Books And Literature

Google 47.9%

Bing 1.4%

ChatGPT 0.2%

DuckDuckGo 0.1%

Claude 0%

Perplexity 0%

Gemini 0%

Others 50.3%

Pets And Animals

Google 46.4%

Bing 1.8%

DuckDuckGo 0.4%

ChatGPT 0.2%

Perplexity 0.0%

Gemini 0.0%

Claude 0%

Others 51.2%

Adult

Google 47.3%

Bing 0.2%

DuckDuckGo 0.1%

ChatGPT 0%

Claude 0%

Perplexity 0%

Gemini 0%

Others 52.3%

Internet And Telecom

Google 45.5%

Bing 1.4%

ChatGPT 0.2%

DuckDuckGo 0.1%

Gemini 0.0%

Perplexity 0.0%

Claude 0.0%

Others 52.7%

Autos And Vehicles

Google 45.0%

Bing 1.5%

DuckDuckGo 0.2%

ChatGPT 0.2%

Perplexity 0.0%

Claude 0%

Gemini 0%

Others 53.2%

Computers And Electronics

Google 39.8%

Bing 3.3%

DuckDuckGo 2.8%

ChatGPT 0.4%

Gemini 0.1%

Perplexity 0.0%

Claude 0.0%

Others 53.6%

News

Google 43.8%

Bing 0.7%

DuckDuckGo 0.2%

ChatGPT 0.1%

Perplexity 0.0%

Claude 0%

Gemini 0%

Others 55.2%

Real Estate

Google 41.1%

Bing 1.7%

ChatGPT 0.2%

DuckDuckGo 0.1%

Perplexity 0.0%

Gemini 0.0%

Claude 0%

Others 56.9%

Home And Garden

Google 39.4%

Bing 1.2%

DuckDuckGo 0.2%

ChatGPT 0.2%

Perplexity 0.0%

Gemini 0.0%

Claude 0%

Others 59.0%

Sports

Google 38.0%

Bing 0.7%

DuckDuckGo 0.1%

ChatGPT 0.1%

Perplexity 0.0%

Claude 0%

Gemini 0%

Others 61.2%

People And Society

Google 37.2%

Bing 1.1%

DuckDuckGo 0.3%

ChatGPT 0.1%

Perplexity 0.0%

Claude 0%

Gemini 0%

Others 61.3%

Business And Industrial

Google 32.4%

Bing 2.6%

ChatGPT 0.5%

DuckDuckGo 0.1%

Perplexity 0.1%

Gemini 0.1%

Claude 0.0%

Others 64.2%

Hobbies And Leisure

Google 30.8%

Bing 3.6%

DuckDuckGo 0.4%

ChatGPT 0.1%

Perplexity 0.0%

Gemini 0.0%

Claude 0%

Others 65.0%

Finance

Google 32.1%

Bing 1.7%

DuckDuckGo 0.1%

ChatGPT 0.1%

Perplexity 0.0%

Gemini 0.0%

Claude 0%

Others 65.9%

Games

Google 27.4%

Bing 2.1%

DuckDuckGo 0.2%

ChatGPT 0.1%

Claude 0%

Perplexity 0%

Gemini 0%

Others 70.3%

Shopping

Google 28.3%

Bing 0.8%

ChatGPT 0.1%

DuckDuckGo 0.1%

Perplexity 0.0%

Claude 0%

Gemini 0%

Others 70.7%

Science

Google 19.8%

Bing 1.2%

ChatGPT 0.2%

DuckDuckGo 0.1%

Perplexity 0.0%

Gemini 0.0%

Claude 0%

Others 78.7%

Beauty And Fitness

Google 13.4%

Bing 0.1%

ChatGPT 0.1%

DuckDuckGo 0.0%

Claude 0%

Perplexity 0%

Gemini 0%

Others 86.4%

Key Insights from the Data

Important observations and trends extracted from the traffic data analysis

•

January shows AI resurgence: Gemini explodes, ChatGPT rebounds

January marks a turnaround: AI platforms surge back with Gemini leading at 53.1% growth. ChatGPT rebounds (9.2%), Claude grows (20.7%), while only Perplexity (-13.8%) continues to decline.

•

Content-rich industries dominate referral traffic

Food And Drink, Reference, Online Communities lead traffic generation, representing prime opportunities for content optimization and SEO investment.

•

Traditional search engines hold steady amid AI surge

January shows Google stable (0.2%), while Bing (5.6%) and DuckDuckGo (6.3%) post modest gains. Traditional search maintains its dominant position even as AI platforms grow rapidly.

•

AI search holds 0.23% combined traffic share

ChatGPT leads AI-powered search with 0.23% share, followed by Gemini at 0.00%. January's AI resurgence shows the sector rebounding strongly after December's dip.

•

Google maintains 38.9% traffic share

Google remains stable (0.2%) in January while AI platforms surge around it. This resilience demonstrates Google's enduring market dominance even as AI-powered alternatives gain momentum.

•

Gemini dominates January with 53.1% growth

Gemini's explosive 53.1% growth far outpaces other AI platforms. ChatGPT rebounds with 9.2% growth, while Perplexity continues its decline at -13.8%. Google's AI offering is rapidly gaining market traction.

Strategic Marketing Implications:

January 2026 shows AI platforms surging back while Google holds steady. Key strategic priorities for marketers:

• Prioritize Gemini Optimization: Gemini's 53.1% explosive growth demands attention. Ensure your content is optimized for Google's AI features and Gemini-powered search
• ChatGPT Recovery Continues: ChatGPT's 9.2% rebound confirms its position as the leading AI search platform at 0.23% share. Double down on conversational content optimization
• Google Remains Foundation: Despite AI growth, Google maintains 38.9% share. Traditional SEO fundamentals remain essential for sustainable traffic
• Multi-Platform AI Strategy: The 0 websites analyzed show diversification matters. Optimize for ChatGPT, Gemini, and Claude simultaneously

January 2026 confirms AI search is accelerating. Gemini's breakout growth and ChatGPT's recovery signal that AI optimization is no longer optional—it's essential for forward-thinking marketers.

Last updated: Feb 2, 2026 1:45 PM •

Update frequency: Monthly

All Traffic Sources Comparison Comprehensive comparison of all traffic sources showing traffic share and growth trends

Traditional Search Engines

AI Assistants

Traffic Channels

Traffic by Category Aggregated view of traffic sources grouped into major categories: Traditional Search, AI Search, and channel types

Month-over-Month Growth Comparison % change in visitors sent by each source: (This month − Last month) / Last month

Month-over-Month Growth Details % change in visitors sent by each source: (This month − Last month) / Last month

Traffic Share Comparison All traffic sources displayed on the same percentage scale for direct comparison

Traffic Share Comparison - Without Google Google is hidden by default. When shown, chart switches to dual-axis with Google on the right scale.

Traffic share within different regions Shows how web traffic is distributed across different continents and regions

South America

Asia

Africa

Europe

North America

Oceania

Traffic Share by Region Stacked bar chart showing the distribution of each traffic source across geographic regions

Month-over-Month Regional Growth Trends Displays month-over-month growth rates for each traffic source by geographic region

Traffic Share Across Different Industries Breakdown of traffic sources across different industry sectors and verticals

Food And Drink

Reference

Online Communities

Travel And Transportation

Law And Government

Health

Jobs And Education

Arts And Entertainment

Books And Literature

Pets And Animals

Adult

Internet And Telecom

Autos And Vehicles

Computers And Electronics

News

Real Estate

Home And Garden

Sports

People And Society

Business And Industrial

Hobbies And Leisure

Finance

Games

Shopping

Science

Beauty And Fitness

Key Insights from the Data Important observations and trends extracted from the traffic data analysis

All Traffic Sources Comparison

Comprehensive comparison of all traffic sources showing traffic share and growth trends

Traffic by Category

Aggregated view of traffic sources grouped into major categories: Traditional Search, AI Search, and channel types

Month-over-Month Growth Comparison

% change in visitors sent by each source: (This month − Last month) / Last month

Month-over-Month Growth Details

% change in visitors sent by each source: (This month − Last month) / Last month

Traffic Share Comparison

All traffic sources displayed on the same percentage scale for direct comparison

Traffic Share Comparison - Without Google

Google is hidden by default. When shown, chart switches to dual-axis with Google on the right scale.

Traffic share within different regions

Shows how web traffic is distributed across different continents and regions

Traffic Share by Region

Stacked bar chart showing the distribution of each traffic source across geographic regions

Month-over-Month Regional Growth Trends

Displays month-over-month growth rates for each traffic source by geographic region

Traffic Share Across Different Industries

Breakdown of traffic sources across different industry sectors and verticals

Key Insights from the Data

Important observations and trends extracted from the traffic data analysis