AI Chatbots vs Search Engines: Who is Winning the Traffic War?

With the explosive rise of ChatGPT and AI chatbots, a looming question continues to divide the SEO and marketing communities:

Are chatbots replacing traditional search engines?

This data-driven infographic cuts through the noise and speculation — using hard traffic numbers to reveal how user behavior is shifting in real time.

The Study & Methodology

This infographic is part of a 24-month research study conducted by OneLittleWeb, analyzing global web traffic (Apr 2023 – Mar 2025) across the top 10 search engines and top 10 AI chatbots, using SEMrush and Aitools.xyz web traffic data.

The goal?

To quantify the shift in user search behavior — and clarify whether chatbots are taking over or simply coexisting.

What the Data Shows

Chatbots grew 80.92% YoY, but still trail far behind
ChatGPT gets 26X fewer daily visits than Google
AI chatbots combined account for only 2.96% of search engine traffic
Search engine traffic fell just 0.51% YoY, showing resilience
Google and Bing are fighting back with AI integrations like SGE and Overviews

Why This Matters

For SEO professionals, marketers, and tech leaders, this study offers clarity in the chaos.

It's a must-read snapshot of how user behavior is evolving — and what it means for the future of organic search.

What Else You’ll Find in the Full Study

Month-over-month trends across 2 years
Daily and monthly visit comparisons
Platform-level analysis for Google, ChatGPT, DeepSeek, Perplexity, and more
Emerging patterns in AI adoption by traditional search engines