ChatGPT Handles 66 Million Search-Like Prompts Daily – But Google Still Dominates

ChatGPT may be gaining traction as an alternative way to find information, but it still has a long way to go before it rivals Google Search.

According to new analysis shared by Rand Fishkin, CEO and co-founder of SparkToro, ChatGPT processes about 66 million “search-like” prompts per day, compared to Google’s 14 billion daily searches. That means Google is roughly 210 times larger than ChatGPT when it comes to search activity.

By the numbers

• OpenAI CEO Sam Altman revealed ChatGPT was handling 1 billion prompts per day in December 2023, which grew to 2.5 billion per day by July 2024.
• A Harvard/OpenAI study found that 21.3% of those prompts are “search-like”—equating to around 66 million per day.
• Google, by comparison, processed 5 trillion searches in 2024, or about 14 billion per day.
• Even DuckDuckGo drives more referral traffic than ChatGPT, per Fishkin’s estimates.

The bigger picture

While AI tools like ChatGPT are increasingly being used for quick answers and research, the data suggests they are still a tiny fraction of the search market. BrightEdge data shows AI search currently drives less than 1% of referrals across the web.

Fishkin noted that earlier this year, Google Search was estimated to be 373 times larger than ChatGPT. Interestingly, research from SparkToro and Datos found that when people adopt AI tools, their Google searches often increase as well, suggesting AI may complement search rather than replace it.

Why it matters

The takeaway for businesses and marketers: SEO is far from dead. Despite growing excitement around AI-powered discovery, Google still overwhelmingly dominates how people find information online.

ChatGPT may emerge as influential in niche areas—possibly rivaling DuckDuckGo in certain contexts—but for now, the hype around AI search should be balanced with where audiences actually spend their time: still on Google.