New research shows ChatGPT has become the leading destination for paid clicks from Google Search among the web’s most popular sites.
The findings come from digital marketing firm iPullRank, which analysed 13.1 billion Google search events from 9.1 million users between October 2024 and December 2025. The study examined how people use Google and where they go after searching.
ChatGPT ranked sixth overall for clicks from Google Search, behind YouTube, Google-owned properties, Reddit, Facebook and Wikipedia. But among these leading destinations, it received the highest share of paid clicks.
Researchers said this suggests OpenAI is attracting visitors through more than organic search and direct traffic. Advertising appears to be a significant driver from Google Search to ChatGPT, with millions of searches for ChatGPT recorded each week during the study.
The findings challenge the view that AI (artificial intelligence) tools and search engines operate in separate markets. Instead, they suggest users often move between both platforms within the same online journey.
The report also found ChatGPT is less affected by Google’s rise in “zero-click” search experiences, where users get answers directly on the results page without visiting another site. Only 11.1% of searches that could have led to ChatGPT were intercepted by zero-click results, one of the lowest rates among the major destinations studied.
Researchers believe this is because many ChatGPT searches are navigational: users are not just seeking information, but trying to reach the ChatGPT platform itself. This is something Google can’t fully replace with an answer on its own search page.
The study also offered positive news for advertisers. Although Google’s overall zero-click rate rose during the 15-month period and organic clicks declined, paid clicks stayed largely stable.
Paid clicks were more common when users searched for specific brand names. 4.4% of branded searches that produced a click went to a paid result, compared with 3.3% of non-branded searches. The report said this reflects companies’ efforts to protect visibility when users search directly for their brands.
The trend may be particularly relevant for ChatGPT. People searching Google for “ChatGPT” are valuable because they have already chosen the service they want. The study notes that paid ads could help secure those visits, though it does not disclose which search terms OpenAI bids on or how much it spends on advertising.
The research also questions assumptions about how people discover websites. Only about 14% of Google clicks went to a site named in the user’s search query. The remaining 86% were discovery clicks, meaning users were sent to websites they had not specifically searched for.
Researchers say this shows Google remains a key discovery tool, even as AI services grow in popularity. Rather than replacing search engines, AI platforms such as ChatGPT may be becoming part of a broader digital ecosystem where users move between tools and services.
The report concludes that ChatGPT’s growing role as both a Google competitor and a major recipient of Google advertising traffic shows how closely search and AI are now connected. Rather than a simple battle between the two, online discovery may increasingly involve users starting on Google before being directed to AI services such as ChatGPT through search advertising.
At Engage Web, we remain committed to helping your business see the best results in both Google and ChatGPT results. Speak to our team now to discover how we can help you thrive online.
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