Ahrefs: ChatGPT vs Google

Ahrefs has introduced a new monthly dashboard that allows users to compare referral traffic from Google and ChatGPT. The tool is designed to give a clearer picture of how AI-driven search is developing as a source of measurable traffic.

For now, Google continues to dominate as the main source of referrals, while ChatGPT’s share is noticeably smaller. However, the data shows that ChatGPT is beginning to contribute measurable traffic, giving marketers an early way to observe its growing role.

It’s important to note that the figures are based on referrer data and are limited to websites connected to Ahrefs’ Web Analytics platform. This means the tracker provides a focused, rather than universal, view of traffic patterns.

The dashboard is updated monthly, allowing users to follow changes over time and see whether AI-driven traffic gains momentum in the future.

Ahrefs has rolled out a public dashboard that monitors and compares the amount of referral traffic websites get from Google Search and ChatGPT. The data is refreshed each month to show ongoing trends.

The initial release includes three full months of information, drawn from a sample of 44,421 websites linked to Ahrefs’ free Web Analytics platform. This provides an early snapshot of how traffic from traditional search engines compares with emerging AI-driven sources.

The Early Numbers

How The Data Is Collected

To make sure the results remain consistent over time, the tracker only includes websites that are present in every monthly dataset. According to the explanation on the page, this approach helps maintain statistically reliable growth figures.

The dashboard also shows the date of the most recent update and makes clear that new data will continue to be published each month.

Important Caveats

The dashboard tracks visits that come through with a visible referrer. However, some AI tools and in-app browsers use noreferrer or remove referral details altogether, which means traffic from AI sources may not always be fully captured.

Ahrefs has highlighted this limitation in previous analysis of AI assistants and Google’s AI search mode, so it’s important to remember this when weighing AI-driven traffic against traditional search.

It’s also worth noting that the data only covers websites using Ahrefs’ Web Analytics tool. In earlier studies across broader samples, Ahrefs estimated that AI referrals made up about 0.17% of average site traffic — very close to the 0.19% figure recorded here.

Looking Ahead

Google continues to account for the vast majority of visits in the dataset, which makes it clear where most attention should still be focused. However, the increase in traffic from ChatGPT during July points to a new and measurable channel that is worth monitoring.

The tracker allows you to observe how both sources of traffic change over time, giving you the chance to adapt your experiments and strategies as the trends develop.