ChatGPT FAILS to Kill Google. Instead, It fuels an EXPLOSION of Search?
A new Semrush study (published August 11, 2025) reveals that ChatGPT is not replacing Google Search; in fact, it’s expanding search behavior.
Researchers tracked anonymized U.S. desktop users who began using ChatGPT in early 2025 and compared their Google Search activity 90 days before and after adoption.
Contrary to the “substitution” theory, Google usage remained stable or even ticked upward slightly, supporting the “expansion” hypothesis.
Key insights include:
No drop in Google searches after users start using ChatGPT. For cohorts beginning ChatGPT in various months, daily Google sessions stayed consistent.
This pattern held true even for long-term ChatGPT users and for users who never used ChatGPT.
Digital behaviors are becoming multi-modal—users are now shifting fluidly between ChatGPT and Google depending on their intent or context.
For marketers, this means SEO and AI-optimized content (GEO) should both be parts of integrated strategies.
Strategic advice for CMOs:
– Continue investing in SEO.
– Add AI SEO to content strategies.
– Monitor your channel mix, benchmark ChatGPT adoption in your industry regularly.
Source: https://lnkd.in/erP5xfUB
