Answers · AI search · As of 6 October 2026
Does AI search bring visitors to my website?
Short answerSo far fewer than classic search, but more valuable. For a visitor from AI search, Semrush measures 4.4 times the value of a visitor from classic search2. At the same time, AI summaries on Google reduce clicks1.
What AI summaries on Google achieve
The Pew Research Center analysed user behaviour. When an AI summary appeared, they clicked on a classic result in 8% of searches. Without a summary, it was 15%1.
Abandonment is also increasing: 26% of visits ended after the results page with a summary, without one 16%1.
What a visitor from AI search is worth
Semrush compares conversion rates. A visitor who comes via a service such as ChatGPT is, according to this, worth 4.4 times as much as a visitor from classic search2.
Semrush also estimates that AI search could bring more visitors than classic search for marketing-related topics in early 2028. This is a projection, not a measurement2.
Which services send visitors
In a study by Ahrefs, 98% of visits from AI services came from three providers: ChatGPT with 50%, Perplexity with 30.7% and Gemini with 17.6%3.
Why small websites have an opportunity
The pages that ChatGPT cites in its search rank at position 21 or worse on Google for related queries in almost 90% of cases2.
A top position on Google is therefore not a prerequisite. The page must be retrievable and answer the question clearly.
Sources
- Pew Research Center, 22 July 2025: pewresearch.org
- Semrush: AI search and SEO traffic study: semrush.com
- Analyze AI, with reference to the study by Ahrefs: tryanalyze.ai
Every figure on this page comes from the source named next to it and was read on the date shown above. Figures from studies describe the sample examined; they are no promise for an individual case.