From April 2024 to March 2025, AI traffic generators, like LLM chatbots, generated just 2.96% of total search engine traffic, revealing how traditional search engines’ perpetual dominance in the face of conversational AI tools’ progression, according to a study by OneLittleWeb.
During that period, chatbot visits surged 80% year-over-year (YoY), yet still attracting 26 times fewer daily visitors than Google, with search engine traffic dipping only 0.51% to 1.86 trillion visits.
“ChatGPT gets around 26 times fewer daily visits than Google,” said OneLittleWeb founder Sujan Sarkar, highlighting that search engines remain the main way people discover information even as AI keeps climbing.
In May 2023, Google launched its AI-powered Search Generative Experiences (SGE) for AI generated content and SEO, then rebranded it as AI Overviews in May 2024. In parallel, Microsoft’s Bing introduced AI-powered search with ChatGPT integration in February 2023, then later rebranding it as Copilot across Bing, Edge, and Windows, influencing generative AI for SEO.
Different Tools, Different Uses
Experts suggest that search and generative AI best practices for SEO serve various functions. “Search is navigational and general. Chatbots are conversational and task-oriented,” said analyst Mark Vena of SmartTech Research. He added, “Search engines aren’t disappearing; they’re adapting by embedding AI to improve response quality and personalization.”
OneLittleWeb’s, “AI Chatbots vs Search Engines: 24-Month Study on Traffic Trends” study found that AI SEO traffic system benefits from decades of user trust, browser integration, and ad-based funding that fuels ongoing innovation. At the same time, tools like ChatGPT and DeepSeek are gaining ground among users seeking quick answers or conversational interaction.
“In the latest year, DeepSeek averaged around 144,9 million visits per month, a sharp rise from 0.2K in May 2023, reflecting its rapid adoption and the expanding user base,” the study revealed.
“By March 2025, DeepSeek achieved 1.6 million visits per day, highlighting its increasing presence and user engagement,” it added.
Others are even exploring companionship and therapy, offering emotional support as well as functional assistance. “Users are increasingly turning to chatbots for more personal experiences,” policy analyst Alex Ambrose said. She continued that AI companions are becoming an integral part of users’ emotional routines, offering comfort and companionship.
Future for AI Traffic Generators
The use of chatbots is predicted to grow. DeepSeek, for instance, saw the AI traffic system surge from 1.5 million to 1.7 billion visits over two years with an increase of 113,000%. Grok, integrated into X, also increased significantly.
According to the One Little Web, Musk’s Grok saw a dramatic push in traffic during the same period, hitting a whopping 216.5 million visits, epitomizing its successful integration into the micro-blogging social platform, with a staggering 353.8% YoY increase from just 61,200 visits the previous year.
“In March, Grok achieved 5.3 million daily visits, surpassing established platforms like Gemini, Claude, and Microsoft Copilot,” the study highlighted.
Industry experts believe the next big thing will be hybrid experiences, blending search and chat. “It’s not a matter of either-or,” said market analyst Greg Sterling, “People are using both, depending on their needs.”
With ever more intelligent AI traffic generators and available AI content for SEO tools, the lines between chatbots and search engines are blurring. In the meantime, search engines are still in the lead.
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