The online search landscape is evolving rapidly, and a fascinating new study has just dropped, shedding light on the tug-of-war between traditional search engines and AI-powered chatbots. As of May 2025, the competition is heating up, but the results might surprise you. Let’s break down the key findings from this recent research by OneLittleWeb, explore what they mean for the future, and see how giants like Google are holding up against AI contenders like ChatGPT and Perplexity.
Table of Contents
- A Deep Dive Into the Study: Search Engines Still Reign Supreme
- AI Chatbots Are Growing Fast, But There’s a Catch
- The Ripple Effects: From Apple’s Testimony to Google’s Antitrust Woes
- What Does This Mean for SEO and Content Creators?
- The Bigger Picture: Can AI Chatbots Challenge Google’s Dominance?
- Looking Ahead: What’s Next for AI and Search in 2025?
A Deep Dive Into the Study: Search Engines Still Reign Supreme
The research, conducted over two years from April 2023 to March 2025, analyzed global web traffic to the top 10 search engines and top 10 AI chatbots, pulling data from Semrush and aitools.xyz. The headline? Despite the buzz around AI, traditional search engines like Google and Microsoft Bing still dominate, capturing a staggering 1.86 trillion visits between April 2024 and March 2025. Meanwhile, AI chatbots, including heavyweights like ChatGPT, DeepSeek, and Perplexity, managed 55.2 billion visits in the same period—equating to just 2.96% of search engine traffic.
To put that into perspective, by March 2025, search engines were seeing an average of 5.5 billion daily visits, while AI chatbots trailed far behind at 233.1 million daily visits. That’s a 24-fold difference in user engagement, showing that while AI is making waves, traditional search still holds the crown—for now.
AI Chatbots Are Growing Fast, But There’s a Catch
AI chatbots are undeniably on the rise, boasting an impressive 80.92% year-over-year traffic growth, compared to a slight 0.51% decline for search engines in the same period. ChatGPT leads the pack, commanding an 86.32% share of the AI chatbot market, with up-and-comers like DeepSeek and xAI’s Grok showing rapid growth. However, even with ChatGPT’s dominance, it still sees 26 times fewer daily visits than Google, highlighting the massive scale traditional search engines operate on.
Google remains the undisputed king of search with an 87.57% market share, followed by Microsoft Bing and Yandex. But the study hints at a shifting tide: search engines are starting to integrate AI features like Google’s AI Overviews and Bing’s Search Generative Experience, which have sparked renewed user interest and even boosted traffic in early 2025.
Fun Fact: ChatGPT’s 86.32% market share in the AI chatbot space shows its dominance, but it still has a long way to go to catch up with Google’s daily traffic!
The Ripple Effects: From Apple’s Testimony to Google’s Antitrust Woes
This study comes at a pivotal moment. Just last week, Apple’s Senior Vice President of Services, Eddy Cue, testified in the ongoing Google antitrust remedies case, revealing that search volume on Safari had dropped for the first time in 22 years. Cue attributed this decline to the rise of LLM-based search tools, a statement that sent shockwaves through the tech world. Investors reacted swiftly, with Google parent Alphabet’s shares plummeting 7.5% following the testimony.
Google, however, was quick to respond, emphasizing its continued query growth across platforms, including Apple devices. They highlighted how new features like Google Lens and voice search are expanding the ways users interact with their platform, keeping them ahead of the curve.
The antitrust case itself adds another layer of complexity. Last year, a US district court ruled that Google had maintained an illegal monopoly in online search through exclusive deals with browser developers and smartphone makers. Now, the US Department of Justice is pushing for remedies, including barring Google from such agreements, forcing a spin-off of Chrome, and mandating data sharing with competitors. Google has countered by offering more flexibility to browser developers like Apple for default search agreements, but the outcome remains uncertain.
What Does This Mean for SEO and Content Creators?
The rise of AI search tools poses an existential question for SEO professionals, marketers, and content creators. As OneLittleWeb notes, a significant decline in traditional search engine usage could lead to fewer clicks, fewer readers, and a reduced appetite for SEO investments. Another study by TollBit revealed a grim reality: news sites and blogs get 96% less referral traffic from AI search engines compared to traditional Google Search, a stark reminder of the challenges ahead.
For now, Google’s integration of AI features seems to be a lifeline, helping it maintain user engagement. But as AI chatbots continue to grow, the balance could shift, forcing businesses to rethink their digital strategies.
The Bigger Picture: Can AI Chatbots Challenge Google’s Dominance?
The study also touches on an intriguing question: Does the rise of AI search tools like Perplexity and ChatGPT reduce the antitrust pressure on Google? Not quite. Despite their growth, AI chatbots still lag far behind in daily visits, and Google’s market dominance remains intact. However, the rapid adoption of AI tools suggests a future where conversational search could play a bigger role, potentially reshaping how we access information online.
Looking Ahead: What’s Next for AI and Search in 2025?
As we move deeper into 2025, the battle between AI chatbots and traditional search engines is far from over. While Google and Bing are leveraging AI to stay relevant, chatbots are carving out a niche with their conversational, answer-focused approach. For users, this means more options to find information in ways that suit their needs. For businesses, it’s a call to adapt—balancing traditional SEO with strategies that account for the rise of AI-driven search.
What do you think the future holds for online search? Are you sticking with Google, or are you exploring AI tools like ChatGPT and Perplexity? Drop your thoughts in the comments below, and stay tuned for more updates on the ever-evolving world of AI and tech!
