Buyers still start most searches on Google. But the share of buyer-intent queries that begin (or end) inside ChatGPT, Perplexity, Claude, and Gemini is climbing every quarter. The right strategic posture is to win both — not to bet exclusively on one.
What the data shows
Industry trackers put Google's share of total search volume at 85–90% in 2026, down from 92%+ in 2023. ChatGPT, Perplexity, Claude, and Gemini together handle the rest — but their share of high-intent commercial and research queries skews much higher than the average.
Where AI assistants are eating Google share
Three query categories. Comparative ('best CRM for a small agency'), procedural ('how do I set up GoHighLevel SMS'), and definitional ('what is answer engine optimisation'). On these, AI assistants are often the user's first stop and Google is the fallback.
- Comparative buyer queries.
- Procedural how-to queries.
- Definitional 'what is X' queries.
- Multi-step research that benefits from chat.
What this means for your strategy
Stop choosing. Engineer every key page to win on both surfaces — clear H2s, direct answers, schema, FAQ blocks. The technical work overlaps almost entirely. Track both as separate scorecards.
Frequently asked questions
Will ChatGPT overtake Google?
Not in the next 2–3 years on total volume. On specific query types (comparative, procedural, definitional), it already has.
Should I stop investing in Google SEO?
No. Google still drives the majority of measurable traffic. Build for both.
Where should I focus first?
Where your buyers actually research. For B2B service buyers, that's increasingly ChatGPT and Perplexity for the research phase, Google for the validation phase.