Despite the AI boom: Google records significant growth in search queries – ChatGPT share approximately 0.27 percent – Image: Xpert.Digital
Surprise: Google Search is growing despite AI competition
Google search: AI tools as a complement, not a competitor?
Contrary to the widespread assumption that AI-based search tools like ChatGPT or Perplexity could take market share from search engine giant Google, recent studies show a clear opposite trend: The number of Google search queries has increased significantly in the past year. The data refute the theory that traditional search engines are being displaced by AI tools and instead reveal a changing search landscape in which both approaches coexist and complement each other.
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The astonishing growth of Google
Recent figures demonstrate impressive growth at Google. According to a comprehensive study by Sparktoro, the number of Google search queries increased by a remarkable 21.64 percent between 2023 and 2024. Rand Fishkin, founder of Sparktoro, described this increase as "remarkable for an already mature product." Traditional web searches were a major contributor to this growth, while shopping and video searches experienced slight declines.
Google recently announced in a blog post that its search engine answers more than 5 trillion search queries per year, which equates to approximately 13.7 billion search queries per day. These figures underscore Google's continued dominant position in the search engine market.
Usage behavior in Google searches
A detailed analysis of user behavior reveals interesting patterns. A study by Sparktoro and Datos on the US market found that Google users can be divided into three roughly equal groups:
- 34 percent of users perform more than 100 searches per month
- 36 percent search between 21 and 100 times per month
- 30 percent only make 1 to 20 search queries per month
The average number of monthly search queries is 126 per user, with a median of 53 queries. This discrepancy is explained by a group of particularly active users who skew the average upwards.
AI search tools compared to Google
While ChatGPT and other AI-powered search tools have received a lot of attention in recent years, they remain far behind Google in terms of user numbers.
Use of AI search tools
Despite the hype surrounding AI-based search alternatives, only a relatively small percentage of internet users utilize these tools as their primary source of information. A Semrush study reveals that only one in ten internet users employs an AI tool as the first step in an online search. Further research by Sonata Insights found that in May 2024, only 16.45 percent of traditional search engine users also utilized an AI platform.
ChatGPT is clearly in the lead when it comes to the use of AI search tools, with a user share of over 20 percent. Other services such as Google Gemini, Microsoft Copilot, Claude, and Perplexity all have a market share of less than 5 percent.
The impressive magnitude of the difference
The magnitude of the difference between Google and AI search engines is remarkable. While Google processes approximately 13.7 billion search queries daily, ChatGPT handles around 37.5 million search queries per day – that's only about 0.27 percent of Google's queries.
To illustrate this difference: According to data from Sparktoro, Google received approximately 373 times as many search queries as ChatGPT in 2024. Even the successful AI provider Perplexity, which experienced impressive growth and increased its user base 3.4 times last year, still had almost 2,400 times fewer search queries than Google in May 2024.
The coexistence of traditional search and AI
The figures suggest that AI tools are not replacing traditional search engines, but rather complementing them. Most users regularly rely on Google, even when they also use AI tools.
Changed search queries
However, the way users search is changing. Search queries are becoming increasingly conversational – users formulate their questions more naturally instead of just entering keywords. This is a trend driven by interaction with AI assistants like ChatGPT.
Google itself integrates AI
Google is responding to changing user expectations by integrating AI functions directly into its search results. With features like AI Overviews and AI Mode, Google aims to provide users with direct answers without requiring them to visit multiple websites.
A study by Authoritas found that AI-generated results were preferred over traditional organic search results in 86.8 percent of all analyzed search queries. This demonstrates that AI-based answers already play a significant role in Google search.
Challenges in AI integration
However, integrating AI into search results is not without its problems. According to a study by SE Ranking, Google temporarily scaled back its AI-generated search results after encountering issues with questionable and misleading answers. One well-known example was an AI-generated result suggesting using glue as a pizza ingredient to prevent the cheese from sliding off.
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Impact on websites and SEO
The increase in Google search queries does not necessarily translate into more traffic for websites. A significant trend is the rise of "zero-click searches," where users obtain their information directly from the search results without clicking on external websites.
Changes in user behavior
The Semrush study shows that AI-generated snippets and direct answers in Google search reduce the need to click on websites. Research by Seer Interactive found that organic search results suffered a 70 percent drop in click-through rate due to AI answers, while paid ads saw a 12 percent decrease.
Adapt SEO strategies
For website operators and SEO experts, this means they need to adapt their strategies. A study showed that websites not mentioned in AI Overviews can be disadvantaged in search results. Optimizing for AI-generated answers is therefore becoming increasingly important.
Outlook on the future of search
The future of online search will likely be shaped by a combination of traditional search methods and AI-powered approaches. Google CEO Sundar Pichai has stated that “search will fundamentally change in 2025.”.
Continuous change instead of revolution
The evolution of Google Search appears to be a gradual process rather than a sudden revolution. Google is gradually adding new AI-generated features, such as AI-determined restaurant results, local event compilations, and AI-generated summaries.
Regional differences
Regional differences in development are also emerging. Many of Google's new AI features are not yet available in Europe, suggesting that Google Search in Europe may look different in the future than in other parts of the world, particularly in the US.
Google remains unchallenged: AI as a complement, not a replacement
Current data clearly refute the claim that AI tools like ChatGPT could replace Google as the dominant search engine. Instead, there is significant growth in Google search queries, while AI tools are used more as a complement than a replacement.
The future of search likely lies in a hybrid landscape where traditional search engines integrate AI capabilities, while specialized AI tools are used for specific types of queries. For website owners and marketers, this means they need to optimize for both traditional search engines and AI-driven responses to maximize their visibility.
Sparktoro's study shows that we are only at the beginning of this development. With growth of over 20 percent in one year, Google is by no means on the decline, but is successfully adapting to the new AI era and remains the central source of online information.
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