Published on: March 17, 2025 / update from: March 17, 2025 - Author: Konrad Wolfenstein
Despite AI boom: Google records significant growth in searches-Chatgpt share around 0.27 percent-Image: Xpert.digital
Surprise: Google Search grows despite AI competition
Google search: AI tools as a supplement, not competition?
Contrary to the widespread assumption that AI-based search tools such as chatt or perplexity could decrease the search engine giant Google Google market shares, current studies show a clear opposite trend: The number of Google views has increased significantly last year. The data refutes the thesis that traditional search engines are displaced by AI tools, and rather reveal a changing search landscape in which both approaches coexist and complement each other.
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The amazing growth of Google
Current numbers show impressive growth on Google. According to a comprehensive study by Sparktoro, the number of search queries on Google rose by a considerable 21.64 percent between 2023 and 2024. Rand Fishkin, founder of Sparktoro, described this increase as “remarkable for an already mature product”. Classic web searches in particular contributed to this growth, while there were slight declines during shopping and video searches.
Google itself recently announced in a blog post that the search engine answers more than 5 trillion searches per year, which corresponds to about 13.7 billion search queries per day. These numbers underline the still dominant position of Google in the search engine market.
Usage behavior in Google searches
A detailed analysis of the user behavior shows interesting patterns. A study by Sparktoro and Datos on the US market showed that Google users can be divided into three groups about the same size:
- 34 percent of users carry out more than 100 searches per month
- 36 percent are looking for between 21 and 100 times a month
- 30 percent provide only 1 to 20 search queries per month
The average number of monthly search queries is 126 per user, the median is 53 inquiries. This discrepancy is explained by a group of particularly active users who pulls the average value up.
AI addiction tools compared to Google
While Chatgpt and other AI-supported addiction tools have received a lot of attention in recent years, they are far behind Google in terms of user numbers.
Use of AI-Suchtools
Despite the hype about AI-based search alternatives, only a comparatively small part of internet users uses these tools as the primary source of information. A SEMRUSH study shows that only every tenth internet user uses a AI tool in the first step of an online search. Another study by Sonata Insights found that in May 2024 only 16.45 percent of traditional search engine users also used a AI platform.
When using Ki-Suchtools, Chatgpt is clearly at the top with a user share of over 20 percent. Other offers such as Google Gemini, Microsoft Copilot, Claude and Perplexity are all below 5 percent market share.
The impressive size of the difference
The size of the difference between Google and AI search engines is remarkable. While Google processes around 13.7 billion search queries every day, Chatgpt comes to around 37.5 million searches per day-this corresponds to only about 0.27 percent of Google inquiries.
To illustrate this difference: According to the data from Sparktoro, Google received about 373 times as many search queries in 2024 as chat. Even the successful AI provider Perplexity, which recorded impressive growth and increased its user base last year by 3.4 times, was still almost 2,400 times below Google with his search queries in May 2024.
The coexistence of traditional search and AI
The numbers indicate that AI tools do not replace classic search engines, but complement them. Most users regularly fall back on Google, even if they also use AI tools.
Changed searches
However, the way users are looking for changes. Search queries are becoming increasingly conversational - users formulate their questions more naturally instead of only entering keywords. This is a development that is promoted by interaction with AI assistants such as Chatgpt.
Google integrates Ki itself
Google reacts to the changed user expectations by even integrating AI functions into its search results. With functions such as AI Overviews and AI Mode, Google tries to provide users direct answers without having to visit different websites.
A study by Authoritas came to the conclusion that 86.8 percent of all examined search queries were preferred to AI generated results compared to classic organic search results. This shows that AI-based answers already play an important role in Google search.
Challenges in AI integration
However, the integration of AI into the search results is not without problems. According to a study by SE Ranking, Google temporarily reduced its AI search results after there were problems with questionable and misleading answers. A well-known example was a AI-generated answer that suggested to use glue as a pizza tank so that the cheese does not slip.
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Effects on websites and SEO
The increase in Google search queries does not necessarily mean more traffic for websites. An important trend is the increase in “zero-click search”, in which users receive 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. An investigation by Seer Interactive showed that organic search results suffered a decline in the click rate of 70 percent through AI answers, while paid ads recorded a decrease of 12 percent.
Adjust SEO strategies
For website operators and SEO experts, this means that you have to adapt your strategies. A study showed that websites that are not mentioned in the AI overviews can have disadvantages in the search. Optimization for AI generated answers is therefore becoming increasingly important.
Outlook on the future of the search
The future of online searches will probably be shaped by a combination of traditional search methods and AI-based approaches. Google CEO Sundar Pichai explained that "the search will change fundamentally in 2025".
Continuous change instead of revolution
The change in Google search seems to be more as a continuous change than as a sudden revolution. Google gradually adds new AI-generated features, such as AI-based restaurant results, compilations of local events and AI generated summaries.
Regional differences
There are also regional differences in development. Many of Google's new AI features are not yet available in Europe, which indicates that Google search in Europe may look different in the future than in other parts of the world, especially in the USA.
Google remains unchallenged: AI as a supplement, not replacement
The current data clearly refutes the thesis that AI tools such as Chatgt Google could replace Google as a dominant search engine. Instead, there is a clear growth in Google search queries, while AI tools are more used as a supplement than as a replacement.
The future of the search is probably in a hybrid landscape in which traditional search engines integrate AI functions, while specialized AI tools are used for certain types of inquiries. For website operators and marketing experts, this means that they have to optimize both classic search engines and for AI-based answers 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 descending branch, but successfully adapts to the new Ki era and remains the central contact point for online information.
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