The way people find information online is changing fast. For two decades, Google has been the undisputed leader in search — but the rise of AI-driven platforms like ChatGPT has created a new kind of competition. Instead of typing keywords, users are now asking questions directly to AI systems that provide conversational, personalized, and summarized responses in real time.
And Google has noticed.
To defend its search dominance and enter the next generation of information discovery, Google launched AI Mode — its answer to ChatGPT and other generative AI tools.
Google Still Rules Traditional Search — For Now
Google continues to hold a massive lead in global search share, sitting at around 89–90% according to StatCounter. Bing holds about 4%, Yandex about 2–3%, and Yahoo roughly 1%.
That said, Google’s share has dipped just below the 90% threshold for the first time in years — a sign that the market is shifting as users experiment with AI-powered alternatives.
ChatGPT: The New Way People “Search”
While ChatGPT isn’t a traditional search engine, it’s quickly become a dominant source of information discovery. Over the past year, it’s seen:
- Over 800 million weekly active users worldwide
- Roughly 5.8 billion visits per month
- An estimated 60%+ market share within the generative AI chatbot industry
Users are now asking ChatGPT for the same things they once Googled — definitions, summaries, how-to guides, and creative content. For many people, it’s a faster, more direct way to get an answer than sifting through multiple web pages.
This shift has introduced a new metric to digital marketing: AI traffic. According to SEO industry reports, the portion of web traffic attributed to AI platforms like ChatGPT more than doubled in the past year.
Google’s Response: Introducing AI Mode
To compete directly with ChatGPT, Google has rolled out AI Mode, a conversational layer built right into Google Search. It combines generative AI with Google’s vast web index and knowledge graph — essentially blending the accuracy and structure of search with the personalization of an AI assistant.
Here’s what AI Mode brings to the table:
- Conversational follow-ups – Users can ask deeper or related questions without starting a new search.
- AI-generated overviews – Complex questions trigger summarized answers that cite multiple sources.
- Multimodal input – Users can search using voice, images, or text.
- Integrated links – Unlike ChatGPT’s walled answers, AI Mode connects its summaries to live web pages, driving ongoing traffic to sites.
- Agentic features – Early tests show Google’s AI can now perform tasks like making reservations, finding products, or booking appointments.
In essence, Google isn’t trying to beat ChatGPT outside of search — it’s embedding AI inside it.
ChatGPT vs. Google AI Mode: Competing for the Same Users
ChatGPT and Google’s AI Mode both aim to become the default place users go to get answers — but they take different approaches:
| Feature | ChatGPT | Google AI Mode |
|---|---|---|
| Primary Strength | Conversational reasoning, creativity, and context retention | Factual accuracy, live web data, and trusted sources |
| Access to Web Data | Limited (via browsing and plugins, depending on version) | Full Google index, citations, and real-time info |
| User Base | 800M+ weekly users | 100M+ monthly users (growing fast) |
| Goal | Replace search for some users | Reinvent search for all users |
| Monetization | Paid Plus plans, enterprise licenses | Ads integrated directly into AI Mode responses |
Where ChatGPT excels in reasoning and conversational depth, Google’s AI Mode shines in freshness and integration with the broader web.
In many ways, ChatGPT pushed Google to evolve faster. The company’s AI Mode rollout — and the introduction of AI Overviews to over 2 billion monthly users — shows that generative AI is no longer an experimental feature. It’s becoming the foundation of how search works.
The New Frontier: SEO + GEO
As Google and ChatGPT both shape how people find answers, businesses need to optimize for two parallel systems:
- SEO (Search Engine Optimization) – optimizing for ranking within Google’s traditional organic results.
- GEO (Generative Engine Optimization) – optimizing to appear within AI-generated summaries, citations, and conversational answers.
At First Page Digital, we believe the future of visibility lies at the intersection of both. Great content still matters — but how AI tools interpret and summarize that content is now equally important.
Key Takeaways for Businesses
- Google still dominates search, but ChatGPT is redefining how people look for information.
- Google’s AI Mode is its strategic defense — turning search itself into an AI experience.
- ChatGPT remains the leader in pure generative AI, but Google’s integration gives it a massive head start in reach.
- Businesses must prepare for both SEO and GEO to stay visible across platforms.
First Page Digital helps businesses adapt to this new era of search and AI visibility. Whether you want to rank higher on Google, or appear in the new wave of generative AI results, our team specializes in strategies that make your content discoverable across both ecosystems.
📞 Contact us today to learn how to stay visible — not just on the First Page, but in the First Answer.