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ChatGPT is becoming a notable destination for users coming from Google Search, according to research from iPullRank.
The research analyzed 13.1 billion search events from 9.1 million opted-in users between October 2024 and December 2025 to examine how people use Google Search and where their clicks ultimately lead.
One of the most notable findings is ChatGPT’s position among Google’s most-clicked destinations. The research also found that ChatGPT received a higher proportion of paid clicks than the other leading Google destinations analyzed.
These findings point to increasing overlap between ChatGPT Google Search Traffic, paid search and AI-driven discovery.
ChatGPT Ranked Among Google’s Top Click Destinations
In the iPullRank dataset, ChatGPT was the sixth-most-clicked destination from Google Search.
It ranked behind:
- YouTube
- Google’s own properties
- Wikipedia
The research also recorded millions of searches for ChatGPT each week within its panel.
This makes ChatGPT a significant destination within the Google Search journeys covered by the study.
ChatGPT Had a Higher Share of Paid Clicks
The research found that ChatGPT received a greater proportion of paid clicks than any of the other leading Google destinations analyzed.
This is significant for paid search because it shows that users are not only reaching ChatGPT through organic visibility or direct traffic. Paid search also contributes to traffic moving from Google to ChatGPT.
However, the research does not identify which queries OpenAI bids on or how much OpenAI spends on paid search.
As a result, the data does not establish how much of ChatGPT’s paid traffic comes from specific bidding strategies, including brand bidding.
Google Search and AI Discovery Can Overlap
The findings challenge the idea that Google Search and AI platforms exist entirely as separate parts of the user journey.
A user can start with a Google search and click through to ChatGPT.
For paid search marketers, this creates an environment where the destination of a Google click can itself be an AI platform.
The research therefore provides another perspective on how search and AI discovery can intersect.
ChatGPT Had a Low Zero-Click Interception Rate
iPullRank also examined how often Google’s zero-click experiences intercepted searches that would otherwise lead toward different destinations.
For searches that would otherwise lead toward OpenAI, only 11.1% were intercepted by a zero-click Google experience.
This was one of the lowest rates among the major destinations examined in the study.
The research suggests that the navigational nature of many ChatGPT searches may help explain this result.
When someone searches for ChatGPT specifically because they want to access the platform, a factual answer or other information displayed directly in Google Search may not satisfy that intent.
Organic Clicks Declined While Paid Clicks Remained Stable
The study also identified changes in Google Search click behavior during the 15-month research period.
Google’s overall zero-click rate increased by approximately 2.6 percentage points.
At the same time, the share of searches resulting in an organic click decreased by roughly 2.8 percentage points.
Paid clicks, however, showed no meaningful change during the study period.
This suggests that, within the dataset, the increase in zero-click searches was primarily associated with a decline in organic clicks rather than paid clicks.
That does not mean paid search is unaffected by changing search behavior. It simply reflects what the iPullRank dataset showed during the period analyzed.
Branded Searches Generated More Paid Clicks
The research also compared paid clicks on branded and non-branded searches.
When branded searches resulted in a click, 4.4% of those clicks were paid.
For non-branded searches, the figure was 3.3%.
iPullRank describes this difference as evidence that brands are paying to defend their own names in search results.
This is relevant to ChatGPT because searches specifically for “ChatGPT” represent navigational traffic.
However, the study does not provide enough information to determine whether OpenAI specifically uses defensive brand bidding or how much it spends on those campaigns.
Most Google Clicks Were Discovery Clicks
Another notable finding from the research is the proportion of clicks that went to destinations users had not explicitly named in their searches.
Only about 14% of Google clicks went to a website explicitly named in the user’s query.
The remaining 86% were classified as discovery clicks.
In these cases, Google sent users to destinations they had not specifically requested.
This highlights the role Google Search continues to play in introducing users to destinations beyond the brands or websites they already have in mind.
For advertisers, discovery clicks represent traffic generated beyond searches that explicitly name a particular destination.
What the Research Means for Paid Search
The findings provide several useful data points for understanding the relationship between paid search and AI discovery.
ChatGPT ranked as the sixth-most-clicked destination from Google Search in the dataset and had a higher proportion of paid clicks than the other leading destinations analyzed.
At the same time, the study found that:
- Google’s zero-click rate increased by about 2.6 percentage points.
- Organic click share declined by roughly 2.8 percentage points.
- Paid clicks showed no meaningful change.
- 4.4% of clicks following branded searches were paid, compared with 3.3% for non-branded searches.
- About 86% of Google clicks were discovery clicks.
These figures describe a search environment where users can move between Google Search and AI platforms, while paid and organic search continue to play different roles.
Google and ChatGPT Are Part of an Overlapping Search Journey
The iPullRank research does not present Google Search and ChatGPT as completely isolated channels.
Instead, the data shows that Google can act as a pathway to ChatGPT, including through paid clicks.
At the same time, the high proportion of discovery clicks demonstrates that Google Search can introduce users to destinations they did not explicitly request.
For marketers, this creates a broader search landscape in which users can discover, navigate and move between different platforms during the same overall journey.
Conclusion
The iPullRank analysis of 13.1 billion search events from 9.1 million opted-in users provides a detailed look at how Google Search users moved through the web between October 2024 and December 2025.
ChatGPT’s position as the sixth-most-clicked Google destination, combined with its higher proportion of paid clicks among the leading destinations analyzed, highlights the growing overlap between Google Search and AI platforms.
The research also shows that while zero-click searches increased and organic click share declined, paid clicks remained relatively stable during the study period.
Rather than viewing Google Search and AI discovery as completely separate journeys, the data shows that users can move between them with Google Search sometimes serving as the path that leads users to ChatGPT.
FAQs – ChatGPT Google Search Traffic
How much Google Search data did iPullRank analyze?
iPullRank analyzed 13.1 billion search events from 9.1 million opted-in users covering October 2024 through December 2025.
What was ChatGPT’s ranking among Google Search destinations?
ChatGPT was the sixth-most-clicked destination from Google Search in the iPullRank dataset, behind YouTube, Google’s own properties, Reddit, Facebook and Wikipedia.
Does ChatGPT receive paid traffic from Google Search?
Yes. iPullRank found that ChatGPT received a greater proportion of paid clicks than any of the other leading Google destinations analyzed in the research.
Did paid clicks decline during the study period?
According to iPullRank, paid clicks showed no meaningful change during the 15-month study period, while Google’s overall zero-click rate increased by about 2.6 percentage points.
How did organic clicks change during the study?
The share of searches producing an organic click fell by roughly 2.8 percentage points during the period analyzed.
What percentage of ChatGPT-related searches were intercepted by Google’s zero-click experiences?
Only 11.1% of searches that would otherwise lead toward OpenAI were intercepted by a zero-click Google experience.
Are paid clicks more common for branded searches?
Yes. When branded searches resulted in a click, 4.4% were paid, compared with 3.3% for non-branded searches.
How many Google clicks were discovery clicks?
About 86% of Google clicks were classified as discovery clicks, meaning they went to destinations that were not explicitly named in the user’s query.
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