A New Study Reveals Significant Changes in Search Behavior
Key Findings
The study by Previsible reveals that AI language models (LLMs) are gaining traction as referral traffic sources, with Perplexity and ChatGPT emerging as alternatives to traditional search engines.
Referral Traffic
- Perplexity and ChatGPT command approximately 37% of LLM referral traffic, while CoPilot and Gemini follow with 12-14% each.
- The finance sector dominates LLM-driven traffic, accounting for 84% of all referrals analyzed.
Content Distribution
- Blog posts receive 77.35% of LLM referral traffic, followed by:
- Homepage visits (9.04%)
- News content (8.23%)
- Guides (2.35%)
- Product pages receive less than 0.5% of LLM referral traffic, suggesting challenges for e-commerce strategies.
Looking Ahead
- LLM referral traffic currently represents 0.25% of total traffic for the most impacted sectors, but the study notes significant growth rates.
- In the last 90 days, Previsible found:
- 900% growth in ChatGPT referrals for the events industry
- 400%+ growth in ChatGPT traffic for e-commerce and finance sectors
- Consistent growth across all models except CoPilot
Conclusion
The study suggests that Google’s growth is at a standstill, with AI language models becoming new sources of website traffic. The finance sector is leading the way, with LLM-driven traffic accounting for 84%. However, e-commerce strategies need to adapt to the challenges posed by LLMs.
FAQs
Q: How do LLMs impact website traffic?
A: LLMs currently represent 0.25% of total traffic, but growth rates are significant, potentially reaching 20% of overall traffic within a year.
Q: What is the implication of LLMs on e-commerce?
A: LLMs rarely surface product pages, suggesting the need for adjusted strategies.
Q: What does the study suggest about Google’s growth?
A: The study suggests that Google’s growth is at a standstill, with AI language models becoming new sources of website traffic.
Q: Is this study limited to a specific sector?
A: The study analyzed over 30 websites, with a focus on the finance sector, but the implications are broader, applying to various industries.
