Google AI Mode vs ChatGPT Search
In today’s fast‑moving digital landscape, two generative AI engines are redefining how people search and brands are discovered: Google AI Mode (as part of its Search Generative Experience, SGE) and ChatGPT Search. To stay visible, credible, and commercially effective, businesses must harness a robust Answer Engine Optimisation (AEO) strategy—one that targets both ecosystems.
Usage Stats: Who’s Using What?
ChatGPT has scaled astonishingly fast. As of early 2025, it enjoys roughly 400 million weekly active users and an estimated 500 million by spring 2025, up from 300 million in December 2024 . Monthly active visits to ChatGPT.com soar past 5 billion visits, with users spending on average 8–12 minutes per session and viewing 2–4 pages each time.
On the other side, Google AI Mode / SGE is embedded into Google’s core search engine. Google Search still handles over 2 billion MAUs—with SGE-powered answers appearing in around 40‑42% of mobile searches, and adoption growing at 35% quarter‑on‑quarter . Despite concerns about “zero‑click” searches (up to 69% in news verticals), Google continues to generate massive traffic volumes through its ecosystem.
Feature Comparison: Reach vs Depth
Google AI Mode offers conversational, summary-qualified answers inline with traditional search. Its strength is in scale and distribution, powered by Gemini models across Android, Chrome, and hard‑wired into billions of queries daily. It’s fast, contextual, and increasingly monetised via ad placements embedded in responses .
ChatGPT Search delivers deep, conversational answers with follow‑up prompts, citations, and utility like research support or creative ideation. Users—particularly in professional, educational or content‑creation roles—value its clarity, flexibility, and interaction model more than passive overview snippets .
Why a Comprehensive AEO Strategy Is Essential
Traditional SEO now competes with Answer Engine Optimisation, a hybrid strategy geared to position your content where AI systems will pick it up. With predictions of 20–40% declines in organic site traffic by 2026 if brands rely solely on old‑style SEO, AEO is no longer optional . A holistic approach blends:
SEO: keywords, backlinks, long‑tail targeting
AEO: structured content, FAQs, citations, conversational and context‑aligned phrasing
Hybrid strategy: content optimised for both keyboard‑based and AI‑driven retrieval methods
This layered optimisation increases visibility across both ChatGPT and Google AI Mode and helps drive lead generation or sales directly from AI platforms.
Tracking Conversions from AI Search
Digital Landscope goes beyond visibility. We implement tracking mechanisms to record form interactions, enquiries, purchases or any measurable touchpoint coming via ChatGPT Search and other LLM-generated referrals. Even if users engage entirely inside an AI conversation, our solutions can measure the downstream impact—such as a user clicking through, filling out a form, downloading material, or completing a purchase. That means your return-on-investment (ROI) becomes quantifiable, even when traffic originates inside AI.
Free Consultation via Zoom
We offer free AEO discovery sessions—where we audit your performance across AI platforms, benchmark competitors, and map out optimisation opportunities. We’ll demonstrate how your content currently fares in both Google AI summaries and ChatGPT outputs, and show precisely how lead flow and conversions can be tracked end-to-end.
Want to future‑proof your digital presence and tie visibility directly to lead and sales metrics via AI search? Book your free AEO discovery today with our team, and uncover actionable insights for ChatGPT, Google AI Mode, and beyond. Click here to tell us about your website.