Big news for AI enthusiasts: ChatGPT has made its search capabilities available to all free users. This move could significantly boost the adoption of ChatGPT search and potentially push it to claim 1% of the search market as early as next year. 

“For the first time, we can see a trajectory where ChatGPT could cross the magic 1% market share threshold sometime next year,” Yu revealed.

Why This Matters

AI search is evolving at lightning speed. As adoption grows, it could fundamentally reshape how users discover brands, products, and websites. ChatGPT’s newly expanded access for free users might accelerate this shift, making it essential for marketers and businesses to stay ahead of the curve.

ChatGPT vs. Perplexity: A Clear Winner Emerges

ChatGPT is now 6x larger than Perplexity, according to a BrightEdge analysis of November traffic. Both platforms are experiencing month-over-month growth in search traffic, with ChatGPT up 44% and Perplexity up 71%.

But let’s not get carried away. Google still reigns supreme, owning 92.4% of referral traffic in November, with Microsoft Bing trailing far behind at 4.2%.

About That 4% Claim…

You might have heard a claim from Rand Fishkin, CEO of SparkToro, that ChatGPT’s search market share was 4.33%, based on SimilarWeb and Datos data. However, BrightEdge’s analysis, which focuses on referral data, tells a different story. Fishkin himself later clarified during his BrightonSEO keynote that the 4% figure wasn’t entirely accurate, noting that not all ChatGPT interactions count as “search.”

The Bottom Line

While ChatGPT’s search share is still tiny compared to Google, its rapid growth is impossible to ignore. With search now accessible to all users, ChatGPT could make significant strides in 2024. Keep an eye on this space—it’s evolving fast.

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