Peter Smith
AI tools are changing how people find websites. Recent data from Vercel shows ChatGPT driving most AI-generated traffic, marking a shift in how users discover online content.
Why ChatGPT Dominates
ChatGPT's lead comes from its huge user base and widespread use across different workflows. With hundreds of millions of weekly users, it's become a default assistant for developers, students, and professionals. When it suggests tools or platforms like Vercel, users follow through.
Meanwhile, Perplexity is growing as an AI search engine but still holds a small slice. Claude and Gemini are expanding but can't match ChatGPT's reach. Copilot stays mostly within coding environments rather than general web browsing.
The Numbers
Guillermo Rauch, Vercel's CEO, shared data on AI referral traffic to Vercel.com:
- ChatGPT: 79.53%
- Perplexity: 8.44%
- Claude: 4.74%
- Gemini: 3.52%
- Copilot: 2.95%
ChatGPT accounts for nearly 80% of AI-driven visits, far ahead of its competitors.
What It Means
This data reveals a bigger change in how traffic moves online. Search engines like Google have traditionally controlled referrals, but AI assistants are becoming new gatekeepers. They're deciding which sites users visit first.
For businesses and developers, this means thinking about AI visibility the same way they think about SEO. Getting recommended by ChatGPT might soon matter as much as ranking well on Google.
Peter Smith
