The latest data from Statcounter shows a clear leader in the AI traffic race—and it’s not Google. ChatGPT now accounts for 79.8% of all website referrals from AI chatbots worldwide, far outpacing its competitors in nearly every market.
The findings, released by the analytics firm on June 11, paint a sharp picture of where user behavior is headed. With more than 3.8 billion page views tracked each month across 1.5 million sites, Statcounter’s new reporting tool shines a spotlight on referral activity from major chatbots, broken down by country and updated daily.
What the Numbers Show
ChatGPT isn’t just ahead. It’s pulling away.
According to Statcounter’s May 2025 data:
- ChatGPT owns 79.8% of global referral traffic
- Perplexity trails far behind with 11.8%
- Microsoft Copilot follows at 5.2%
- Google Gemini sits in fourth place with 2%
- DeepSeek clocks in at 0.8%, and Claude at 0.5%
The only G20 country where ChatGPT isn’t the top referrer is China, where DeepSeek leads with 89.3%.
Google’s Position Raises Questions
Statcounter CEO Aodhan Cullen didn’t mince words. Comparing Google’s situation to legacy software providers blindsided by the cloud, he noted: “Its cash cow, Search, is at risk from new AI technology, which ironically, it helped to create.”
Google Gemini’s low referral numbers have sparked concerns about whether Google can keep its grip on user engagement if AI experiences replace traditional search. Rumors that Apple may introduce its own AI search capability in Safari add more pressure to Google’s position.
GEO Replaces SEO?
Cullen also introduced a new concept: Generative Engine Optimization (GEO). As AI bots like ChatGPT become more influential in driving traffic, optimizing for AI-generated content and referrals could begin to matter more than traditional SEO (Search Engine Optimization).
This could force marketers to rethink strategy. If referrals from AI are now a top source of discovery, then the way content is structured—and the platforms it aligns with—might need a rewrite.
Why This Tool Matters
The AI chatbot referral tracking feature is available for free via Statcounter’s Global Stats platform. Users can view referral shares by country, region, or globally, and filter by timeframe. It’s built for marketers, analysts, and media researchers who want clarity in a space where the rules are shifting fast.
The platform updates data daily and provides visualizations, including bar graphs and country-level maps.
One Notable Absence
Grok, the chatbot tied to X (formerly Twitter), is missing from the data. The reason is technical—Grok does not pass referral information in its headers, meaning Statcounter cannot track it like it does with other bots.
Where This Leaves Marketers
If you’re still focusing your digital strategy around search-only channels, it might be time to widen the scope. AI bots are directing traffic—and ChatGPT is directing nearly all of it. The rise of GEO will force businesses to reconsider how they structure and distribute content, especially if that content needs to get picked up by bots instead of search spiders.
This Isn’t a Blip
Referral activity from AI chatbots is no longer a curiosity. It’s measurable, it’s consistent, and it’s growing. ChatGPT’s dominance isn’t just a bragging point—it signals a shift in how discovery works on the internet.
Marketers, publishers, and platforms who follow this shift now may find themselves ahead of the pack tomorrow. The ones who wait? They’ll be playing catch-up with bots that already moved on.
