New Similarweb data reveals that ChatGPT distributes its outbound clicks to a limited set of publishers, suggesting AI search is emerging as a supplementary traffic channel rather than a replacement for traditional search engines. The concentration of referral traffic has significant implications for publishers developing strategies to capture AI-generated traffic.
Why it matters: Publishers and marketers need to understand how AI search referral patterns differ from Google's distribution to effectively allocate resources between traditional SEO and emerging AI visibility strategies.