A new study suggests that traffic originating from ChatGPT converts significantly better than organic search traffic — although the overall volume of AI-driven visits remains tiny compared with search engines.
The research, recently published by Visibility Labs, is based on analysis of 12 months of Google Analytics 4 data from 94 ecommerce stores. The study suggests that ChatGPT visitors converted 31% more frequently than non-branded organic search users.
Study findings
- ChatGPT generated just 1.48% of organic search revenue
- ChatGPT traffic converts 31% better than non-branded organic search (1.81% vs 1.39%).
- ChatGPT visits to the stores involved in the research grew 1,079% in 2025.
- Average order value was lower for ChatGPT traffic ($204 vs $238).
- Revenue per session was 10.3% higher for ChatGPT traffic ($3.65 vs $3.30).
To ensure a fair comparison, the study excluded homepage traffic (typically branded) and blog traffic (often informational), and focused only on product and category pages with commercial intent.
Across the study period, ChatGPT traffic converted at 1.81% compared with 1.39% for non-branded organic search, suggesting that visitors arriving from AI recommendations may have stronger purchase intent.
However, while ChatGPT traffic appears more efficient at converting, it still represents a very small share of overall ecommerce traffic and revenue.
Search still dominates ecommerce traffic
Across the 94 stores analyzed in the study, non-branded organic search generated 9.46 million sessions and $32.1 million in revenue during 2025. By comparison, ChatGPT accounted for just 135,000 sessions and $474,000 in revenue.
That means ChatGPT produced only 1.48% of the revenue generated by non-branded organic search over the same period.
Organic search traffic was also vastly larger in scale. Throughout 2025, non-branded search traffic was roughly 70 times larger than ChatGPT traffic, although that gap narrowed to 47 times larger by the fourth quarter.
For ecommerce brands, the data suggests that while AI referrals may convert well, search engines remain by far the dominant discovery channel for online shopping.
ChatGPT referrals surged during 2025
The report also highlighted a significant increase in traffic generated by ChatGPT during 2025.
Visits originating from ChatGPT to the stores being observed during the study increased 1,079% between January and December 2025, rising from 1,544 sessions to 18,202 sessions per month.
By contrast, non-branded organic search traffic grew by just 17% over the same period, likely driven largely by seasonal shopping activity.
Much of this growth in AI referrals occurred during the first half of 2025. Researchers believe this surge may be linked to the introduction of shopping carousel features in ChatGPT in April 2025, which made it easier for users to discover products and click through to merchant websites.
Traffic growth began to flatten later in the year, suggesting that the initial surge may have been partly driven by the rollout of these new features.
Smaller baskets, but higher overall value per visit
While ChatGPT users were more likely to convert, they tended to spend less when they did.
The study found that average order value from ChatGPT traffic was $204, compared with $238 from non-branded organic search — around 14% lower.
Despite the smaller basket sizes, ChatGPT referrals still generated slightly more revenue per visit overall.
Revenue per session averaged $3.65 for ChatGPT traffic, compared with $3.30 for organic search, representing a 10.3% increase in value per session.
Researchers suggest this may reflect the way shoppers interact with conversational AI tools. Users often refine their requirements through several prompts before clicking a product recommendation, meaning they may already be closer to making a purchase decision when they reach a retailer’s site.
Traditional search users, by contrast, often visit multiple sites while researching products and comparing options.
AI’s influence may be undercounted
The study also warns that analytics platforms may underestimate the true impact of ChatGPT on ecommerce sales.
In many cases, users may discover a product through ChatGPT but then search for the brand in Google to access a website that sells it. In analytics platforms such as Google Analytics, these purchases are typically attributed to branded search rather than the original AI interaction.
Because of this attribution gap, researchers recommend that ecommerce brands consider implementing post-purchase surveys to better understand whether AI tools influenced the buying journey.
For now, AI-driven traffic remains a small but fast-growing part of the ecommerce landscape — and one that merchants may need to pay closer attention to as conversational discovery tools continue to evolve.
You can read the full Visibility Labs study here.
Why this matters to ecommerce merchants
The Visibility Labs study suggests that AI-driven discovery tools like ChatGPT may be sending higher-intent shoppers to ecommerce websites. For merchants, this means that traffic coming from conversational AI tools could convert more efficiently than traditional search traffic.
However, it should be noted that traffic originating from AI tools remains much smaller than that coming from traditional search engines like Google.
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Chris Singleton is the Founder and Director of Ecommercetrix.
Since graduating from Trinity College Dublin in 1999, Chris has advised many businesses on how to grow their operations via a strong online presence, and now he shares his experience and expertise through his articles on the Ecommercetrix website.
Chris started his career as a data analyst for Irish marketing company Precision Marketing Information; since then he has worked on digital projects for a wide range of well-known organizations including Cancer Research UK, Hackney Council, Data Ireland, and Prescription PR. He then went on to found the popular business apps review site Style Factory, followed by Ecommercetrix.
He is also the author of a book on SEO for beginners, Super Simple SEO.