ChatGPT now processes 66 million “search-like” prompts per day, while Google still processes about 14 billion searches daily – roughly 210 times more. That’s the latest AI search reality check, via Rand Fishkin, CEO and co-founder of SparkToro.

By the numbers. Google processes ~210x more searches than ChatGPT. Even DuckDuckGo outpaces ChatGPT in referrals, per estimates.

  • OpenAI CEO Sam Altman said ChatGPT handled 1 billion prompts per day in December. By July, that number was 2.5 billion prompts.
  • Much of that growth comes from API calls (businesses plugging GPT into products).
  • A Harvard/OpenAI study found 21.3% of prompts are “search-like.”
    • That’s roughly 66 million search-intent prompts per day.
  • Google handled 5 trillion searches in 2024, or about 14 billion per day.
Searches Day Llm Search 2025 ScaledSearches Day Llm Search 2025 Scaled

Zoom out. This is a good reminder that AI hasn’t replaced search. In fact, AI search drives less than 1% of referrals, according to BrightEdge data.

Dig deeper. AI search is booming, but SEO is still not dead

Why we care. Google still dominates discovery, even as AI Overviews are eroding clicks to many websites. Meanwhile, ChatGPT is tiny compared to Google – yet in certain niches, it may be more influential than DuckDuckGo. So beware of the AI search hype – focus on where your audience spends their time.

Fishkin’s video. You can watch it on LinkedIn.

Dig deeper. AI hype vs. SEO reality: What actually drives leads and revenue

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Danny GoodwinDanny Goodwin

Danny Goodwin is Editorial Director of Search Engine Land & Search Marketing Expo – SMX. He joined Search Engine Land in 2022 as Senior Editor. In addition to reporting on the latest search marketing news, he manages Search Engine Land’s SME (Subject Matter Expert) program. He also helps program U.S. SMX events. Goodwin has been editing and writing about the latest developments and trends in search and digital marketing since 2007. He previously was Executive Editor of Search Engine Journal (from 2017 to 2022), managing editor of Momentology (from 2014-2016) and editor of Search Engine Watch (from 2007 to 2014). He has spoken at many major search conferences and virtual events, and has been sourced for his expertise by a wide range of publications and podcasts.