Artificial intelligence search platforms[1] are growing quickly in 2025, yet their contribution to website traffic and sales remains minimal. Data from BrightEdge[2] covering January through August shows AI referrals climbing at double-digit rates each month, but still representing less than one percent of total visits. Organic search continues to drive the largest share of traffic and delivers far stronger conversion results.
Sharp Swings in AI Platform Growth
Performance differs widely across providers. Anthropic’s Claude grew by 58 percent in July and 21 percent in August. xAI’s Grok spiked by 1,279 percent in July, then slowed to 17 percent the following month. ChatGPT has consistently led on referral volume in the past three months. DeepSeek, an early entrant from China, fell sharply through midsummer after early momentum.
How Users Approach Each Channel
The distinction lies in intent. People turning to AI tools are usually gathering background knowledge or exploring options. They remain in the research phase. Organic search users arrive with more specific goals, often linked to products or services, which puts them closer to a transaction. Many begin their journey with AI discovery but switch to organic or direct channels when making final decisions.
Dependence on Traditional Indexes
Even as AI platforms grow, their foundations remain tied to established search infrastructure. ChatGPT pulls results from Bing. Google’s AI tools rely on its own index. Claude draws from Brave. All deploy their own crawlers as well, which means standard SEO practices continue to influence visibility across both types of platforms.
External Sources Shaping AI Outputs
BrightEdge’s review shows AI systems drawing on a range of references beyond website content. News outlets, specialist media, forums, and social networks feed into the responses. For marketers, that underlines the value of building presence outside their own domains, from industry publications to community discussions, so information about their brand appears across the sources AI relies on.
Outlook for Marketers
AI search is creating new touchpoints at speed, but organic search remains the primary channel for digital growth. Businesses that maintain SEO fundamentals while preparing for AI-driven discovery are best positioned to capture audiences at both the research stage and the point of conversion.
Notes: This post was edited/created using GenAI tools. Image: DIW-Aigen.
Read next:
• One Phone, Two Realities: iPhone 17 Accessible Luxury for Some, Impossible Dream for Others[3]
• Adaptability Over Knowledge: Google AI Chief Stresses Continuous Learning for Fast-Changing AI Era[4]
References
- ^ Artificial intelligence search platforms (www.digitalinformationworld.com)
- ^ BrightEdge (www.brightedge.com)
- ^ One Phone, Two Realities: iPhone 17 Accessible Luxury for Some, Impossible Dream for Others (www.digitalinformationworld.com)
- ^ Adaptability Over Knowledge: Google AI Chief Stresses Continuous Learning for Fast-Changing AI Era (www.digitalinformationworld.com)