ChatGPT Outperforms Google in Website Recommendations, Study Finds
A recent study conducted by UK-based digital marketing consultancy ClickPop has found that ChatGPT, an AI-powered language model, is preferred by a majority of users when it comes to website recommendations compared to Google. The study revealed that 65.3% of participants selected the websites suggested by ChatGPT as a better match for their search query, while only 34.7% preferred Google’s suggestions.
To conduct the study, ClickPop developed a comparison tool that allowed users to perform search queries. The tool presented two sets of website recommendations without disclosing the technology that generated each set. Users then had the opportunity to vote for the set that best aligned with their search intent. The tool, which is available for free, enabled participants to objectively evaluate and compare website recommendations from ChatGPT and Google.
Across all searches, the majority (65.3%) of users expressed a preference for websites recommended by ChatGPT over those provided by Google. Even for searches related to local areas, such as cities or regions, ChatGPT remained more popular, with 61.1% of votes in its favor compared to 38.9% for Google. Notably, the preference for ChatGPT’s results was consistent across both desktop and mobile devices, where it received 65.7% and 65.1% of the votes, respectively.
Differences were also observed in the types of websites recommended by ChatGPT and Google. Google tended to provide more publisher and product comparison websites, while ChatGPT was more inclined to suggest websites from retailers and product brands. Moreover, ChatGPT often recommended websites with strong brands and backlink profiles, while Google’s suggestions leaned towards lesser-known brands and businesses with weaker backlink profiles.
The study, which ran from May 29 to July 19, 2023, garnered a significant response. Users from 84 different countries carried out 1,674 searches, and a total of 726 votes were placed. The complete analysis of the findings and a detailed comparison between the websites provided by Google and ChatGPT can be accessed at https://www.clickpop.co.uk/google-vs-chatgpt-test-results/.
Responding to the research findings, David Richter, the founder of ClickPop, emphasized that the threat to Google from ChatGPT and AI technologies, in general, is not merely speculative but already a reality. He believes that Google will likely make significant changes to how it ranks and displays search results in the future, considering people’s apparent preference for websites recommended by ChatGPT for search queries.
This study sheds light on the growing influence of AI in the search engine landscape and highlights the need for Google to adapt to evolving user expectations. As the quest for the most relevant and accurate search results continues, it remains to be seen whether Google can maintain its dominant position or if AI-powered competitors like ChatGPT will disrupt the search engine industry.
