Why ChatGPT's SearchGPT won’t disrupt Google, yet

This article was compiled with the assistance of AI.

OpenAI's rumored search engine became a reality with its launch of SearchGPT this month. While it joins other AI search platforms like Perplexity and Arc Search, the scale of ChatGPT raises the question: Could this be the Google killer? It has a long way to go. Google has 90.68% of search engine users, according to June 2023 data from Similarweb.

"Google has a leg up here because it is the default search engine across most smartphones, devices, [and] major browsers in the US and globally," our analyst Evelyn Mitchell-Wolf said on a recent "Behind the Numbers" podcast. "Because of that, it is the path of least resistance to search. It is the easiest way for consumers to get what they want on the web."

Here are three things to know about SearchGPT’s uphill climb.

1. Adoption will likely be limited initially.

While SearchGPT may attract ChatGPT enthusiasts, widespread adoption faces several hurdles:

• Only 18% of ChatGPT users in the US, Argentina, Denmark, France, Japan and UK use it weekly or more, per Reuters Institute and the University of Oxford data.
• Google remains deeply embedded in consumer habits and devices as the default search option.
• SearchGPT currently requires users to go to a separate site, adding friction compared with built-in search bars.

2. Integration will be key to gaining market share.

OpenAI plans to eventually integrate SearchGPT into the main ChatGPT interface, potentially providing an on-ramp for the 67.7 million US ChatGPT users we forecast for this year.

"If they can kind of use the right sort of marketing and advertising push to get people to get used to asking Siri the questions that they might've opened a browser for on their iPhones, that potentially changes everything," our analyst Max Willens said.

3. Privacy and data concerns could hamper adoption.

SearchGPT collects location data to improve results, which may make privacy-conscious users hesitant to try it.

"It sounded like to use the search, you're going to have to give it more information about yourself, and I think people are just wary about data," our analyst Suzy Davidkhanian said.

What marketers should do: SearchGPT may not be an immediate threat to Google, but its development highlights the growing role of AI in search. Marketers should monitor AI search advancements and consider their long-term impact on SEO and paid search strategies.

Listen to the full episode.

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