Similarweb’s 2025 AI report discovers that Gen AI traffic converts better than Google
Gen AI referrals, app engagement, and answer engine strategies are changing the game for marketers
AI-powered discovery is no longer experimental. It’s measurable — and it’s redefining how brands are found, evaluated, and clicked.
Insights rom Similarweb’s 2025 Generative AI Landscape report, which maps the explosive rise of Gen AI as a discovery engine and shows how it’s reshaping the metrics marketers must prioritize. From surging referral conversions to the rise of visibility KPIs, the rules of digital brand performance are being rewritten.
This article unpacks Similarweb’s key findings, explores why AI traffic converts better than Google, and offers strategic guidance for marketers aiming to optimize for AI-generated brand visibility.
Short on time?
Here’s a table of contents for quick access:
- Why Gen AI is reshaping how consumers discover and decide
- How Similarweb tracks AI visibility, traffic, and conversion
- What marketers should know about the Gen AI discovery shift
Patrecia Meliana
Why Gen AI is reshaping how consumers discover and decide
The numbers are clear: AI platforms are now core to the digital journey. According to Similarweb:
- 7B average monthly web visits to Gen AI platforms, up 76% YoY
- 1.9B app downloads, up 319% YoY, driven by mobile stickiness
- 2B AI referrals in the US alone, up 778% YoY
- 7% conversion rate on Gen AI referrals to transactional sites — 2 points higher than Google
ChatGPT has broken into the global top 5 websites, overtaking Amazon and challenging platforms like Google and YouTube not just on traffic, but on influence. Yet 95% of ChatGPT users still rely on Google — revealing that AI and search now coexist as parallel behaviors, not replacements.
The big shift? AI referrals generate higher-quality traffic. Compared to Google, ChatGPT’s referrals deliver:
- +7 mins more time on site
- +3 more pageviews per session
- +2% higher conversion rate (7% vs 5%)
That makes Gen AI a smaller but richer traffic source — ideal for mid-funnel and high-intent discovery.
Patrecia Meliana
How Similarweb tracks AI visibility, traffic, and conversion
To help brands navigate this new discovery layer, Similarweb launched its Gen AI Intelligence Toolkit — a suite of visibility and referral metrics focused on brand performance inside AI interfaces.
Key visibility KPIs now include:
- Visibility (% share of mentions) for relevant prompts
- Domain influence, showing how often your site is cited
- Sentiment and brand strength inside AI-generated content
- Share of voice and top competitors across LLM responses
Similarweb’s core argument: In the AI era, traffic alone isn’t the full story. It’s about whether your brand is being mentioned in answers, cited in trusted sources, and recommended in conversation.
Brands winning in AI visibility include:
- Walmart and Target in retail (over 50% mention share)
- Airbnb, Booking.com, and Expedia in travel
- Well-distributed leaders in banking with no single brand dominating
What’s changing is how visibility is earned. AI platforms like ChatGPT favor hyper-specific content buried deep within websites (e.g. FAQ pages, long-tail blogs, detailed product specs), rather than surface-level landing pages. A third of ChatGPT citations come from URLs with a folder depth of 3 or more.
What marketers should know about the Gen AI discovery shift
Here’s how to win in the emerging landscape of Answer Engine Optimization (AEO):
- Rethink content structure
Well-labeled, structured pages beat bloated product titles. Walmart’s PDPs with clean “About this item” sections outperform competitors like Temu in Gen AI visibility.
- Don’t just create — get cited
Visibility often comes from being in the sources AI trusts. That means earning mentions on Reddit, GQ, or other influential domains, not just optimizing your own site.
- Understand AI referral intent
Google’s referral model pushes volume. AI referrals are deeper, stickier, and context-driven — users convert faster because answers are synthesized first, then actioned.
- Segment your AEO strategy
Think head vs mid vs long prompts. For example:
- Head: “What’s the best email tool?”
- Mid: “What’s the best email tool for ecommerce?”
- Long: “What’s the best email tool for Shopify stores with automation features?”Brands optimizing for long-tail conversational prompts will have the greatest edge.
- Embrace platform fragmentation
While ChatGPT owns 80% of Gen AI visits, others are gaining share:
- Gemini is growing via Google integration
- Claude and Perplexity draw loyal users despite smaller bases
- Grok and Copilot offer differentiated AI journeysMarketers should monitor platform-specific KPIs and tailor strategies accordingly.
- Monitor AI Mode’s slow but strategic growth
Google’s AI Mode has hit 100M visits in the US, but referral rates remain low (~2%) vs Google Search (17–19%). Still, its integration into core search UX hints at long-term impact.
The AI layer is no longer abstract — it’s quantifiable, trackable, and strategically essential. Similarweb’s 2025 report signals that marketers must now adapt to a multi-channel discovery model where visibility — not just traffic — is the new metric of success.
Winning brands will optimize for LLM logic, human intent, and a discovery flow that starts with AI prompts and ends in purchase decisions. Those who adapt early will own the next frontier of brand relevance.
