In a study that may redefine the future of search platforms, it has been revealed that a significant majority of individuals prefer website suggestions put forward by the artificial intelligence (AI) model, ChatGPT, over those provided by the tech giant, Google. This breakthrough finding was recently brought to light by David Richter, the founder of digital marketing consultancy firm ClickPop, suggesting a potent disruption in tech and marketing landscapes that's far from just hypothetical.

Conducted by ClickPop, the study revealed a stunning 65.3% of individuals found ChatGPT's search results more aligned with their specific product or service needs compared to Google's. This was concluded through an experiment where a tool was designed to juxtapose people's preference for website recommendations between Google and ChatGPT, keeping the technology behind each set of recommendations concealed.

The comparative analysis showed a striking difference in the types of websites recommended. Google tended to recommend a broader array of publisher and product comparison sites, whereas ChatGPT, powered by advanced AI, seemed to favour retailer sites and brand-specific websites.

The difference did not stop there, as ChatGPT demonstrated a propensity to recommend websites with strong brand reputations and backlink profiles. In contrast, Google seemed to lean more towards suggesting lesser-known brands and businesses that didn't necessarily have a robust backlink profile.

"The uncertainty surrounding Google's future dominance as a search engine is now out in the open," observed Richter. "Considering people's inclination towards the recommendations generated by ChatGPT, it's likely that Google will have to reinvent its ranking and display algorithms for search results."

When local searches were conducted, ChatGPT continued to surpass Google, garnering 61.1% preference compared to Google's 38.9%. This preference remained consistent across devices, with ChatGPT securing 65.7% and 65.1% of votes on desktop and mobile platforms respectively.

The survey was conducted between 29th May and 19th July 2023. Participants included users from 84 different countries who made a total of 1,674 searches and placed 726 votes.