AI Search Disrupting Traditional Search? What the Data Says

If you've been following our previous newsletters, you know that from the early days, I’ve explored how AI-powered search is challenging traditional search engines, without necessarily aiming to dethrone Google. But what’s truly changing is how users interact with content and how brands (in all industries) should experiment and discover how LLM work in order to be 'referred' , "mentioned", "discovered" by AI platforms.

I remember back in Nov 2022, coining the term SAIO (Search AI Optimization) as soon as ChatGPT was launched!

The idea was simple: search was no longer just about keywords, rankings, and SEO; it was about how AI interprets intent and delivers results.

So, how far have we come?

Let’s go beyond theory and dive into the data, in this newsletter!

but if you are curious to see how this evolution has unfolded? Dive into past editions where we broke down AI search trends, strategies, and the shifting digital landscape.?

Catch up here!

How Traffic Flows in AI Search

Thank you to amazing reports and fresh data from Datos (a Semrush company) and Seer Interactive Interactive we can understand in more details if

?? AI search really overtaking traditional search engines?

?? Or is the shift more nuanced?

?? What Data says: Key Highlights

?? Important Growth in AI Search Usage

1. ChatGPT’s user base nearly doubled in one year, jumping from 6.95% in Jan 2024 to 14.68% in Jan 2025.
2. Google still dominates, but Perplexity surged by +523.61% in user sessions, showing an increasing appetite for AI-driven search alternatives.

3. The stickiness factor (DAU/MAU) shows that ChatGPT engagement is increasing, though it still trails behind Google’s 25.35%.

?? Where Does AI Search Drive Traffic to?

Unlike Google, which prioritizes SEO-optimized content, AI search models like SearchGPT redirect users toward informational and e-commerce-heavy domains.

Top 5 Domains Referred from SearchGPT (Oct 31, 2024 – Jan 16, 2025):

1?? Amazon (9.13%) – Dominating e-commerce traffic

2?? Wikipedia (6.90%) – A strong preference for encyclopedic information

3?? YouTube (6.59%) – Increasing traffic to video-based content

4?? GitHub (4.50%) – Developers favoring AI-driven code search

5?? Springer (3.09%) – AI search boosting academic research

?? So, What Are People Using ChatGPT For?

?? The reality: AI search is not just about search.

?? 70% of interactions on ChatGPT are NOT search-based

?? Most users engage with ChatGPT for creativity & productivity tasks

?? Only 10.3% of queries are informational, with a mere 2.3% being transactional

?? A staggering 70% falls under “unknown intent,” meaning it doesn’t fit into conventional search behavior

?? What Does This Mean for Brands, Affiliates, and Content Creators?

1?? AI isn’t just another search engine – Users engage with ChatGPT beyond traditional search intent, making it more of an interactive assistant than a direct Google competitor. but It's extermely important understand the trajectory trend to not only get prepared but to also pivot.

2?? New traffic channels – Brands need to consider AI-driven interactions in their content strategies rather than relying solely on SEO. We are not new to multi channel approach or multi media, we are living in multi AI platforms, that's it! and the MAU are growing!

3?? Affiliate disruption is complex – If ChatGPT assists users rather than directing them to external websites, what does this mean for referral traffic?

?? What This Means for iGaming Affiliates, Brands & Operators

1?? Forget rigid keyword optimization, let's focus on user intent. AI models don’t rely on exact keyword phrasing like traditional search engines. Whether a user asks:

• “What is the best online casino for slots?”
• “Where can I play high-RTP slots?”
• “Which online casino offers the best slot games?”

?? AI will generate similar responses based on intent rather than keywords.

2?? Leverage “People Also Ask” (PAA) queries. AI often pulls from Google's PAA sections, which reflect real user intent.

?? Actionable Tip for iGaming Affiliates and/or brands:

? Adapt by focusing on search intent groups rather than individual keywords.

? Analyze what content types AI search models prioritize for gambling-related queries.

? Experiment with structured content like top lists, comparison tables, and FAQs.

?? The Big Question: AI - Friend or Enemy for iGaming Affiliates?

Should iGaming affiliates allow AI bots to crawl and learn from their content? Or should they block them to protect their traffic?

?? This is exactly the kind of debate we’ll be tackling on March 13th at our panel discussion: "Affiliate Showdown: Who Wins in a World Ruled by AI?" ?? at NEXT.io - The World’s iGaming Community in NY ???? with great speakers from AskGamblers ; Find.co and Daly Gaming and Media consultancy

Last interesting topic ?? is about the "visibility" dilemma in Regulated vs. Grey Markets

The iGaming industry isn’t like any other vertical, it operates in both regulated and unregulated markets. AI search models must navigate this complexity when surfacing results for gambling-related queries.

1?? Regulated Market Visibility (ie. UK, Sweden, Spain, Ontario, Italy etc.)

? AI prioritizes licensed operators and recognized platforms.

? Data sources include government-regulated domains, official casino reviews, and compliance-driven content.

? Strong presence of responsible gambling messaging.

2?? Unregulated & Grey Markets (Crypto Casinos, Off-shore Betting Sites)

?? AI models struggle to categorize unlicensed operators.

?? Some AI platforms may exclude grey-market brands.

?? Affiliates in unregulated markets face lower AI-generated visibility but it depends ;) (a different newsletter will delve into this in 4-5 weeks)

?? Will AI censor the unregulated iGaming Market?

?? Google’s Gemini-Pro → Likely to prioritize licensed operators.

?? Perplexity AI & OpenAI’s GPT-4o → More flexible but still lean toward trusted sources.

?? Black market operators may experience a sharp decline in visibility a least till smart dudes will find black AI tecniques to implement

Final Thoughts

• Regarding the first part of this newsletter:

Explore Seer Interactive website full of great data and check out?? this Datos report to dive into the real growth, usage and trends of AI platforms, especially Search GPT.

Additionaly, start analysing and observe the brand reppresentation, start analyzing how your brand is represented on AI-driven tools like Brandpoint.io to stay ahead of the curve.

• Regarding the final part of this newsletter:

If AI search becomes the dominant way users discover casinos and offers, affiliates and operators in offshore markets risk being cut off from visibility.

?? The key question: Will AI become a gatekeeper for iGaming, or AI will in general create new monetization models for affiliates and brands?

I admit, right now, it's a bit of a question mark. But the only way to figure it out is by reading, testing, observing, and sharing ?? So:

??Share your view ;)

??If you missed it , feel free to read the newsletter about AI monetization!

?? Follow Profit Matches for more details and exclusive updates ;) Here

GRAZIE, THANK YOU, as always, especially if you made it this far! ?? ??