SearchGPT’s Impact on SEO - Can it Beat Google?

Is OpenAI’s SearchGPT going to take over Google as the people’s search engine of choice?

In October this year, Google’s search dominance stood at a whopping 89.34%. But just one day after OpenAI announced SearchGPT, Google’s share price plummeted by 3.1%.

Only 10,000 beta testers were granted early access, and their initial reviews were positive.

ChatGPT Plus users can now access SearchGPT by clicking the web search icon in the interface. This integration is also referred to as ChatGPT Search.

So, Google or SearchGPT? To find the answer, we have put ChatGPT Search head-to-head with Google to compare their results for various search phrases.

We discuss our findings in this article and also explore the impact of SearchGPT on SEO.

What is SearchGPT and How Does it Work?

SearchGPT is an AI-driven search engine capable of crawling the Internet and its internal database in real time to provide up-to-date and accurate information.

Unlike Google, SearchGPT delivers clear and concise answers, eliminating the need to scroll through multiple web pages and links to find what you’re looking for.

From the user’s perspective, the experience of using SearchGPT is similar to ChatGPT. Responses are provided instantly, and users can ask follow-up questions to clarify any doubts.

Information can be organised in various formats, such as tables, by instructing the AI accordingly.

To demonstrate, we asked SearchGPT to compile a list of the top 10 richest people in the world, including their nationalities and current residences. Here is the result:

OpenAI has not disclosed the exact workings of SearchGPT on the backend. However, it is presumed that, like Perplexity and Google AI Overviews, SearchGPT utilises retrieval-augmented generation (RAG).

AI search engines often adopt RAG because it enables them to enhance their understanding of specific domains by combining user queries with their existing databases.

With a growing dataset for training, AI search engines can continually improve the quality of their responses.

Features of SearchGPT

SearchGPT has some unique features that are missing from traditional search engines like Google, Bing or Yahoo.

Instant Real-Time Answers

SearchGPT provides instant answers that are concise and direct. Users no longer need to choose which web page to visit or scan through lengthy text to locate the desired information.

By using SearchGPT, users save both time and effort.

We asked both Google and SearchGPT about the results of the 2024 U.S. presidential election. Here’s what we found:

While SearchGPT delivered a clear and straightforward response, Google required additional time for users to locate the answer manually.

Moreover, we observed that SearchGPT effectively understands the context of queries, even when they contain spelling or grammatical errors.

SearchGPT is Conversational

With ChatGPT, we have all become accustomed to a conversational mode of finding answers.

SearchGPT offers the same experience but enhances it further, allowing users to ask follow-up questions, and making the process more personal and efficient.

Conversion-Focused Ads for Marketers

Currently, SearchGPT does not feature advertisements. However, we anticipate that OpenAI may introduce paid ads to SearchGPT soon, potentially revolutionising the advertising industry.

Due to SearchGPT’s conversational features, users are inclined to spend more time on the search engine.

This positions SearchGPT uniquely to identify buyer intent based on the substantial number of user queries.

For marketers, SearchGPT can serve as an ideal platform, offering greater creative freedom and more precise targeting based on the user’s buying stage.

Additionally, SearchGPT provides access to advanced analytics, including user engagement, conversions, and campaign performance.

Includes More Than Just Texts

SearchGPT does not solely generate text-based results. Depending on the query, the results may include images, videos, and other media formats.

The inclusion of rich media makes the results more engaging and enhances the understanding of certain topics.

Site Sources

SearchGPT cites all the blog posts referenced to answer a user query, with the citations accessible through a “Sources” button.

Users can visit these sources to verify the information and conduct additional research if needed.

Battle of the Search Engines: SearchGPT vs Google

We tested specific types of search queries on both SearchGPT and Google. Based on our tests, some of the key distinctions between SearchGPT and Google are outlined below.

Direct Search Queries

Direct search queries such as “How many glasses of water do you need to drink per day?” are essential for everyday users seeking quick, accurate, and concise answers.

These informational queries generate significant search volume and serve as a valuable source of traffic for websites.

SearchGPT excels in providing short and direct answers compared to Google and can engage in conversation with users, allowing them to gain a deeper understanding of the topic.

We also observed that for specific niche queries, SearchGPT delivered better answers than Google.

Google’s AI Overviews, feature snippets, and other tools do provide direct answers to some queries.

However, users often need to browse multiple web pages manually to find the required information.

Maps and Local Search

Businesses must rank for commercial keywords such as “best restaurants near me” to attract more customers through local searches and generate higher revenue.

Google has been consistently improving its local search and maps, making it easier for users to find nearby services.

SearchGPT has considerable room for improvement in local search capabilities. For the query “best restaurants near me,” after reviewing four blog posts, SearchGPT identified only six restaurants, which is quite limited.

Upon clicking the directions button, SearchGPT redirects users to Google Maps.

Online Shopping Experience

Getting ranked for transactional keywords on search engines is highly valuable for eCommerce businesses.

For decades, eCommerce stores have targeted keywords such as “best bags to buy in 2025,” which indicate a strong purchase intent from users.

A key distinction between direct queries and eCommerce queries is that users searching for products often seek more options rather than concise answers.

Users are constantly looking for details, reviews, and product features to make informed decisions.

Google provides online shoppers with a diverse collection of blogs, product pages, and YouTube reviews in its search results.

SearchGPT, on the other hand, scans recent blog posts and lists a limited number of products with brief descriptions, often leaving users wanting more.

The Rise of AI-Powered Search Engines

As we continue to experiment with AI and its place in modern times, AI-powered search engines are noticeably on the rise.

SearchGPT is not the first of its kind – but does it have the potential to be the most successful?

SearchGPT vs Google AI Overviews

Both SearchGPT and Google AI Overviews are AI-powered search engines designed to deliver precise answers instantly.

When asked a specific query, both search engines provide a summarised response after searching through multiple sources, with proper citations included.

One notable limitation of Google AI Overviews is the inability to ask follow-up questions. Users receive only a single response, which is sometimes contradicted by feature snippets.

While SearchGPT incorporates images, videos, and other relevant media into its results, Google AI Overviews primarily provides bullet points derived from a limited set of resources.

We also observed that SearchGPT processes a more significant number of sources than Google AI Overviews before generating an answer.

However, SearchGPT occasionally links to sources that return a 404 error (page not found).

In contrast, Google AI Overviews tends to rely on more trusted publications when sourcing its answers.

SearchGPT vs Perplexity

There are many similarities between SearchGPT and Perplexity.

Both AI search engines cite all sources, deliver instant answers and have conversational capabilities, providing an excellent user experience while saving both time and effort.

While SearchGPT and Perplexity have similar features, their functionality and purposes differ significantly.

SearchGPT is designed to answer general queries that cater to the needs of both everyday users and professionals. Perplexity, in contrast, is tailored for researchers, focusing on academic queries.

Perplexity offers a list of related questions, a feature that is both intuitive and helpful for deeper exploration.

The paid version of Perplexity also includes integration with tools like DALL-E and Playground AI, enabling users to generate images based on their responses.

Paid users can choose from popular large language models (LLMs) such as GPT-4o, Claude-3, and more.

SearchGPT, on the other hand, is integrated into ChatGPT and operates using GPT-4 and GPT-4o models.

Impact SearchGPT Will Have on SEO

Given OpenAI’s impressive track record and our firsthand experience testing SearchGPT, we believe it will significantly impact SEO.

Below, we outline some trends that are likely to emerge in the SEO space after the introduction of SearchGPT.

The Rise of AI-based Responses

With the integration of Google Overviews into search results, the launch of SearchGPT, and the growing popularity of Perplexity, it is evident that AI-driven responses are here to stay.

Users have now become familiar with receiving instant answers to their search queries.

Google, OpenAI, and Bing are likely to focus on refining algorithms to identify authoritative sources for generating accurate responses.

SEO writers will need to understand how large language models (LLMs) select their sources and optimise their content to be cited in AI-based responses.

Search Will be More Conversational

Before ChatGPT, few anticipated that AI would take the form of a chatbot and achieve such widespread acceptance.

Users find it far more convenient to ask questions and receive immediate answers than to shift through multiple search results.

With users spending more time on search engines, marketers can strategically target specific queries to promote their businesses and products.

Since users are more likely to ask follow-up questions, it becomes essential to address all aspects of a subject comprehensively.

Marketers can also target users based on their queries, tailoring content to engage those at specific stages of the buying journey.

Authoritative Sites Will Win the SEO Game

While receiving answers quickly is important, ensuring the accuracy of those responses is even more critical.

To establish credibility, search engines will prioritise citing authoritative sources that are most likely to provide up-to-date information.

Marketers and SEO writers will need to create more specific and targeted content to be recognised and cited by search engines.

In the future, concise, accurate, and straightforward answers will define effective content strategies.

Organic Traffic Will Become More Competitive

With the growing popularity of AI search engines like SearchGPT, Google AI Overviews, and Perplexity, driving traffic to even top-ranking results will become increasingly challenging.

AI search engines are likely to absorb much of the traffic that publications traditionally received from organic rankings on search engines.

After obtaining direct answers, users are less likely to visit individual search results.

Can SearchGPT Beat Google?

The short answer is no. Google has dominated the search market for decades, and SearchGPT has a lot of catching up to do.

However, SearchGPT is undeniably an innovative AI search engine with many advanced and practical features.

Google will need to monitor it closely and continue innovating its search interface to maintain its dominance.

To stay ahead, Google must significantly enhance the user experience for short queries. Answers need to be recent, accurate, and concise.

Algorithms should be developed to ensure that only up-to-date blogs are reviewed when generating AI responses.

Currently, many results produced by Google AI Overviews rely on outdated sources, which undermines their accuracy.

SearchGPT, on the other hand, needs to focus on improving local search.

They need to make it easier for users to find relevant local businesses to avoid losing a significant portion of the search market share.

Additionally, commercial search queries are another area where SearchGPT needs to catch up. New features must be added to attract online shoppers and eCommerce businesses to the platform.

Choose BFJ Digital for Better SearchGPT Rankings

The introduction of SearchGPT to the SEO space brings new and unexplored opportunities for businesses and marketers alike.

At BFJ Digital, we are eager to delve into SearchGPT’s full potential, providing our clients with enhanced results in both paid and organic marketing.

Contact our team today to discuss the most effective ways to optimise your marketing budget for organic and paid SearchGPT traffic.