It was believed that ChatGPT could end up eating into Google’s search market share, but it turns out that the queries on ChatGPT are quite different from those on Google search.
According to new data from SimilarWeb covering the period from October 2023 to September 2025, the average query length on ChatGPT is dramatically longer than traditional search queries. ChatGPT users enter prompts averaging 60 characters in length, compared to just 3.4 characters for Google searches—making ChatGPT queries roughly 17 times longer. Even Google’s AI Mode, which includes only the first search in a conversation, averages just 10.4 characters, still six times shorter than ChatGPT prompts.
The stark difference in query length suggests that users are engaging with ChatGPT in fundamentally different ways than they use traditional search engines. While Google searches tend to be short, keyword-focused queries like “weather today” or “pizza near me,” ChatGPT users are crafting detailed, conversational prompts. The data shows that informational prompts on ChatGPT, which begin with words like “who,” “what,” “when,” “why,” “where,” or “how,” account for 31.2 characters on average—still substantial compared to traditional search behavior.
This behavioral distinction likely means that ChatGPT isn’t serving as a direct replacement for Google search, which should ease concerns about ChatGPT decimating Google’s search volume. The two platforms appear to be serving different use cases: Google for quick, targeted information retrieval, and ChatGPT for more complex, conversational interactions that require explanation, analysis, or creative output. Users turning to ChatGPT for detailed research, brainstorming, or multi-step problem-solving aren’t necessarily substituting for the kind of quick lookups that drive most Google searches.
Google’s AI Mode presents an interesting middle ground. At 10.4 characters, it sits between traditional search and ChatGPT, suggesting users are adapting their behavior slightly for AI-enhanced search but not to the extent they do with ChatGPT. This hybrid approach may reflect Google’s attempt to blend conversational AI capabilities with the speed and efficiency users expect from traditional search. However, the fact that AI Mode queries remain significantly shorter than ChatGPT prompts indicates it’s attracting a different type of interaction—perhaps users who want some AI assistance but still prefer the search paradigm they’re accustomed to.
The data ultimately suggests that rather than being locked in a zero-sum competition, ChatGPT and Google search may be carving out complementary niches in how people seek and process information online. While there’s undoubtedly some overlap, the dramatic difference in how users formulate their queries indicates these platforms are being used for distinct purposes—a nuance that may define the future landscape of information discovery.
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