Google vs ChatGPT: Where Do US Consumers Start Shopping Journeys? (Survey)

ChatGPT has seen unprecedented growth, showing incredible growth year after year. And even though the numbers seem to have slowed down this year, the looming question remains the same: “Is AI going to replace traditional search, or when?”

We were determined to explore one specific angle of this question: “How often is AI used for product discovery?”

With this goal in mind, we surveyed American consumers to come to the following conclusions…

Is ChatGPT replacing Google for product discovery: Takeaways

• Absolutely not. So far, Google is a leading product discovery channel across the whole country: 56.68% of American consumers prefer to start their buying journeys by searching Google
• The main Google competitor for shopping discovery is not ChatGPT. It’s Amazon, with 28.96% of the US consumers looking for products to buy there, more often than not.
• 39.54% of respondents never used any AI platform for shopping research
• Yet, 43.94% of respondents feel that they generally use search less, because they can ask an AI platform
• ChatGPT is an AI leader among consumers. Of those who do use AI for product discovery, almost 50% use ChatGPT.
• Google is a leading source of shopping discovery, regardless of age or type of neighborhood. Whether consumers live in a big city, a suburb, or the country, they prefer Google to find products they need.

*We didn’t include social media in this survey because we decided to focus on intent-based engines, i.e., when consumers intend to buy a product they need.

Here are a few more details from the study:

Which shopping discovery channel is used by Americans in every state?

Google wins in most states across the USA, with the exceptions of Arizona, Delaware, Nebraska, Nevada, and Vermont, where people turn to Amazon first.

The most popular platforms to start the buying journey in the USA, by popularity vote, are: 

1. Google: 56.68%
2. Amazon: 28.96%
3. ChatGPT: 7.26%
4. Reddit: 4.56%

Which AI platform is used for product discovery in the US?

Of 60.46% of consumers who have ever used AI for shopping decisions, 48.36% used ChatGPT:

Google is still a preferred platform across all generations, with Gen Z and Millennials *starting* to adopt Reddit and AI

Google is used by about half of consumers in any generation, with Amazon being the second most popular choice. Notably, Gen Z and Millennials are starting to adopt ChatGPT and Reddit more quickly than Baby Boomers and Gen Z

Google is a preferred source of knowledge, regardless of the type of neighborhood people live in

Whether people live in a big city or in the country, they are more likely to search Google when looking for a product they need:

Interestingly, suburban residents are more likely to use ChatGPT for product research. Additionally, of those using AI for product research, ChatGPT wins across all neighborhoods.

Google vs ChatGPT for product discovery: No competition yet

With ChatGPT making it to all kinds of headlines almost daily, it is easy to assume that everyone uses it for just about any purpose. Well, consumer habits are not that easy or quick to break, and our survey demonstrates it well.

Is it going to change? For sure. But how fast and which AI platform will take over the leadership is still unclear.

So far, building organic Google visibility remains the highest priority. We are here to help create a solid long-term SEO strategy!

The data at a glance

Embed the graphic:

<p><a href="https://www.smarty.marketing/google-vs-chatgpt-shopping-decisions/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img src="https://www.smarty.marketing/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/google-vs-chatgpt-768x3125.png" alt="ChatGPT vs Google" width="550" height="2238" /></a></p>

Methodology

The survey included 1,295 US residents with the following demographics:

• 46.31% of respondents were female, 34.48% were male, and 19.21% preferred not to disclose
• Most of the respondents work full-time (56.48%), 28.45% work part-time, 9.66% stay at home (either unemployed or due to retirement, maternity leave, or disability).