What ChatGPT’s Search Prompts Reveal About the Future of Online Visibility

What ChatGPT’s Search Habits Reveal About the Future of Online Visibility

If you’ve used ChatGPT to ask questions lately — anything from “best restaurants near me” to “how do I fix this error message?” — there’s a good chance it didn’t generate that answer out of thin air. New research from Nectiv Digital shows that ChatGPT performs an internet search in roughly one out of every three prompts it receives.

That means when people use ChatGPT, it’s not just giving them pre-learned answers, it’s searching the web, gathering results, and then summarizing them instantly.

Search Engine Land broke down the data behind this study, and the numbers tell a story that every business owner should understand.

1. ChatGPT is using Google-style searches, and a lot of them

In Nectiv’s study, researchers tracked hundreds of thousands of prompts sent to ChatGPT’s web-connected version. What they found was eye-opening:

• About 31% of prompts triggered an online search.

• The majority of those searches were phrased like Google queries, asking about reviews, comparisons, features, and pricing.
  
  

In plain terms, ChatGPT is acting more and more like a search engine assistant, except it skips the “list of links” and gives users a summarized answer instead.

For businesses, that means if your site isn’t optimized for natural language and long-tail searches, you risk disappearing from this new kind of discovery.

2. People use ChatGPT differently than Google

ChatGPT’s search behavior shows that users aren’t just looking for information, they’re looking for summaries and opinions.

Instead of typing “best laptop 2025 reviews” into Google and scrolling through 10 articles, people ask ChatGPT:

“What are the best laptops in 2025 for design work?”

ChatGPT then performs its own search and blends the results into one concise answer.

So, while Google Search is still where most people go first, tools like ChatGPT are quickly becoming the “shortcut” for those who want fast, summarized, trustworthy answers.

3. The types of searches matter

Nectiv’s research also found that most of ChatGPT’s searches fell into a few key categories:

• Product comparisons and reviews – People want advice before they buy.

• Recent events or new information – Because ChatGPT’s built-in data cuts off, it relies on live searches to stay current.

• Guides and how-tos – Many prompts start with “how to,” “best way to,” or “steps to fix.”
  
  

This mix shows that helpful, educational content, especially content written like an answer, is exactly what AI systems pull from.

If your site is built around clear answers, FAQs, and detailed explanations, it’s more likely to be used (and cited) by tools like ChatGPT.

4. What this means for small businesses

For local or service-based businesses, this shift isn’t bad news — it’s an opportunity.

AI tools like ChatGPT still need sources to summarize. They rely on accurate, trusted, and locally relevant information. That means businesses with strong local SEO and well-written, conversational content can appear not only on Google but also inside these AI-generated summaries.

To stay visible:

• Keep your website content fresh, specific, and clear.

• Write naturally — like you’re answering a real customer question.

• Make sure your Google Business Profile is updated and consistent.

• Include key details AI tools can easily recognize (location, services, reviews).

If you’re unsure how well your content performs in this new AI-driven landscape, Local Howl can help you strengthen your Google Business Profile Optimization and adapt your SEO for AI-driven discovery.

Final Takeaway

ChatGPT is already shaping how people search — quietly using live web results to answer questions in seconds.

For small businesses, that means your content can show up not just in search results, but in the answers themselves. The key is clarity, credibility, and consistency.

Write for real people, not algorithms — and you’ll be ready for whatever AI does next.