You see it everywhere. Your team uses it for brainstorming, your kids use it for homework, and news headlines declare it the future. We're talking about ChatGPT. It feels like OpenAI completely ambushed Google, sprinting ahead in the AI race while the search giant was left standing still.
And if you look at the numbers, it seems true. But the story is much more complicated.
While ChatGPT enjoys the spotlight, Google is sitting on a hidden advantage so massive it could change the entire game overnight. The AI race is far from over, and surprisingly, it is still Google's to lose. Understanding why is critical for your business strategy.
Let's not downplay OpenAI's incredible success. By being first and offering a product that was simple and powerful, ChatGPT captured the world's attention. The numbers speak for themselves.
In any given month, ChatGPT's website attracts around 1.8 billion visits. In contrast, Google's Gemini chatbot sees a fraction of that, currently hovering around 430 million visits.
From a pure chatbot vs. chatbot perspective, it’s a knockout. OpenAI has won the early rounds decisively. They have the brand recognition and the user base for generative AI chat. If you ask someone to name an AI chatbot, they will almost certainly say "ChatGPT".
So why isn't Google panicking? Because the chatbot market is a tiny battlefield in a much, much larger war. And Google's business model is a set of golden handcuffs holding it back, for now.
To understand Google's slow-and-steady approach, you have to look at its core business: search advertising. This is the engine that powers the entire company.
In 2024, Google's advertising revenue exceeded $250 billion. The majority of that, over $180 billion, came from search ads. Think about that. Your business and millions of others pay to place those blue links at the top of the search results. It’s a finely tuned machine that prints money.
Now, imagine replacing that page of ten blue links and multiple ads with a single, perfect AI-generated answer.
Where do the ads go?
This is Google's billion-dollar dilemma. How do you seamlessly integrate ads into a conversational AI answer without destroying the user experience? OpenAI doesn't have this problem. They started with a subscription model, so their path to making money is different.
Google is trying to rebuild the engine of a jumbo jet while it's still in the air. This internal conflict, this need to protect its massive advertising income, is why the company is moving so much slower than you might expect.
While Google wrestles with its business model, it holds a trump card that no other company has: unimaginable distribution power.
Google doesn't need you to visit a separate website to use its AI. It can build Gemini directly into the products you already use every single day.
Here are the key advantages:
Google Chrome: The recent antitrust case, which Google largely breezed by, was a massive win. It ensures Google Chrome remains the world's dominant browser. With over 3 billion users, Google could integrate Gemini features directly into the browser bar. Your browser could become the AI assistant.
Android: There are more than 3 billion active Android devices worldwide. Google can push Gemini features to these phones and tablets through a simple software update, making it the default AI assistant for a huge portion of the global population.
Google Search: This is the big one. More than 8.5 billion Google searches happen every single day. By integrating Gemini directly into its main search page, what it calls the Search Generative Experience (SGE), Google can introduce its AI to more people in one day than ChatGPT gets in a month.
When Google figures out the advertising puzzle, it can "flip a switch" and put its AI in front of billions of people instantly. This is a level of scale that OpenAI can only dream of.
So, what should you be doing right now? The landscape is shifting, but the foundational principles of good marketing remain.
Don't Abandon SEO, but don't expect it to work the same either: Google Search and its ad model aren't disappearing tomorrow. Some of the tactics you use to rank on Google are still vitally important and will be for the foreseeable future. This is especially true for Local SEO and reviews - which give Google a massive advantage for giving people instant advice on home services type projects.
Focus on Authority: In an AI-driven world, being a trusted source is more important than ever. AI models will need to cite their sources. Your goal is to create content so good that the AI quotes you as the expert. Our opinion is that links will likely be dead, this is the next version of the internet.
Adapt to Conversational Search: Start thinking about how your customers ask questions conversationally. Optimize your content to provide direct, clear answers to those questions. This will make your content more valuable to both humans and AI answer engines.
The AI race isn't a sprint; it's a marathon. While ChatGPT has a strong early lead, Google owns the stadium, the broadcast rights, and half the runners.
Is Google Search dead? Not at all. It's evolving and will soon be an answer engine / chatbot like ChatGPT. The way we get information from Google will change, becoming more conversational and direct, but the platform will remain the primary way people find information online.
Should my business stop investing in SEO? You should continue investing in SEO but adapt your strategy to focus on the future. Focus on building topical authority, answering user questions clearly, and creating high-quality, expert-led content that an AI would be proud to reference. This future strategy is commonly called GEO (Generative Engine Optimization).
Is Google Gemini a better AI than ChatGPT? "Better" is subjective. In many head-to-head tests, Gemini models perform on par with or even exceed the capabilities of OpenAI's models, especially in tasks involving real-time information and creative reasoning. However, ChatGPT often has a user interface that people are more familiar with. This race changes by the week. If you have a better product and no one uses it, does it matter?
As of this moment, the race is between only two players in our mind: ChatGPT and Gemini.
Navigating these massive technological shifts can feel overwhelming. You're trying to run your business, and it feels like the digital ground is constantly moving beneath your feet.
At ContextProof, we help your brand navigate this new era of marketing your brand. We translate complex changes in AI and search into clear, actionable strategies for your business.
Stop guessing what's next. Contact ContextProof today for a clarity session and build a marketing strategy that's ready for the future.