A Week After ChatGPT-5 Launch: AI Agents Rival Google in Organic Search Traffic

BrightEdge, the global leader in AI-driven organic search, content, and digital marketing automation, has released new research showing that AI agents—computers performing tasks on behalf of users—are no longer a future concept. They are already here and rival Google in scale. In July 2025 alone, agent activity doubled, carving a new channel of traffic equivalent to a third of all organic search traffic to brands. These AI agents are rapidly reshaping the web by crawling and indexing websites across major industries at unprecedented levels, redefining how businesses must approach search visibility in the AI era.

AI Agents Are Here and Growing Fast

"AI agents are not coming, they're here, actively shaping user experiences," said Jim Yu, Founder and CEO of BrightEdge. "We're seeing a major shift in how content gets discovered and delivered, as new types of AI agents engage with websites and surface information in real-time conversations. This marks a move from AI assistants to truly agentic systems, an evolution that demands new strategies. Brands that understand this, adapt early and optimize for agent visibility will gain a clear competitive edge."

Agentic Systems Go Mainstream

On July 17, 2025, OpenAI launched ChatGPT Agent, a major leap forward as ChatGPT evolved from a conversational assistant to an autonomous agent. This shift signals the next phase of AI: not just generating answers but doing the work for users. With ChatGPT-5, OpenAI is accelerating this transformation. BrightEdge’s latest data provides marketers an early glimpse into the agentic future of search and how to maintain visibility in it.

Key Insights from BrightEdge Research and ChatGPT

• ChatGPT's Already at Work for Users: The number of pages requested from ChatGPT on behalf of users is approximately 33% of the level of actual users visiting pages via organic search.
• Explosive Growth in Real-Time AI Queries: ChatGPT’s real-time page requests nearly doubled in July 2025, showing users relying on real-time web searches to answer questions almost doubled in just one month.
• ChatGPT's Web Crawling Rivals Google's Desktop Activity: ChatGPT actively crawls websites to build its search index at the same level as Google desktop.
• Missed Opportunities in AI Responses: For real-time searches, ChatGPT requested non-existent pages about 1% of the time, resulting in error pages instead of relevant content. Unlike Google, which may tolerate slower sites, ChatGPT doesn’t wait—if a website loads too slowly, the chance to reach an engaged, high-intent user is lost. This highlights the urgent need for strong technical SEO to perform well with both AI and traditional search.

The Need for AI and Agentic Analytics

As AI search continues to grow, blocking AI agents will hinder brand visibility on platforms like ChatGPT and Perplexity. When AI platforms drive referral traffic, the quality tends to be high, with visitors often further along in their buying journey and more likely to convert after extensive AI-powered research. "While blocking AI bots might make sense for publishers who monetize their content, brands outside of those can't take the risk of shutting the door on agents," said Albert Gouyet, VP Operations at BrightEdge. "Brands not only need to keep the door open to agents, they need to embrace them."

The BrightEdge Advantage: Leading the AI and Agentic Revolution

As AI agents reshape how people discover content online, optimizing solely for traditional search engines is no longer enough. Brands need to understand how these new systems search, interpret, and rank their websites. BrightEdge is at the forefront of this transformation. With AI Catalyst, marketers gain deep, site-specific insights into how AI engines and agents interact with their content. The platform provides real-time visibility into what AI sees and what it doesn’t, offering clear guidance to improve discovery, fix indexing issues, and drive better results in an agent-led world. View the full research findings here. Learn more about BrightEdge AI Catalyst here.

About BrightEdge

BrightEdge is the global leader in Enterprise SEO and AI-powered content performance. For over 18 years, BrightEdge has helped thousands of brands and digital marketers, including 57% of the Fortune 500, transform online opportunities into measurable business results. Its platform integrates comprehensive datasets from traditional SEO, digital media, social, and content with cutting-edge generative AI capabilities, including its deep learning engine DataMind and AI Catalyst platform. Trusted by enterprises, mid-market companies, and leading digital agencies, BrightEdge continues to set the standard for innovation in search and AI. Contact: press@brightedge.com

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Source: Yahoo Finance | Published August 13, 2025

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

AI Agents and Search Traffic

Q: How are AI agents impacting organic search traffic for brands? A: AI agents are creating a new channel of traffic that is rapidly growing and already rivals Google in scale. They are fundamentally reshaping how content is discovered and delivered, requiring businesses to adapt their strategies for visibility in this new AI era. Q: What is the significance of ChatGPT's recent developments for search visibility? A: The evolution of ChatGPT into an autonomous agent, particularly with advancements like ChatGPT-5, signals a major shift. These agents are actively engaging with websites, crawling content, and providing real-time conversational answers, which directly impacts how users discover information and how brands need to optimize for this new discovery mechanism. Q: What does "agentic systems" mean in the context of AI and search? A: Agentic systems refer to AI that moves beyond simply answering questions to actively performing tasks on behalf of users. This means AI agents are increasingly interacting with websites, indexing content, and delivering information in a more autonomous and proactive manner, fundamentally changing the user experience and search landscape. Q: What are the key benefits for brands that optimize for AI agent visibility? A: Brands that understand and optimize for AI agent visibility can gain a significant competitive edge. These agents often drive high-quality referral traffic, with users being further along in their buying journey and exhibiting a higher intent to convert after their AI-powered research. Q: What are the risks of blocking AI agents for brands? A: For brands outside of content monetization, blocking AI agents is a significant risk that can hinder visibility on platforms like ChatGPT and Perplexity. Embracing these agents is crucial for maintaining access to engaged, high-intent users.

Technical SEO and AI Agents

Q: How does website speed affect performance with AI agents like ChatGPT? A: Website speed is critical. Unlike traditional search engines that might tolerate slower loading times, AI agents like ChatGPT do not wait. If a website is too slow, the opportunity to reach an engaged user is lost, underscoring the importance of strong technical SEO for AI interactions. Q: What are the implications of AI agents requesting non-existent pages? A: The research indicates that AI agents occasionally request non-existent pages, leading to error pages. This highlights the need for robust site crawling and indexing capabilities, as well as content that is readily available and correctly structured for AI interpretation.

Crypto Market AI's Take

The rapid rise of AI agents and their impact on organic search traffic is a significant development for businesses across all sectors, including the cryptocurrency market. As AI systems become more sophisticated, their ability to crawl, index, and interact with web content at scale means that traditional SEO strategies need to be augmented with an understanding of how AI agents discover and present information. For cryptocurrency platforms and projects, this translates to a need for highly optimized, technically sound content that is easily accessible to AI agents. Ensuring that your cryptocurrency market data and insights are discoverable and understandable by these emerging AI channels is crucial for maintaining visibility and attracting users in the evolving digital landscape. Understanding how AI agents parse information could lead to new forms of content discovery and engagement in the crypto space.

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• Mastering Cryptocurrency SEO in the Age of AI