Almost No One Is Clicking on ChatGPT Links

Why It Matters

The low click‑through rates underscore that publishers cannot rely on ChatGPT to replace lost search traffic, forcing them to reassess monetization and SEO strategies around AI‑generated results.

Summary

A leaked OpenAI file shows that while ChatGPT displays publisher links hundreds of thousands of times, click‑through rates are minuscule – a top‑performing page recorded 610,775 impressions but only 4,238 clicks (0.69% CTR) and most pages saw CTRs below 0.1%. The data breaks down interactions across response, sidebar, citations, search results and TL;DR zones, revealing that the high‑visibility main response area generates the fewest clicks, whereas sidebar and citation placements achieve higher CTRs (6‑10%) but with far fewer impressions. Overall, AI‑driven traffic from ChatGPT remains a tiny sliver of total web traffic and is unlikely to substitute for traditional organic search. The findings were shared by Draft & Goal CTO Vincent Terrasi and reported by Search Engine Land.