Insights / Research
Are AI search visitors worth 4.4x more? What Semrush measured
Semrush found the average AI search visitor converts at 4.4 times the value of an organic visitor. The caveats matter, and so does the second finding about rankings.
In June 2025 Semrush published a study on how AI search could affect traffic and revenue. One result got a lot of attention: the average visitor who arrives from an AI search tool converts at a much higher rate than the average organic search visitor.
The numbers
- 4.4x. Semrush found that the average AI search visitor, tracked to a non-Google source such as ChatGPT, is worth 4.4 times the average visitor from traditional organic search, measured by conversion rate.
- When ChatGPT search cites a page, that page ranks in organic positions 21 and below for related queries almost 90% of the time.
- About 50% of the links in ChatGPT-4o responses pointed to business or service websites.
Conversion value of the average visitor, organic search = 1
Why the gap might exist
Semrush's explanation is that people who use AI assistants often compare options inside the conversation first. By the time they click through to your site, they know what you offer and how you compare. They arrive further along in the decision.
Read it with care
- The study analysed more than 500 high-value topics in digital marketing and SEO. Behaviour in other industries may differ.
- Semrush sells SEO software, and the study is their own analysis.
- The 4.4x figure is an average across visitors, not a promise for any one site.
What it means for a small business
Two points are useful even with those caveats.
First, you can be cited without ranking at the top. If the pages ChatGPT cites mostly sit below position 20 in normal search, then a well-structured, specific page can earn a citation without winning a traditional ranking battle. That is an opening for businesses that cannot outspend larger competitors.
Second, the visitors may be fewer but warmer. This is why we report on citations and enquiries, not only traffic. A smaller number of better-prepared visitors can be worth more than a large number of casual ones.
We will not promise you a multiple like 4.4x. We can measure your own AI visits and enquiries and show you what they are worth to you.