Something new started showing up in our clients’ Google Analytics reports this spring.
A traffic source called chatgpt.com.
For some clients, it is a handful of visitors. For others, that number grew by more than 2,000% compared to this time last year. Either way, it tells us something important about how people are searching for businesses like yours – and it changes how we think about your online presence.
What Is ChatGPT Traffic?
When someone asks ChatGPT a question like “what are the best dog-friendly hotels on the Oregon Coast?” and ChatGPT includes a link to your website in its answer, that visit shows up in your Google Analytics as a referral from chatgpt.com.
Until mid-2025, these visits were largely invisible in analytics – they blended into the “direct” traffic category. OpenAI began tagging their referral links with a trackable source identifier, which is why this is appearing for the first time this year.
The visits were already happening. Now we can see them.
Why This Matters for Your Business
A few things worth knowing.
AI-referred visitors tend to be further along in their decision-making. When someone asks ChatGPT for a hotel recommendation and then clicks through to your site, they are not browsing – they have already received a recommendation and chosen to learn more. That is a different kind of visitor than someone who found you through a broad Google search.
The volume is still small. For most small businesses, ChatGPT.com accounts for a tiny percentage of total website traffic right now. What matters is the direction: this channel is growing fast, and the businesses establishing a visible presence in AI results today are getting ahead of that curve.
The factors that determine whether ChatGPT recommends your business are largely the same factors that drive strong Google rankings. Comprehensive, well-organized content about your specific services. An active, complete Google Business Profile. A steady stream of recent reviews. Consistent mentions across travel directories, local guides, and trusted websites.
If you are working on these things, you are building the same foundation that AI systems use to learn about your business and recommend it confidently.
What ChatGPT Is Actually Looking For
When someone asks an AI assistant to recommend a local hotel, restaurant, or service, the system draws on multiple sources: its training data (which includes your website content and online reviews), current web browsing results, and what it has absorbed from high-authority platforms like travel directories and local publications.
The more complete and consistent your online presence across all of these sources, the more likely an AI system is to recognize your business as a credible, relevant answer.
This is the same logic behind the topical authority work we do with clients. A hotel with well-written pages about its location, its pet policy, its beach access, and the surrounding area is not just building content for Google. That same content teaches AI systems who you are, what you offer, and who you serve.
What to Expect Over the Next Year
Right now, AI referral traffic is early-stage for most businesses. Do not read too much into month-to-month fluctuations – the numbers are still small. Watch the trend over 6 to 12 months.
We are monitoring this for all clients: which AI platforms are sending traffic, how engaged those visitors are compared to other sources, and whether AI referrals are leading to bookings. We will call it out in monthly reports as the numbers become more meaningful.
One Thing You Can Do Right Now
Make sure your Google Business Profile is complete, accurate, and active. Correct name, address, hours, photos, and services – plus a steady flow of recent reviews. This is one of the primary sources AI systems use to verify business information before recommending it.
If your GBP has not been reviewed or updated in the last few months, it is worth a look. If you are not sure where it stands, ask us.
