Is ChatGPT Really Powered by Google? 118,931 Fan-Out Queries Analyzed

08/20/25
Source: Data & Studies – SEO Blog by Ahrefs by Si Quan Ong. Read the original article

TL;DR Summary of Does ChatGPT Use Google for Its Search Results?

ChatGPT does not primarily rely on Google for retrieving search results in its retrieval-augmented generation process. Data analysis shows that only a small percentage of ChatGPT’s cited URLs appear in Google’s top search results. Instead, ChatGPT uses a hybrid approach combining multiple sources and its own re-ranking algorithms to provide accurate answers. This method reduces dependence on any single search engine and enhances contextual response quality.

Optimixed’s Overview: Investigating ChatGPT’s Search Engine Dependencies and Data Sources

Understanding ChatGPT’s Source of Search Results

Despite expectations that ChatGPT might use Bing due to OpenAI’s partnership with Microsoft, some speculated it could be secretly using Google. To verify this, a detailed data-driven study was conducted analyzing ChatGPT’s actual search queries and returned URLs.

Key Findings from Data Analysis

  • On average, ChatGPT issues about 1.78 search queries per prompt, with 75% of prompts triggering exactly two searches.
  • Only 6.82% of URLs returned by ChatGPT appear in Google’s top 10 search results for the same queries.
  • Less than 17% of ChatGPT’s results appear anywhere in Google’s search results, indicating a significant divergence from Google’s ranking.
  • Additional research across 15,000 prompts confirmed that just 12% of URLs from ChatGPT, Gemini, and Copilot matched Google’s top 10 results.

Implications and ChatGPT’s Multi-Source Strategy

The low overlap with Google’s search results implies that ChatGPT is not “secretly Google-powered.” Instead, it likely employs a multi-source retrieval system that integrates results from Google, Bing, proprietary indexes, and third-party APIs. These aggregated results are then re-ranked using ChatGPT’s algorithms to optimize for relevant, contextual answers rather than simply mirroring popular web listings.

This approach aligns with OpenAI’s strategic goal of reducing reliance on any single search provider, ensuring flexibility and accuracy tailored to their AI’s use cases.