ChatGPT performs a search in 31% of prompts, new data reveals

ChatGPT performs a search in nearly one-third of prompts and averages more than two searches per query, each about 5.5 words long (roughly 60% longer than the typical Google search), according to a new study from marketing agency Nectiv.

Why it matters: ChatGPT isn’t just answering questions – it’s searching like a power user. The model relies on longer, more specific, and more commercial-style queries than Google’s average searcher. That means SEOs could have more influence over ChatGPT’s answers, especially for local, product, and buying-intent searches where the model leans most heavily on external data.

By the numbers. Some key findings from the report:

• Search frequency: 31% of prompts triggered at least one search.
• Fan-out depth: ChatGPT averaged 2.17 searches per prompt, maxing out at four.
• Query length: 5.48 words on average – 77% of all the queries were 5 words or longer.
• Industries: ChatGPT searched most for local intent (59%); least for credit cards (18%) and fashion (19%).

Top patterns. ChatGPT favored review-based, fresh, and comparative content. These were some of the most common search terms:

• Reviews (702 instances)
• 2025
• Features
• Comparison

What they’re saying. Chris Long, co-founder of Nectiv, wrote:

• “What’s important to understand is that when ChatGPT uses search, SEOs have much more control over the information that’s presented. This is ChatGPT is basically a wrapper for search engines. So if we can figure out how often and what the LLM is searching, we’re going to have an easier time optimizing for it.”

About the data. 8,500+ ChatGPT prompts were analyzed across nine industries using Nectiv’s AI Tracker to identify when the model performed external searches. They then extracted and aggregated the resulting 2,600+ search queries to uncover patterns in frequency, length, and intent across nine verticals.

The study. New Data Study: What Queries Is ChatGPT Using Behind The Scenes?