Introduction
As a marketing manager, you’re already spinning plenty of plates across organic search, paid search, and social media to keep those leads flowing. But now there’s a new channel muscling in: traffic from large language models (LLMs) such as ChatGPT, Claude, and Google’s AI Search.
You’ve probably seen the buzz that AI-driven traffic is “higher quality” but does the evidence actually stack up? More importantly, should you value these visits over the tried and tested organic search clicks you already rely on?
We’ve dug into the latest research and large-scale studies so you don’t have to, giving you the insights you need to make smart, informed decisions.
What the Data Tells Us
1. Conversion Rates: Roughly Equal, With Standout Exceptions
A major 2025 study by Amsive analysed 54 websites over six months and found conversion rates of 4.87% for LLM-referred visitors compared with 4.60% from organic search, hardly a game-changer (Amsive, 2025).
But the story doesn’t end there. In certain B2B and SaaS contexts, the difference is dramatic. Seer Interactive shared a B2B case where ChatGPT traffic converted at 15.9%, compared to just 1.8% from Google organic (Seer Interactive, 2025). That suggests LLM users who do click through are often much further along in their decision-making journey.
Across the dataset, 56% of sites saw slightly higher conversion rates from LLM traffic than their average, while 41% saw lower (Amsive, 2025). The takeaway? Performance varies by industry and intent.
2. Lead Quality and Sales-Readiness
LLMs typically handle top-of-funnel queries in-platform, so the users who click through tend to be focused on specifics: product details, pricing, comparisons, or next steps.
One indoor mapping company, for instance, saw a staggering 2,000% increase in qualified traffic measured by sales call bookings after appearing in ChatGPT results (SALT Agency, 2025).
That said, evidence isn’t conclusive across the board. The potential is clear, but results depend heavily on how well your content addresses queries and whether your site makes the next step seamless.
3. Engagement and Behaviour
Here’s where AI traffic shines. Siege Media benchmarked over 300 websites and found ChatGPT users had a 63.4% engagement rate compared with 61.6% for organic search (Siege Media, 2025).
Seer’s data shows ChatGPT users browse an average of 2.3 pages per session compared with just 1.2 from Google and their sessions last nearly twice as long (Seer Interactive, 2025).
This paints a clear picture: LLM users often arrive mid-funnel, more engaged, and hungrier for deeper content.
4. Volume Is Still Small
For all the hype, LLM referrals remain a drop in the ocean. Amsive’s study found they made up only 0.24% of total sessions and 0.42% of conversions versus 32% from organic search (Amsive, 2025).
So while conversion and engagement might be promising, the raw numbers are still tiny.
What This Means for Marketing Managers
For now, think of LLM traffic as a valuable addition to your organic search strategy, not a replacement.
- B2B brands: Expect stronger results, especially if your product or service involves a complex, research-heavy decision journey.
- B2C brands: Performance is more in line with organic averages, still useful, but not game-changing yet.
The most important step? Track it. Set up GA4 filters or UTM parameters to spot ChatGPT, Bing Chat, or Claude referrals. Add “ChatGPT” as an option in “How did you hear about us?” forms. Without the data, you’ll never know whether these leads are actually turning into pipeline.
How to Maximise Value from AI Traffic
- Generative Engine Optimisation (GEO): Structure content with clear H2s/H3s, FAQs, and concise, authoritative answers. This boosts your chances of being cited by AI tools.
- Optimise Conversion Paths: Assume LLM users are mid-funnel. Make demos, pricing, and calculators easy to find and use.
- Hybrid Content Strategy: Keep producing in-depth SEO content, but also add sharp, AI-friendly summaries at the top of key pages.
- Measure Beyond Form Fills: Track opportunities, pipeline, and revenue. You may find LLM-driven leads move faster or bring higher deal values.
Looking Ahead: The Bigger Picture
Looking ahead, LLM referrals are set to grow rapidly over the next 12-18 months as AI assistants become baked into Google Search and Microsoft Copilot. We expect these clicks to rise from under 1% today to a measurable share of search traffic. Early movers will reap the benefits as this compounds.
Competition will heat up. Just as SEO rankings became critical, being cited in AI answers will be the next battleground. Content freshness, authority, and structured formats will be key to standing out.
Better attribution tools are also on the horizon, with GA4 and major CRMs expected to offer clearer tracking of AI-driven traffic. Content formats will evolve too, with more brands adopting modular layouts: Q&As, visual comparisons, and concise summaries designed for both humans and AI.
And let’s not forget trust. LLMs gravitate towards credible, reliable sources. The stronger your authority and author profiles, the more likely AI tools are to surface your content.
The Bottom Line
Right now, LLM traffic is small but mighty. Conversion rates are broadly in line with organic search, sometimes much higher. Visitors are often highly engaged, but there just aren’t many of them yet.
The brands winning today are those already optimising for AI discovery and tracking results closely. Over the next 12-24 months, we expect LLM traffic to become a measurable contributor to pipeline. Early adopters who prepare now will be best placed to benefit.
If you’d like to audit your content for AI visibility and get ready for the next wave of search behaviour, Angelfish Marketing can help from AI SEO to funnel design and tracking setup.
Make your content AI-ready and book your free consultation now.
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