AI-driven traffic is growing fast, but still lags far behind Google Search dominance. New data from Similarweb reveals a massive 357% year-over-year increase in AI referrals, totaling over 1.13 billion in June 2025. However, Google Search remains king, driving 191 billion referrals in the same month.
AI Is Changing How People Find Websites
AI platforms like ChatGPT, Gemini, Claude, and Perplexity are now significant sources of web traffic.
- In June 2024, AI referrals were a fraction of today’s numbers.
- By June 2025, AI referrals reached 1.13 billion to the top 1,000 websites globally.
- ChatGPT alone accounted for over 80% of these referrals.
This reflects a massive shift in how users discover information online. While Google still dominates, AI tools are steadily gaining ground.
News and Media Sites Are Feeling the Shift
One of the biggest impacts has been on the news and media industry. With declining Google traffic, publishers worry about a future they call “Google Zero” — a day when Google stops referring readers to their sites altogether.
Key stats:
- AI referrals to news and media sites jumped 770% since June 2024.
- Some publishers are losing traffic because of AI summaries (called “Overviews”) that reduce clicks.
For example:
- A recent Pew Research study found that when AI Overviews appeared in Google results, users clicked on links just 8% of the time.
- Without AI summaries, click-through rates nearly doubled to 15%.
Not all news sites benefit equally. The New York Times, for instance, blocks AI platforms due to its legal battle with OpenAI over content usage.
Top News Sites by AI Referrals in June 2025
According to Similarweb, the following publishers led AI-driven traffic last month:
- Yahoo – 2.3 million referrals
- Yahoo Japan – 1.9 million
- Reuters – 1.8 million
- The Guardian – 1.7 million
- India Times – 1.2 million
- Business Insider – 1.0 million
These publishers are reaping the benefits of being AI-friendly — either by optimizing content or allowing AI access.
Beyond News: AI Referrals Across Other Sectors
AI is not just reshaping media. It’s also sending traffic to e-commerce, tech, science, and business platforms.
E-commerce Leaders:
- Amazon – 4.5 million referrals
- Etsy – 2.0 million
- eBay – 1.8 million
Tech and Social Media Leaders:
- Google – 53.1 million
- Reddit – 11.1 million
- Facebook – 11.0 million
- GitHub – 7.4 million
- Microsoft – 5.1 million
- Canva – 5.0 million
- Instagram – 4.7 million
- LinkedIn – 4.4 million
- Bing – 3.1 million
- Pinterest – 2.5 million
Note: OpenAI.com was excluded from the study because most of its traffic was from ChatGPT itself.
AI Referral Leaders by Category
Here’s a snapshot of which sites topped AI referrals in their specific fields:
| Category | Top Site | AI Referrals in June |
| Video & Streaming | YouTube | 31.2M |
| Science & Research | ResearchGate | 3.6M |
| Government | Europa.eu | 992.9K |
| Real Estate | Zillow | 776.2K |
| Knowledge Sharing | Wikipedia | 10.8M |
| Health | NIH.gov | 5.2M |
| Finance | Investing.com | 1.2M |
| Retail | Home Depot | 1.2M |
| Travel | Kayak | 456.5K |
| Fashion | Zara | 325.6K |
What Counts as an “AI Referral”?
AI referrals include traffic from platforms like:
- ChatGPT
- Google Gemini
- Anthropic Claude
- Perplexity AI
- X Grok
- DeepSeek
- Liner
These tools often provide direct links to websites after summarizing or answering a user’s query.
Why This Matters
AI is reshaping the internet’s traffic flow. While it’s still behind Google in raw numbers, its growth rate is explosive. For businesses and publishers, ignoring AI means missing out on a rapidly expanding channel.
This change is especially crucial for:
- Online publishers trying to stay visible
- E-commerce brands competing for clicks
- Educational and research institutions aiming to share knowledge
- Social platforms adapting to evolving discovery behaviors
Key Takeaways
- AI referrals to websites hit 1.13B in June 2025 — up 357% year-over-year.
- Google still leads with 191 billion referrals in the same period.
- News and media sites saw the highest AI referral growth — up 770%.
- ChatGPT drives 80%+ of all AI referrals to the top 1,000 sites.
- Amazon, YouTube, Reddit, and Wikipedia are top performers across different sectors.
- Publishers not allowing AI access (like NYT) may be missing out.