01
Plan AI as part of search, not as a new channel.
AI's share of AI plus organic search visits has held at 1.8% since the middle of 2025. Budget against that share, not against the 3.1x growth curve.
AI referrals have held at 1.8% of AI plus organic search visits since the middle of 2025
AI's share of AI plus organic search visits has held at 1.8% since the middle of 2025. Budget against that share, not against the 3.1x growth curve.
15.8% of the companies AI sends match the ICP, close to paid search at 19.1%. The quality is there. The volume, 1.4% of matching companies from acquisition channels, is not yet.
On a third of sites AI already fits as well as organic search or better, and on the median site it runs 2.4 points behind. A network average cannot tell you which side you are on.
Companies from AI average 2.68 visits, against 3.78 from organic search, the fewest of any acquisition channel. Knowing which company it was on that first visit matters more here than anywhere else.
Updated quarterly
We re-run this study every quarter on the same method. The next update, with data to the end of December 2026, is due in January 2027.