What New Research Tells Us About AI Search Patterns
For months, businesses have been scrambling to optimize for AI assistants like ChatGPT, but most strategies have been based on guesswork rather than data. That’s finally changing.
A groundbreaking study from Nectiv has analyzed over 8,500 ChatGPT prompts across nine industries to reveal exactly when, how, and what AI searches for when answering user questions. The findings provide a clear roadmap for businesses looking to capture visibility in this new search landscape.
The Numbers That Change Everything
The study revealed several key findings that challenge common assumptions about how AI interacts with search:
- Search frequency: ChatGPT performs searches for 31% of user prompts
- Multiple searches: It averages 2.17 searches per prompt (and maxes out at four)
- Query length: ChatGPT searches average 5.48 words – 61% longer than typical human Google searches
- Long-tail dominance: A whopping 77% of all ChatGPT searches used 5 or more words
This means AI isn’t just searching – it’s searching like a power user with highly specific, detailed queries.
Industry-by-Industry Breakdown: Who Gets Searched Most?
The likelihood of ChatGPT performing a search varies dramatically depending on your industry:
- Local businesses: 59% of prompts trigger searches (highest rate)
- E-commerce: 41% search rate
- Fashion: 19% search rate
- Credit cards: 18% search rate (lowest)
For small local businesses – from HVAC contractors to real estate agents to med spas – this is particularly significant. When someone asks ChatGPT about local services, it’s actively searching to find information about your business nearly 60% of the time.
The Terms ChatGPT Actively Searches For
The study identified clear patterns in what ChatGPT prioritizes in its searches:
- Reviews was the dominant search term, appearing in 702 instances
- Current year (2025) signaling the importance of fresh, updated content
- Features across products, services, and software
- Comparisons between competing options
This explains why some businesses suddenly appear in ChatGPT responses while others remain invisible – AI is actively searching for comparative, review-based, current content.
How AI Search Differs From Human Search
Unlike most humans who make a single search query, ChatGPT regularly performs multiple searches (fan-out queries) for a single prompt. The study found:
- Average searches per prompt: 2.17
- Maximum searches observed: 4
- Jobs & careers industry: Nearly 3 searches per prompt on average
- Software: 2.68 searches per prompt
- Local: Despite high search frequency, lowest fan-out at 1.67 searches
This creates multiple opportunities to appear in the AI’s research process for a single user question.
What This Means For Your Business
These findings have immediate practical implications for any business looking to capture visibility in AI search:
For Local Businesses
With a 59% search rate, local businesses have the most to gain from AI optimization. Focus on:
- Local service pages with detailed feature descriptions
- Fresh content updated with current year markers
- Customer reviews prominently featured and structured
- Comparison content showing advantages over competitors
For E-Commerce
With a 41% search rate and typically product-focused queries:
- Product feature pages with detailed specifications
- Comparative content against similar products
- Fresh, current-year product reviews
- Detailed product feature breakdowns
For All Businesses
Regardless of industry, the data suggests several universal strategies:
- Create longer, more specific content that matches AI’s preference for detailed queries
- Feature comparison tables that directly contrast your offering with alternatives
- Keep content current with year markers that signal freshness to AI
- Prioritize review collection and display as reviews dominate AI search patterns
The Bigger Picture: Why This Matters
As Nectiv co-founder Chris Long explains: “When ChatGPT uses search, SEOs have much more control over the information that’s presented.”
This research confirms that optimizing for AI isn’t just about writing better prompts – it’s about understanding that AI has become a sophisticated search intermediary between businesses and their customers. The businesses that adapt to these AI search patterns first will gain a significant competitive advantage.
For SMB owners who may have felt AI was beyond their control, this study offers good news: by focusing on specific content types that AI actively searches for, even small businesses can gain visibility in this new AI-mediated search landscape.
What To Do Next
Based on this research, businesses should:
- Audit existing content for the presence of key elements AI searches for (reviews, features, comparisons)
- Update time-sensitive content with current year markers
- Expand product and service descriptions to include detailed feature breakdowns
- Create comparison content that positions your offering against competitors
- Monitor ChatGPT responses for your business and industry to track progress
The AI search revolution is happening now, and with these insights, businesses finally have a data-backed strategy to succeed in it.
Based on Nectiv’s research study analyzing 8,500+ ChatGPT prompts and resulting searches across nine industries.