Semrush has found that ChatGPT and Google AI Mode can produce materially different visibility landscapes for brands. Its Mini Study, ChatGPT and Google AI Mode: A Tale of Two Models, compares brand mentions, cited sources, and competitive landscapes across 22 industries. The central takeaway is straightforward: strong visibility in one AI environment does not automatically translate into strong visibility in another.
The study matters because AI-generated answers are becoming another place where prospective customers encounter brands, products, and recommendations. For businesses investing in content, SEO, digital PR, or product education, measuring conventional search rankings alone may leave out an increasingly important part of how audiences discover information.
Semrush presents the findings in its official ChatGPT versus Google AI Mode Mini Study. Rather than treating AI search as a single channel, the research examines how two prominent answer environments can select different sources and construct different competitive sets.
What Semrush's comparison shows
The study covers 22 industries, including Business & Professional Services, Consumer Electronics, Digital Technology & Software, Fashion & Apparel, and Finance. It evaluates the visibility picture created by each platform through measures including brand mentions and citations.
