AI assistants reshape web traffic and information sourcing

The digital landscape is shifting as generative AI assistants increasingly influence web traffic and information retrieval. ChatGPT has emerged as the dominant force, accounting for 95.1% of all web traffic directed from AI assistants to websites, while Gemini holds only 2.4%. ChatGPT's share of this traffic saw a 36% increase in August 2026 compared to the previous month.

As these tools evolve, businesses are seeking ways to influence AI responses. Rather than attempting to manipulate the models directly, influence is exerted through the sources the AI consults during real-time searches, such as corporate websites, media, and directories. Research from Princeton indicates that adding citations and statistics can increase visibility in AI-generated responses by up to 40%, whereas keyword stuffing is often ineffective.

However, attempts at manipulation carry risks. Google has classified attempts to manipulate generative AI responses as spam since August 2026, and Microsoft has identified 31 companies using deceptive “Summarize with AI” buttons. Effective influence is measured by the frequency of citations in AI responses rather than mere promises of visibility.