Key stat: YouTube is the top recipient of AI chatbot referral traffic, receiving over three times as much traffic than Facebook or Wikipedia, according to May 2025 data from Similarweb.

Beyond the chart:

• 41% of US adults use AI tools like ChatGPT for deeper, clearer answers to their searches, according to a May 2025 survey from Resolve conducted by Pollfish.
• However, 57.8% of US consumers who use AI chatbots or AI search prefer Google search over AI platforms when they need a factual answer, according to December 2024 data from Pearl and Censuswide.

Use this chart: Marketers should prioritize YouTube SEO and video content strategy to capture AI-driven traffic, while publishers should expect chatbots to boost evergreen educational content and optimize for quick, authoritative answers. Social media teams can cross-post and experiment with AI-friendly formats to tap into rising chatbot referrals.

Related EMARKETER reports:

• Tech Trends H1 2025 (EMARKETER subscription required)
• GenAI Search Advertising Trends 2025 (EMARKETER subscription required)