ChatGPT Search usage surges 40% QoQ in product-discovery queries

Multiple independent analytics vendors reported a step-change in ChatGPT Search volume between January and March 2026, with product-discovery and comparison intents leading growth.

Key findings

- App + web Search sessions up ~40% QoQ in US/EU panels (vendor median) - "Best [category] for [use case]" prompts grew faster than navigational brand queries - Early-adopter merchants with FAQ-rich PDPs saw referral-like traffic from `chatgpt.com` before measurable SERP movement

Implication

Budget allocation is shifting: teams running GEO pilots in Q1 report 2–3 week lag between citation gains and classic organic lift. Visora customers can baseline citation rate before peak season.

Source: aggregated vendor panels + Visora merchant cohort (n=180), March 2026.