Your AI search download · October 2026
Australians ask AI, then check Google before they buy
Half of Australians have used AI to research a purchase. Just 3% would buy on its recommendation alone.
When AI names a brand someone has never heard of, 52% search it on Google first. The AI tools also rarely agree on who to recommend. So October is about being easy to find in both.
Focus this month
- Show up in Google's AI answers
- Get mentioned by ChatGPT
- Be the name both of them recommend
ChatGPT is big, but most Australians still verify before they buy
AI helps build the shortlist. Then people check Google. Your business needs to be found in both.
The buying path runs through Google, reviews and your website
- Ask AI. 31% used ChatGPT the last time they researched a purchase.
- Check Google. 52% search a brand on Google when AI names one they have never heard of.
- Read reviews. 21% would check review sites in the same situation.
- Visit your website. 84% would still check a shop's website before buying.
- Buy. Only 3% buy on AI's word alone.
ChatGPT takes 78% of AI chatbot clicks
Share of clicks from AI chatbots to Australian websites, September 2026. This counts clicks, not users.
- ChatGPT: 78.2%
- Google Gemini: 9.5%
- Microsoft Copilot: 7.4%
- Perplexity: 3.2%
- Claude: 1.8%
Winning in ChatGPT doesn't mean winning in Google
Only 11% of websites are named by both, so doing well in one doesn't mean you'll show up in the other.
13.6 million Australians now use AI every month
Brands that appear in Google's AI answers get more clicks
72% of Australian businesses think they look good online. Only 49% of customers agree (Thryv).
Three fixes that get you recommended
1Show up in Google's AI answers
- Answer each customer question in the first two sentences of the page.
- Keep your Google Business Profile complete, with fresh reviews.
2Get mentioned by ChatGPT
- Check your site isn't blocking OAI-SearchBot, ChatGPT's search crawler.
- Put real details on your pages: prices, timeframes and the suburbs you cover.
3Be the name both recommend
- Get mentioned on review sites, directories and in local news.
- Publish comparison pages. They make up about a third of AI mentions (Something Inc., 2026).
- Keep your name, address and phone number the same everywhere.
Test your own visibility every month
- List your customers' top five questions.
- Ask each one in ChatGPT and Google AI Mode.
- Note who gets named.
- Fix the gaps, then check again next month.
Want us to check for you? We'll look at whether ChatGPT and Google recommend your business, free of charge.
Book a free AI audit →Sources
Statcounter counts clicks from chatbots to websites. Roy Morgan and Telsyte count people. SparkToro, Averi and Seer Interactive are global studies. Some surveys asked only a few hundred people, so treat them as a guide.
- Statcounter: AI chatbot market share, Australia, Sept 2026
- B&T: Just 3% of Aussies would buy on an AI recommendation alone
- IT Brief: Australian shoppers trust AI more than sales staff (Manhattan Associates)
- Search Engine Journal: AI recommendations change with nearly every query (SparkToro)
- GoGoChimp: Averi data on AI citations
- SearchScope: Search engine usage in Australia
- AdNews: Google rolls out AI Mode in Australia
- Roy Morgan: AI tools usage, March quarter 2026
- Tech Insider: Telsyte data on AI as a main search tool
- Inside Retail: AI Brandscape 2026
- Forbes Australia: Seer Interactive data
- IT Brief: Thryv research
- Something Inc.: 2026 AI citation study
