AI Search & Ecommerce: The 100-Brand Report
What 100 Australian ecommerce brands reveal about AI search traffic, revenue, and conversion
Based on 100 brands over July 2024 to March 2026 (21 months)
Key Findings
Full Channel Breakdown
Sessions, revenue, conversion rate, and revenue per session across every search channel. July 2024 to March 2026 (21 months).
| Channel | Sessions | Revenue | Conv. Rate | Rev/Session |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Google CPC | ~12.8M | ~$77M | 3.3% | $6.00 |
| Google Organic | ~8.35M | ~$22M | 1.2% | $2.65 |
| Bing Organic | ~310K | ~$2.75M | 3.6% | $8.85 |
| ChatGPT | ~340K | ~$690K | 0.9% | $2.00 |
| Perplexity | ~3,400 | ~$7,500 | 0.9% | $2.20 |
| Gemini | ~2,200 | ~$2,500 | 1.0% | $1.15 |
| Copilot | ~1,500 | ~$4,000 | 2.3% | $2.70 |
| Claude | ~160 | ~$360 | 1.2% | $2.20 |
Category Conversion Analysis
ChatGPT conversion rate versus Google Organic, broken down by product category. The aggregate 0.9% hides two very different realities.
| Category | ChatGPT Conv. Rate | Google Organic Conv. Rate | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|
| Printer supplies | 8.0% | 5.2% | ChatGPT converts significantly better |
| Skincare | 3.1% | 2.4% | ChatGPT converts better |
| Pet products | 2.8% | 1.9% | ChatGPT converts better |
| Fashion (mid-range) | 1.5% | 1.1% | ChatGPT converts better |
| Bridal | 0.01% | 0.3% | Awareness only, near-zero conversions |
| Luxury fashion | ~0% | 0.2% | Awareness only |
Three Diagnostic Questions
To predict whether AI search traffic will convert for your brand:
- Can someone buy your product without talking to a human?
- Can you describe the product in one sentence?
- Do your product pages show price, specs, and stock availability?
If yes to all three, ChatGPT traffic will likely convert for you. If not, expect awareness but not direct online sales.
ChatGPT Has Overtaken Bing on Sessions
Across 100 Australian ecommerce brands, ChatGPT sent approximately 340,000 sessions over 21 months compared to Bing Organic's 310,000. AI search combined now delivers roughly the same session volume as the world's second-largest traditional search engine. This happened in less than two years.
The Two-Population Split
The aggregate 0.9% ChatGPT conversion rate is misleading. It masks two distinct populations. Converter brands (specific, purchasable products with clear pricing) see ChatGPT traffic convert at equal or higher rates than Google organic. Printer supplies convert at 8.0% from ChatGPT vs 5.2% from Google. Skincare converts at 3.1% vs 2.4%. But informational brands (bridal, luxury, custom products) see near-zero conversions. One bridal brand received 27,000 ChatGPT sessions and made 3 sales. The channel's value depends entirely on your product category.
Winner-Take-Most Distribution
Seven brands captured 69% of all ChatGPT revenue in the dataset. The top brand earned approximately $120,000 from ChatGPT alone over the measurement period, with a conversion rate higher than their Google organic traffic. The average brand earns roughly $750/month. This isn't evenly distributed. The brands with the strongest product data and Google organic presence dominate.
Bing Is the Quiet Performer
Bing Organic converts at 3.6% with $8.85 revenue per session, the highest of any organic channel. That's 3.3x higher than Google Organic's $2.65. For ecommerce businesses with desktop-heavy, B2B-leaning audiences, Bing is substantially undervalued. Most brands have never set up Bing Webmaster Tools. A 10-minute setup unlocks the highest-converting organic channel in our dataset.
Copilot: Tiny Volume, Highest AI Conversion
Microsoft Copilot sent only ~1,500 sessions across the dataset, but converts at 2.3%, the highest rate of any AI search source. As Microsoft deepens Copilot integration across Windows, Edge, and Microsoft 365, this channel is worth monitoring. Optimising for Bing effectively helps with Copilot visibility since Copilot is built on Bing's index.
The Growth Trajectory
AI search traffic grew from 8 sessions per month in July 2024 to 38,000 sessions per month by early 2026. That's a 19x year-on-year increase. Even if growth decelerates, the trajectory suggests AI search will represent 5-10% of organic search volume within the next 12-18 months for ecommerce brands with strong product content.
The Attribution Dark Funnel
GA4 referral numbers are the floor, not the ceiling. There's an invisible attribution layer where users see a brand in ChatGPT but don't click the link. Instead, they Google the brand name or go directly to the site. That traffic shows as 'direct' or 'branded organic' in GA4. Ad blockers and privacy tools also strip the referrer header. And Google AI Overview clicks still show as 'google / organic'. The real AI search impact is likely 2-3x higher than what GA4 reports.
The Contrarian Take: Don't Overinvest
AI search currently represents roughly 3-4% of organic search sessions across this dataset. Google organic and PPC generate 50-100x more revenue. The brands that show up in AI search aren't doing anything special for AI. They're doing SEO properly. Good product content, clear site structure, strong technical SEO, and visible brand authority. Don't create a separate 'GEO strategy' or redirect budget from channels that are generating 50-100x more revenue. Track AI search, understand the data, and let your existing SEO fundamentals do the heavy lifting.
Methodology
Data was collected from GA4 accounts across 100 Australian ecommerce brands managed by StudioHawk over a 21-month period (July 2024 to March 2026). All brands had GA4 ecommerce tracking configured with revenue attribution. AI search traffic was identified via session source/medium filtering for ChatGPT (chatgpt.com, chat.openai.com), Copilot (copilot.microsoft.com), Gemini (gemini.google.com), Perplexity (perplexity.ai), and Claude (claude.ai). Bing organic was identified via standard source/medium classification. All revenue figures are in Australian dollars. Brand names are anonymised. Conversion rates use GA4's session-scoped ecommerce conversion metric.