Türkiye tops global ChatGPT-driven web traffic, report finds

ISTANBUL

Türkiye has become the world’s top source of ChatGPT-driven web traffic, with 94.49 percent of its AI-based website referrals coming through the platform, according to a new global digital report.

Published by the creative agency We Are Social and online media company Meltwater, the report indicates ChatGPT has become the go-to platform for Turkish users seeking information, products and services online.

This high concentration of traffic puts Türkiye well above the global average of 80.92 percent, placing it ahead of advanced digital markets such as the United States, the United Kingdom and Germany.

Haydar Özkömürcü, founder of Turkish digital marketing agency Cremicro, said the findings point to a structural shift in how consumers access information online.

He noted that traditional search engine optimization (SEO) is being replaced by artificial intelligence optimization (AIO).

“In Türkiye, a brand that does not invest in AIO is effectively invisible to consumers,” Özkömürcü said, highlighting the growing reliance on AI tools in purchasing decisions.

According to Özkömürcü, Turkish users are increasingly turning to conversational AI instead of search engines when researching products or services.

“Out of every 100 AI users in Türkiye, 95 rely on ChatGPT’s recommendations when looking for a product or service,” he said. “Being on the first page of Google is no longer enough; brands need to be recognized as an authority by ChatGPT.”

Özkömürcü also warned that businesses that are not visible within AI-driven recommendation systems risk losing potential customers.