# Ahrefs studies 15M ChatGPT fan-out queries to map search behavior

Digest AI · Marketing & Small Business · published 2026-10-12T08:55:12Z

Canonical: https://digestai.news/story/ahrefs-studies-15m-chatgpt-fan-out-queries-to-map-search-behavior

## Summary

Ahrefs analyzed 15 million fan-out queries from 66.6 million free, logged-out ChatGPT responses between August and September 2026. Only 14.4% of responses triggered a web search, with an average of 1.6 queries per search. The study found that ChatGPT prioritizes official brand sites for factual questions—like prices or specs—citing them in 84.4% of such cases. For comparison questions, citations dropped to 68.3%, with more reliance on third-party sites like Reddit or Wikipedia, though their share has declined sharply since March 2026. Partner publications (e.g., licensed content) now account for 12.5% of citations, up from 7.5% earlier in the year. The data also highlights growing demand for terms like *price* (up 47% month-over-month) and *reviews*, while definitions and generic queries fell. Ahrefs advises brands to optimize for original content—product facts, research, or reviews—rather than summaries, as ChatGPT increasingly favors primary sources.

## Key points

- ChatGPT searches the web in 14.4% of free, logged-out responses, averaging 1.6 queries per search
- Official brand sites dominate citations for factual questions (84.4%), while comparison queries rely more on third-party sites (68.3%)
- Partner publications now make up 12.5% of ChatGPT citations, up from 7.5% in March 2026

## Why it matters

Brands must prioritize original content—like product specs, reviews, or research—over summaries to appear in ChatGPT’s citations. The shift toward official sources could reshape SEO strategies, favoring direct brand visibility over aggregated or third-party content.

## Sources

1. [How ChatGPT Does Query Fan-Out (15 Million Queries Studied)](https://ahrefs.com/blog/query-fan-out-chatgpt) (Ahrefs Blog, 2026-10-12)

Part of the developing story: [Shifting Sources in AI Medical Citations](https://digestai.news/thread/wikipedia-podcasts-and-reddit-drive-ai-citations) (3 stories)

## Cite

Digest AI, "Ahrefs studies 15M ChatGPT fan-out queries to map search behavior", 12 October 2026, https://digestai.news/story/ahrefs-studies-15m-chatgpt-fan-out-queries-to-map-search-behavior

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