--- title: "ChatGPT vs Google Rankings: 87.7% of Citations Miss Page One" url: https://www.suffdigital.com/resources/data-studies/chatgpt-sites-not-on-page-one description: "ChatGPT vs Google rankings rarely line up: 87.7% of the pages ChatGPT cites are not in Google's top 10 for the same question. See the data." lang: en --- Share Share on X: https://twitter.com/intent/tweet?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.suffdigital.com%2Fresources%2Fdata-studies%2Fchatgpt-sites-not-on-page-one&text=87.7%25%20of%20the%20Pages%20ChatGPT%20Cites%20Aren%27t%20on%20Google%27s%20First%20Page Share on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sharer/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.suffdigital.com%2Fresources%2Fdata-studies%2Fchatgpt-sites-not-on-page-one Share on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/sharing/share-offsite/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.suffdigital.com%2Fresources%2Fdata-studies%2Fchatgpt-sites-not-on-page-one Share on Reddit: https://www.reddit.com/submit?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.suffdigital.com%2Fresources%2Fdata-studies%2Fchatgpt-sites-not-on-page-one&title=87.7%25%20of%20the%20Pages%20ChatGPT%20Cites%20Aren%27t%20on%20Google%27s%20First%20Page **87.7%** of the pages ChatGPT cites in its answers are not in Google's top 10 results for the same question. Even counting whole websites, 66.2% of the websites ChatGPT cites have no page on Google's first page, and in 41.9% of ChatGPT answers not one cited website appears there. Analysis of 20,275 pages cited in 5,836 ChatGPT answers to 2,984 questions · ChatGPT answers and Google search results, September 2026 ## Key Findings 1. 1. **87.7%** of the web pages ChatGPT cites are not in Google's top 10 results for the same question, so about one cited page in eight is one Google shows on its first page. Copy stat 2. 2. **66.2%** of the websites ChatGPT cites for a question have no page in Google's top 10 results for that question, about two in every three. Copy stat 3. 3. In **41.9%** of ChatGPT answers with sources, not one cited website appears in Google's top 10 for the same question. Copy stat 4. 4. In answers to recipe questions, **88.5%** of the websites ChatGPT cites are missing from Google's first page, against 20% in answers to software questions. Copy stat 5. 5. In answers to tax questions, **27.6%** of the websites ChatGPT cites are missing from Google's top 10, less than half the 66.2% average across all topics. Copy stat ## Summary A home gardener asks ChatGPT when to plant tomatoes, then runs the same search on Google. The two sets of sources barely overlap. The blogs and guides ChatGPT cites are mostly websites that Google does not show anywhere on its first page for that question. For a business or publisher, that is an opening. Getting cited by ChatGPT does not require beating the websites that hold Google's top 10, because ChatGPT draws most of its sources from outside that list. It also means your Google rankings say little about where you stand in ChatGPT. **87.7%** of the pages ChatGPT cites are missing from Google's first page for the same question. Counting whole websites, 66.2% have no page in Google's top 10, and in 41.9% of answers none of the cited websites are on it. ## What we measured On September 23, 2026 we asked ChatGPT 2,984 general questions twice each, with web search turned on, across topics from recipes and gardening to taxes and software. The same day we recorded Google's top 10 organic results, the unpaid listings on the first page, for the same questions from a US search. 5,836 ChatGPT answers cited at least one source. For each answer we listed the distinct websites ChatGPT cited, 12,298 website citations in all, and checked each one against the websites in Google's top 10 for that question. A website counts as on page one if any of its pages ranks in Google's top 10. We repeated the check page by page for the 20,275 individual pages ChatGPT cited, where a page counts only if that exact page is in Google's top 10. ## Most ChatGPT sources sit below Google's first page 66.2% of the websites ChatGPT cites have no page in Google's top 10 for the same question. Two in three websites that ChatGPT uses to build an answer are ones a Google searcher would not see on page one. ChatGPT runs its own searches and weighs sources in its own way, so its list of sources and Google's first page are largely separate sets. That is good news for websites that have never cracked Google's top 10. ChatGPT is not simply reading Google's first page back to the user, so a website that answers a question well has a real chance of being cited without holding a top Google ranking. ## Page by page, the overlap is even smaller Comparing websites is a generous test, because a large website can rank in Google's top 10 with one page while ChatGPT cites a different one. Measured page by page, 87.7% of the pages ChatGPT cites are not in Google's top 10 for the question. About one cited page in eight is a page Google shows on its first page. Result Cited websites with no page in Google's top 10 66.2% Cited pages not in Google's top 10 87.7% Answers where no cited website is in Google's top 10 41.9% Source: Suff Digital analysis of 20,275 pages cited in 5,836 ChatGPT answers to 2,984 questions · ChatGPT answers and Google search results, September 2026 The view across whole answers is the starkest. In 41.9% of ChatGPT answers that cite sources, not a single cited website appears in Google's top 10. Someone who reads that ChatGPT answer and someone who reads Google's first page are looking at entirely different sources for the same question. ## Crowded topics show the biggest gap The gap is widest where many websites publish similar content. In answers to recipe questions, 88.5% of cited websites are missing from Google's first page, followed by beauty at 82.9%, gardening at 81.8% and personal finance at 80%. Real estate, cars, home and parenting all sit between 75.2% and 78.6%. Cited websites not in Google's top 10 by topic Recipes 88.5% Beauty 82.9% Garden 81.8% Money 80% Real estate 78.6% Cars 76% Parenting 75.2% Home 75.2% Mental health 55.3% Health 53.8% Tech 37.2% Weather 36.3% Shopping 34.6% Taxes 27.6% Software 20% In these topics there is no single obvious source. Many blogs, publishers and hobby websites cover the same questions, so Google and ChatGPT each pick from a large pool and rarely pick the same websites. For a small publisher in a crowded niche, ChatGPT is the easier place to be seen. ## Topics with a clear authority overlap far more Where one kind of website clearly owns the answer, ChatGPT and Google agree much more often. In answers to software questions, 20% of cited websites are missing from Google's top 10, and in answers to tax questions 27.6%, less than half the 66.2% average. Shopping (34.6%), weather (36.3%) and tech (37.2%) are also well below average. The reason is the same in each case: a software question is best answered by the vendor, a tax question by the tax authority, a weather question by a forecasting service. Both Google and ChatGPT find those sources, so the websites that rank on Google's first page are also the ones ChatGPT cites. Health and mental health sit in the middle, at 53.8% and 55.3%. ## What this means for small businesses and publishers If you cannot break into Google's top 10 in a crowded topic, ChatGPT is a second route to readers. Two in three of the websites it cites are not on Google's first page, so a clear, specific page that answers the question directly can win a citation that a Google ranking would never deliver. Start by asking ChatGPT the questions your customers ask and noting which websites it cites. If they are websites like yours rather than the big names on Google's first page, write pages that answer those exact questions in the first few lines, with specific figures, steps and examples. In topics with a clear authority, such as software and taxes, the reverse applies: the same websites win both, and ranking on Google and being cited by ChatGPT are close to one job. Working with an ai seo company (https://www.suffdigital.com/seo/ai-seo-services) shows you which websites ChatGPT cites for your topic and how to join them. ## Embed this research Paste this on your site to embed the charts. It links back to the source automatically.

Source: 87.7% of the Pages ChatGPT Cites Aren't on Google's First Page - Suff Digital

## Cite this study APA Suff Digital. (2026). 87.7% of the Pages ChatGPT Cites Aren't on Google's First Page. https://www.suffdigital.com/resources/data-studies/chatgpt-sites-not-on-page-one Plain link 87.7% of the Pages ChatGPT Cites Aren't on Google's First Page - Suff Digital - https://www.suffdigital.com/resources/data-studies/chatgpt-sites-not-on-page-one ## Frequently asked questions ### What share of ChatGPT's sources rank on Google's first page? ### How often does ChatGPT cite nothing from Google's top 10? ### Are the exact pages ChatGPT cites on Google's first page? ### Which topics have the least overlap between ChatGPT and Google? ### Which topics have the most overlap between ChatGPT and Google? ## Related studies - AI SEO ChatGPT vs Google: They Agree on the Top Answer Only 20% of the Time: https://www.suffdigital.com/resources/data-studies/chatgpt-vs-google-top-answer - AI SEO 83% of the Pages Perplexity Cites Don't Appear in Google's Top 10: https://www.suffdigital.com/resources/data-studies/perplexity-sources-not-in-google - AI SEO YouTube Tops AI Citations: Google's AI Cites It 6,894 Times vs 5 for ChatGPT: https://www.suffdigital.com/resources/data-studies/top-cited-websites-in-ai - AI SEO 45% of AI Answers From ChatGPT, Gemini and Google Cite a Page Over Two Years Old: https://www.suffdigital.com/resources/data-studies/ai-answers-cite-old-pages ## Structured data ```json [ { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://www.suffdigital.com/#organization", "name": "Suff Digital", "alternateName": "Suff Digital Marketing", "url": "https://www.suffdigital.com/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://www.suffdigital.com/#logo", "url": "https://www.suffdigital.com/logo.png", "contentUrl": "https://www.suffdigital.com/logo.png", "caption": "Suff Digital" }, "image": { "@id": "https://www.suffdigital.com/#logo" }, "description": "Suff Digital is a full-stack digital marketing agency that turns websites into predictable revenue engines, SEO, paid media, content, CRO, and web design built around revenue, not vanity metrics.", "slogan": "Digital marketing built for what's next.", "email": "hello@suffdigital.com", "telephone": "+1-629-236-0099", "foundingDate": "2022", "founder": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Matt Suffoletto", "jobTitle": "Founder & CEO" }, "contactPoint": [ { "@type": "ContactPoint", "telephone": "+1-629-236-0099", "email": "hello@suffdigital.com", "contactType": "sales", "areaServed": "US", "availableLanguage": [ "en" ] } ], "address": { "@type": "PostalAddress", "addressLocality": "Nashville", "addressRegion": "TN", "postalCode": "37219", "addressCountry": "US" }, "areaServed": { "@type": "Country", "name": "United States" }, "sameAs": [ "https://www.linkedin.com/company/suff-digital/", "https://www.instagram.com/suffdigital/", "https://www.youtube.com/@suffdigitalmarketing", "https://www.tiktok.com/@suffdigital" ], "knowsAbout": [ "Search Engine Optimization", "Pay-Per-Click Advertising", "Paid Social Advertising", "Conversion Rate Optimization", "Web Design", "Digital PR", "Link Building", "Website Migration", "Website Maintenance and Support", "Technical SEO", "Local SEO", "AI Search Optimization" ], "hasOfferCatalog": { "@type": "OfferCatalog", "name": "Suff Digital Services", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "Offer", "itemOffered": { "@type": "Service", "name": "Search Engine Optimization (SEO)", "url": "https://www.suffdigital.com/" } }, { "@type": "Offer", "itemOffered": { "@type": "Service", "name": "Pay-Per-Click (PPC) Advertising", "url": "https://www.suffdigital.com/services/ppc" } }, { "@type": "Offer", "itemOffered": { "@type": "Service", "name": "Paid Social Advertising", "url": "https://www.suffdigital.com/services/paid-social" } }, { "@type": "Offer", "itemOffered": { "@type": "Service", "name": "Conversion Rate Optimization (CRO)", "url": "https://www.suffdigital.com/services/cro" } }, { "@type": "Offer", "itemOffered": { "@type": "Service", "name": "Web Design", "url": "https://www.suffdigital.com/services/web-design" } }, { "@type": "Offer", "itemOffered": { "@type": "Service", "name": "Digital PR & Link Building", "url": "https://www.suffdigital.com/services/digital-pr" } }, { "@type": "Offer", "itemOffered": { "@type": "Service", "name": "Website Migration", "url": "https://www.suffdigital.com/services/website-migration" } }, { "@type": "Offer", "itemOffered": { "@type": "Service", "name": "Website Maintenance & Support", "url": "https://www.suffdigital.com/services/website-maintenance" } } ] } }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://www.suffdigital.com/#website", "url": "https://www.suffdigital.com/", "name": "Suff Digital", "inLanguage": "en-US", "publisher": { "@id": "https://www.suffdigital.com/#organization" } } ] }, { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Article", "@id": "https://www.suffdigital.com/resources/data-studies/chatgpt-sites-not-on-page-one#article", "headline": "87.7% of the Pages ChatGPT Cites Aren't on Google's First Page", "description": "87.7% of the pages ChatGPT cites in its answers are not in Google's top 10 results for the same question. 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Even counting whole websites, 66.2% of the websites ChatGPT cites have no page on Google's first page, and in 41.9% of ChatGPT answers not one cited website appears there.", "url": "https://www.suffdigital.com/resources/data-studies/chatgpt-sites-not-on-page-one", "creator": { "@id": "https://www.suffdigital.com/#organization" }, "datePublished": "2026-09-24", "dateModified": "2026-09-24", "license": "https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/", "isAccessibleForFree": true, "measurementTechnique": "ChatGPT answers with web search; Google US top 10 results for the same questions" }, { "@type": "FAQPage", "@id": "https://www.suffdigital.com/resources/data-studies/chatgpt-sites-not-on-page-one#faq", "mainEntity": [ { "@type": "Question", "name": "What share of ChatGPT's sources rank on Google's first page?", "acceptedAnswer": { "@type": "Answer", "text": "About a third. 66.2% of the websites ChatGPT cites have no page in Google's top 10 results for the same question (September 2026)." } }, { "@type": "Question", "name": "How often does ChatGPT cite nothing from Google's top 10?", "acceptedAnswer": { "@type": "Answer", "text": "In 41.9% of ChatGPT answers with sources, none of the cited websites appear in Google's top 10 results for the same question." } }, { "@type": "Question", "name": "Are the exact pages ChatGPT cites on Google's first page?", "acceptedAnswer": { "@type": "Answer", "text": "Rarely. 87.7% of the pages ChatGPT cites are not in Google's top 10 results for the same question." } }, { "@type": "Question", "name": "Which topics have the least overlap between ChatGPT and Google?", "acceptedAnswer": { "@type": "Answer", "text": "Recipes, where 88.5% of the websites ChatGPT cites are missing from Google's top 10, followed by beauty (82.9%) and gardening (81.8%)." } }, { "@type": "Question", "name": "Which topics have the most overlap between ChatGPT and Google?", "acceptedAnswer": { "@type": "Answer", "text": "Software, where 20% of the websites ChatGPT cites are missing from Google's top 10, followed by taxes at 27.6% and shopping at 34.6%." } } ] } ] } ] ```