Analyzing nearly two million LLM sessions across nine industries throughout 2025 was a fascinating journey for me. I began with the assumption that ChatGPT would dominate and that AI usage patterns would be relatively uniform with minimal impact.
The findings, however, were surprising.
While ChatGPT does indeed control 84.1% of the trackable AI discovery traffic, it’s primarily serving as a broad-market tool. This discovery significantly impacts strategic approaches.
In today’s landscape, relying solely on a single discovery strategy is not viable. A multi-platform approach that aligns with how and where users find productivity is essential.
Brands must now discern which platforms are empowering productivity rather than merely supporting initial discovery phases.
Various LLMs are excelling in different sectors, often with stark differences. The key takeaway for 2026 is more complex than simply focusing on ChatGPT.
Here’s what I’ve discovered from the data.
The Growth Rate Divergence: ChatGPT vs. Competitors
Throughout 2025, major LLM platforms exhibited significant growth discrepancies:
- ChatGPT: 3x growth
- Copilot: 25x growth
- Claude: 13x growth
- Perplexity: 1x growth
- Gemini: 1x growth
Although ChatGPT grew, Copilot and Claude experienced much more rapid growth. Platforms like Perplexity and Gemini remained steady, reinforcing specific workflows.
These numbers highlight strategic priorities:
- Satya Nadella celebrated Copilot reaching 100 million monthly users.
- Dario Amodei revealed that Anthropic’s revenue grew from $100 million to $8–10 billion in under two years.
- Aravind Srinivas noted significant interest in Perplexity Finance.
The focus on growth is crucial because it signals true user value:
- Copilot excels in the Microsoft ecosystem.
- Claude appeals to developers.
- Perplexity thrives among finance professionals.
Different LLMs are thriving in various industries at markedly different rates.
Pattern 1: Copilot’s Striking Growth
Copilot’s remarkable 25x growth is indicative of its premier position in B2B environments reliant on Microsoft tools.
SaaS
- ChatGPT: 2x growth
- Copilot: 21x growth
- The rapid adoption mirrors modern SaaS practices, embedding LLMs directly into workflows.
Education
- ChatGPT: 6x growth
- Copilot: 27x growth
- Copilot benefits from educational settings fostering knowledge sharing and synthesis.
Finance
- ChatGPT: 4.2x growth
- Copilot: 23x growth
- Finance aligns with Copilot due to automation needs and context dependency.
Copilot’s growth is most pronounced in industries where professionals are deeply integrated with Microsoft tools.
Instruments like Excel transform into data interpretation powerhouses with Copilot, eliminating the need for external searches.
Implications
For work-centric audiences like SaaS, finance, and education specialists, AI discovery is shifting into LLMs embedded in workflows.
Pattern 2: Perplexity Shines in Finance
While Perplexity has flat growth overall, it stands strong in finance with a 24% market share, unlike in other sectors where it has diminished.
- SaaS: down to 7.3%
- E-commerce: down to 3.4%
- Education: down to 5.2%
- Publishers: down to 3.6%
Finance demands accuracy; thus, traceable sources make Perplexity vital in this sector.
Partnering with Benzinga, FactSet, and others, Perplexity offers in-depth data vital for financial decisions.
Trust and verifiability are crucial in finance, and that’s where Perplexity excels.
Implications
In finance, selection of platforms that integrate with licensed data and credible sources is critical. Success hinges on being part of these authoritative ecosystems.
Pattern 3: Claude’s Dominance in Analysis
With just a 0.6% share, Claude might appear to be an underdog, but it thrives in specialist sectors like publishing and finance.
- Publishers: 49x growth
- Education: 25x growth
- Finance: 38x growth
- SaaS: 10.3x growth
Claude’s strength lies in standalone, strategic thinking rather than integrated tools like Copilot.
- Publishing professionals and financial analysts use Claude for its substantial context window, enabling complex and strategic queries.
Implications
Target audiences that require in-depth analysis should focus on creating structured and detailed content. Claude’s user base is smaller but highly influential.
Pattern 4: Challenges in Tracking Gemini
The data concerning Gemini is puzzling, showing both growth and declines. This could be attributed to issues with attribution rather than an actual decline in users.
- Education: −67% tracked traffic
- SaaS: +1.4x growth
- Finance: +1.3x growth
- E-commerce: +2.7x growth
Gemini’s interaction model keeps users within its ecosystem, making measurement challenging.
The reality is that usage might still be robust, but the tracking systems need to catch up with user behaviors.
Implications
As AI-assisted conversions increasingly occur, traditional last-click attribution models need reconsideration.
Monitor brand search performance and invest in broader visibility strategies.
Strategizing Your LLM Approach
AI discovery is diversifying rather than converging. Tailoring strategies based on your audience’s preferences and behaviors is crucial.
- Enterprise Audiences: Focus on Copilot integration for SaaS and B2B environments.
- High-Stakes Decisions: Consider Perplexity’s reliability in providing traceable data.
- Technical Evaluations: Claude’s detailed analysis capabilities require rich, structured content.
- Emerging Sectors: Initiate with ChatGPT, monitor for evolving platform preferences.
- Measurement Challenges: Adjust strategies to accommodate for gaps in tracking.
Success in AI discovery is rooted in understanding your audience’s platform preferences and their specific needs.
Read the full study: 2025 State of AI Discovery Report: What 1.96 Million LLM Sessions Tell Us About the Future of Search
Inspired by this post on Search Engine Land.
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