- 10%of new Vercel sign-ups now referred by ChatGPT (around)
- 4.8%the month before
- 1%six months earlier
The shift
Vercel's post starts with a simple point. AI tools now answer many questions right away, often with no click at all. Even so, ChatGPT went from referring 1% of Vercel's new sign-ups to around 10% in six months. The post also points to research that says Google's AI Overviews may cut clicks by up to 34.5%, against similar searches without one.
“Search isn't just about ranking anymore. It's about being surfaced in new places, under new rules.”
How Vercel adapted
Vercel kept doing traditional search work and added to it. Its advice is to give the clearest and fullest explanation of a topic. Use your own data and examples that others can't easily copy. Pages should have clear headings and data code. They shouldn't need JavaScript, because most AI bots read pages but don't run it.
It also says to earn real mentions in online groups and not to pay for links. Check your pages after 30, 90 and 180 days so they stay correct. To track results, it suggests watching citations in AI answers and visits from sites such as chat.openai.com and perplexity.ai.
What other stores can take from this
- Make sure pages work without JavaScript. Vercel notes most AI crawlers read pages but do not run JavaScript.
- Be the clearest answer. Vercel says AI tools like the clearest, fullest explanation, not the page that repeats a keyword the most.
- Keep content fresh. Vercel reviews pages at 30, 90 and 180 days, because stale pages get used less.
Worth knowing: Vercel is a software company, and the figure is for sign-ups, not sales.
Vercel is not a FirstPicked customer. This page is our summary of the Vercel blog's reporting. The figures and quotes are theirs.
