Even though mobile dominates web traffic, more than 90% of AI search referrals are coming from desktop, new BrightEdge data shows.
Why we care. Desktop users in the U.S., UK, and EU used traditional search (10+%) more often than AI tools (less than 1%), according to Datos research. BrightEdge’s data seems to confirm that AI search is indeed booming – but it’s mainly on desktop so far.
By the numbers. Google Search is the one AI engine sending more mobile than desktop referrals – 53% mobile vs. 44% desktop. Here is the percentage of referrals from desktop for the others:
- ChatGPT.com: 94%
- Perplexity.ai: 96%
- Bing: 94%
- Google Gemini: 91%
Between the lines. Why are mobile referrals lagging?
- Users see an in-app preview on mobile apps (e.g., ChatGPT) and only a second click would lead to a referral to an external site.
- Referrals are limited or delayed when mobile AI searches happen within apps.
Mobile vs. desktop AI Overviews. Other findings from BrightEdge:
AI Overviews on mobile:
- Appear 3x more often (13.5% vs. 4.5% on desktop) for ecommerce queries.
- Have greater format variability. Google appears to be actively testing AI Overview presentation styles.
AI Overviews on desktop:
- Take up 80% more screen space than mobile.
- Appear 39% more frequently than mobile.
- Have more consistent formatting.
What they’re saying. If mobile is primarily for discovery and shopping and desktop is primarily for providing depth and detail, then marketers must design AI strategies with device context in mind – not just keywords. Jim Yu, CEO, BrightEdge, said:
- “If marketers are not paying attention to how AI operates on different devices, they may be missing some key opportunities, especially in ecommerce.”