Last updated: September 25, 2026
First Page Sage’s research team analyzed ChatGPT conversion rates across industries, pulling data from more than 160 client companies, collected between May 2025 and September 2026. Out of all the unique visitors each company got that came specifically from ChatGPT, the study tracked what percentage of those ended up doing something that the company counts as a “conversion.”
Most companies in the dataset invested in generative engine optimization (GEO) and, as a direct result, saw higher traffic specifically from ChatGPT and built conversion funnels tailored to that channel.
ChatGPT Conversion Rates by Industry in 2026
| Industry | Average ChatGPT Conversion Rate |
| Hotels & Resorts | 7.2% |
| Higher Education & College | 5.4% |
| Entertainment | 5.1% |
| Legal Services | 4.9% |
| Manufacturing | 4.6% |
| Solar | 4.0% |
| Construction | 3.9% |
| Healthcare | 3.8% |
| Commercial Insurance | 3.7% |
| Industrial IoT | 3.6% |
| Pest Control | 3.6% |
| Pharmaceutical | 3.4% |
| B2B SaaS | 3.3% |
| HVAC Services | 3.3% |
| IT & Managed Services | 3.3% |
| Addiction Treatment | 3.2% |
| Food & Beverage | 3.1% |
| Staffing & Recruiting | 3.0% |
| eCommerce | 2.9% |
| Medical Device | 2.7% |
| Software Development | 2.6% |
| Environmental Services | 2.5% |
| PCB Design & Manufacturing | 2.4% |
| Oil & Gas | 2.3% |
| Real Estate | 2.2% |
| Transportation & Logistics | 2.1% |
| Apparel & Fashion | 2.0% |
| Luxury Goods | 2.0% |
| Biotech | 1.9% |
| Engineering | 1.8% |
| Heavy Equipment | 1.7% |
| Financial Services | 1.5% |
ChatGPT Conversion Rates: Most vs. Least Improved
The study also made a comparison between ChatGPT’s conversion rate and the overall average conversion rate for each industry. The table below shows the five industries where the gap was the biggest and the five where the gap was the smallest.
| Industry | Overall Conversion Rate | Average ChatGPT Conversion Rate |
| Hotels & Resorts | 3.6% | 7.2% |
| Higher Education & College | 2.8% | 5.4% |
| Entertainment | 2.9% | 5.1% |
| Legal Services | 3.8% | 4.9% |
| Manufacturing | 2.1% | 2.0% |
| Luxury Goods | 1.4% | 2.0% |
| Biotech | 1.8% | 1.9% |
| Engineering | 1.2% | 1.8% |
| Heavy Equipment | 1.7% | 1.7% |
| Financial Services | 1.8% | 1.5% |
Key Findings
- No matter which industry is being looked at within the dataset, ChatGPT-referred traffic converted at higher rates than traffic from any other marketing channel (Google search, social media, paid ads, email, etc.).
- Conversational AI filters leads more effectively than keyword-based targeting, with leads often phrasing their questions in full, detailed sentences rather than short search terms, so the ones who show up are already a good fit and likely to convert before they even reach the business.
- Industries where buyers don’t typically buy on impulse, like booking a hotel or a resort, choosing a university, picking a law firm, or selecting a manufacturing partner, show the largest conversion gains from ChatGPT.
- Industries where buying decisions happen through personal relationships, sales reps, account managers, referrals, and trust built over years, show the smallest gains.
As more and more users search through ChatGPT, and the platform expands on its paid advertising services, this conversion advantage over traditional search is likely to increase further.
If you’d like to request a PDF copy of this report or learn more about our GEO services, you can reach out here.
