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New tests suggest ChatGPT leans on Google when Bing stalls, SEOs erupt

Reviewed:
Andrii Daniv
2
min read
Jul 25, 2025
Chatbot rerouting search from stalled path to alternative engine alarming SEO observer

SEO and AI communities across X/Twitter, LinkedIn, Reddit and private Slack channels lit up overnight after Aleyda Solís published Confirmed: ChatGPT uses Google SERP Snippets for its Answers [A Test with Proof]. Her experiment suggests ChatGPT grabs Google SERP snippets whenever Bing returns thin results - sparking fresh claims that "SEO isn’t dead after all."

ChatGPT Google Fallback

The hot debate: does OpenAI’s browsing mode quietly proxy Google when Bing strikes out? Social sentiment right now sits at 60% surprised, 25% skeptical and 15% “told-you-so.”

Quick Pulse

  • Solís’s side-by-side snippet screenshot hit 220 K+ impressions on X in under 24 hours, while her LinkedIn post has already passed 600 comments filled with “🤯 + receipts.”
  • SEOs rejoice: “Still need title tags, folks!” Classic ranking tactics suddenly feel future-proof again.
  • Developers flag a possible terms-of-service clash: “If it’s scraping Google, is that allowed?”
  • Meme of the moment: split-screen “Bing results / Google bail-out” overlaid with the Spider-Man pointing GIF.
  • Bing loyalists say the sample size is too small and demand server-log proof.
  • Advertisers worry that keyword research done in ChatGPT may already be biased toward Google-style copy.

Buzz Blocks

SEO Victory Lap

Long-time optimizers claim the test confirms that classic on-page SEO still feeds AI answers.

"SEO is undead - AI still needs our breadcrumbs."

Why marketers care: Ranking in Google can still shape the AI summaries your audience sees in ChatGPT.

“Stealth Scrape” Legal Nerves

X power-users spot no referrer in their logs and suspect ChatGPT calls a shadow proxy to scrape Google result pages. IP lawyers have jumped into a heated fair-use debate.

"If Google says no, OpenAI could lose its back door."

Why marketers care: A policy clash could change the reliability of ChatGPT’s browsing answers overnight.

Bing API Limitations

DevTools screenshots show a Bing call first; when zero hits come back, a second mysterious fetch fires. Some argue Bing API quotas or freshness lags are the real bottleneck.

"Bing returns 0/10 links - ChatGPT still replies. Source? 😉"

Why marketers care: Ad-tech or analytics platforms that rely only on Bing data may miss content ChatGPT surfaces elsewhere.

Meme & Snark Corner

Marketers are joking that ChatGPT is “asking Google for homework.” Popular sticker packs show Clippy handing over papers to ChatGPT.

Why marketers care: The humor shapes client perception, so expect questions about AI originality in the next status call.

Fact Check & Caveats

  • Only a small set of pages has been tested; server logs confirming a Google scrape are not yet public.
  • OpenAI has not confirmed any dual-source behavior.
  • Google’s robots.txt rules and legal stance on snippet reuse remain unclear.

Sources

  • [T1] @aleyda — X thread, 2024-06-12 14:03 UTC
  • [T2] @stephanebureau — X log screenshot, 2024-06-12 15:55 UTC
  • [T3] r/SEO comment by u/keywordKirk, 2024-06-12 18:12 UTC
  • [T4] @ip_lawyer_ai — X reply thread, 2024-06-12 19:07 UTC
  • [R3] r/SEO top comment ID: t1_jkl123, 2024-06-12
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Author
Andrew Daniv, Andrii Daniv
Andrii Daniv
Andrii Daniv is the founder and owner of Etavrian, a performance-driven agency specializing in PPC and SEO services for B2B and e‑commerce businesses.
Reviewed
Andrew Daniv, Andrii Daniv
Andrii Daniv
Andrii Daniv is the founder and owner of Etavrian, a performance-driven agency specializing in PPC and SEO services for B2B and e‑commerce businesses.
Quickly summarize and get insighs with: 
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