AI assistants frequently lead users to 404 error pages, with ChatGPT having the highest rate among them at 1.01%. Compared to Google’s base rate of 0.15%, AI assistants send users to 404 pages at a rate 2.87 times higher. The findings suggest that many links cited by AI may be hallucinated or no longer valid, impacting website traffic minimally but warranting attention for optimization.

The article discusses strategies for recovering traffic lost due to 404 errors when users attempt to access ChatGPT pages. It emphasizes the importance of utilizing Google Analytics 4 (GA4) to track and analyze these errors, allowing webmasters to proactively address and redirect users to relevant content. By implementing effective recovery tactics, businesses can enhance user experience and retain site visitors.