We’ve officially entered the zero-click era, a new chapter in search where users get answers without ever visiting a website. No scrolling pages deep into Google. No scavenger hunt for credible sources. Just instant, neatly packaged answers surfaced directly on the SERP. Convenient for users but challenging for brands who have relied on organic traffic for the last two decades.
To understand how brands can adapt, we need to understand what’s changed and why.
What is the zero-click era, and why are we in it?
A zero-click search is exactly what it sounds like: a search where the user receives the answer without clicking through to a website. Instead of driving traffic, Google, Bing, and AI engines now increasingly contain the journey rather than pass it on. The search engine becomes the destination, not the gateway.
This isn’t an accident. It’s the result of three converging forces:
- Search engines optimising for user convenience
Google’s SERP has evolved from ten neat blue links into a carnival of featured snippets, knowledge panels, image packs, maps, carousels and Q&A modules, all designed to answer the question before you leave the page. - AI models changing how information is consumed
With AI Overviews, Perplexity, Gemini, and ChatGPT Search, users are now trained to expect instant, conversational answers, not a list of potential sources to sift through. - Behavioural change
Faster answers and fewer clicks have set a new search standard. We’re moving from searching to simply asking.
The result is that search visibility is still there, but the click-through is not.
The rise of AI and the zero-click era
Zero-click isn’t new, but AI has put it on steroids.
Before 2024, zero-click searches were mainly driven by Google’s increasingly “helpful” SERP overlays. But with generative AI entering the search arena, the single-answer model has become the norm rather than the outlier.
Some numbers worth noting:
- Around 60–63% of Google searches now end without a click.
- Up to 80% of consumers rely on zero-click answers for at least 40% of their searches.
- Share of keywords triggering AI Overviews grew from 1.5% in 2024 to 32% by late 2025.
- AI Overviews reduce organic CTR by an average of 61% and paid CTR by up to 68% for informational queries.
- In industries like news and publishing, some outlets have seen up to 80% drops in organic traffic when AI summaries appear above results.
And it’s not just Google. Gemini integrates results directly into conversations. Perplexity cites its own curated sources. ChatGPT Search is training hundreds of millions of users to “ask first, browse later.”
The playing field has shifted. The zero-click era isn’t a browser trend, it’s a platform shift.
Dive deeper: Impact on SEO, rankings, and marketers
Zero-click is dissolving traditional SEO value:
You can now rank #1 for a term and still receive zero traffic. Why? Because Google’s AI and SERP features answer the question before a user ever touches your link.
This creates the “visibility paradox”: You’re more visible than ever, but fewer people arrive at your site. Search is no longer linear, it’s contained.
Keyword-led strategies are losing power:
Basic informational queries, “what is X,” “how to Y,” “why does Z happen”, now default to AI responses. Your beautifully optimised 1,500-word article may still appear somewhere in the search engine results, but AI has already summarised it (or your competitor’s version of it) at the top of the page.
Marketers are being forced to rethink metrics:
Clicks used to equal success. Now impressions might matter more than traffic, because brand exposure happens on the SERP itself.
Emerging KPIs include:
- Presence in AI Overviews
- Inclusion in People Also Ask boxes
- Increase in branded search
- Citations in AI answer engines
- Direct navigation uplift
It’s less “How many visitors did the page get?” and more “Are we shaping the conversation users see?”
Brand control is slipping:
In the zero-click era, search engines become interpreters.
If AI summarises outdated information, or a third-party blog becomes “the voice of authority” for your brand category, you lose narrative control long before your site even loads.
This is where integrated agencies earn their stripes: optimising not just content, but the ecosystem around a brand to ensure the right signals reach AI engines and SERPs consistently.
Conclusion: How brands can adapt in the zero-click era
The zero-click era isn’t the end of search, it’s the end of search as we knew it.
And the brands who adapt early will be the ones AI learns to trust.
Here’s how to win:
1. Optimise for presence, not clicks
Visibility now includes:
- Featured snippets
- Knowledge panels
- People Also Ask
- AI Overviews
- ChatGPT and Gemini citations
Clicks matter, but being the source AI cites matters more.
2. Build deeper authority, not broader content
Generic top-funnel blogs won’t cut it. You need topical authority and clusters of interconnected, expert-led content that show depth, not volume.
3. Write for humans, structure for machines
SERP and AI engines favour:
- Clear definitions
- FAQs
- Numbered steps
- Schema markup
- Tables and lists (which are easy for AI to summarise accurately)
4. Shift KPIs from traffic to influence
Measure what truly moves the needle:
- Brand mentions
- SERP visibility
- AI citations
- Direct traffic
- Conversion quality, not volume
5. Strengthen owned channels
Search may fragment, but your owned audience remains stable. Email, community, apps and first-party data will all gain importance as zero-click accelerates.
6. Use integrated expertise to keep brand identity intact
Zero-click and AI search require:
- SEO
- GEO (Generative Engine Optimisation)
- Content strategy
- PR
- Technical structuring
This isn’t a one-skill discipline, it’s an integrated one.
Final thought
The zero-click era rewards clarity, credibility and brand distinctiveness. AI is rewriting how users discover information and that means brands must rethink how they show up, not just how they rank.
The brands who adapt now won’t just survive the zero-click shift, they’ll define the knowledge layer future AI engines rely on.
About the author
Simarin Tandon | Senior Digital Marketing Manager
Having worked with brands across the Beauty &Wellness, FMCG, FinTech, and Home & Lifestyle sectors, Simarin focuses on driving acquisition and growth, whilst managing the performance team at brandnation.
A curious marketer, Simarin is always on the pulse when it comes to performance and digital updates across both paid and organic platforms.
