Over 60% of Google searches generate no clicks
According to data from SparkToro and SimilarWeb data from 2025, over 60% of Google searches end without the user clicking on any result. This number has grown each year, and with the arrival of AI Overviews, the trend has accelerated. In our experience with clients in sectors such as tourism or e-commerce, this figure can even exceed 70% for certain informational queries or those with low purchase intent.
Does this mean SEO is dead? No. But the 2020 SEO strategy no longer works in 2026. You need a new way of thinking about visibility, one that integrates the omnipresence of artificial intelligence and the constant evolution of user behaviour. What was an emerging trend in 2018 is now the norm. SEO has evolved from a race for the top spot to a fight for the first answer, regardless of whether it involves a click.
Why zero-click searches are increasing
1. AI Overviews (formerly SGE)
Google now generates direct AI-powered answers at the top of many searches, often in a concise, easy-to-digest format. Users get their answer without needing to visit any website. According to initial market research data from 2025, AI Overviews appear in approximately 30% of informational searches, and this percentage is expected to increase with the continuous improvement of AI models. By 2026, Google is investing heavily in integrating AI into its products, implying greater prominence for these automatically generated responses.
2. Featured Snippets and Knowledge Panels
Featured Snippets have been answering questions directly in search results for years. “What is the capital of France?” — Google answers without you clicking. But now this extends to increasingly complex questions, including product comparisons, step-by-step guides, or feature lists. Knowledge Panels offer structured information about entities (people, places, organisations) directly from Google’s knowledge base, eliminating the need to visit multiple websites for an overview.
3. People Also Ask
Related questions expand answers directly in the SERP. A user can resolve several queries without leaving Google, navigating between questions and answers that unfold with a click. This feature has become more sophisticated, often offering a path of information discovery that keeps the user within the Google ecosystem for longer. In 2026, AI makes these suggestions even more relevant and personalised.
4. Navigational searches
Many searches are simply users typing “Facebook” or “Amazon” into Google instead of typing the URL. These generate a click, but not to a traditional organic search result for information or a product, but directly to the desired website. While not “zero-click” in the strict sense, they do not contribute to the organic traffic that most SEO strategies aim to increase.
5. The rise of conversational and multimodal search
With the popularisation of voice assistants (Google Assistant, Siri, Alexa) and image search, users formulate questions more naturally and expect direct answers. Additionally, multimodal search (combining text and image) allows for more complex queries that Google attempts to resolve directly in the SERP. These interactions often do not require a click, as the answer is vocalised or displayed visually and immediately.
Strategies to win in a zero-click world
1. Conquer Featured Snippets
If Google is going to answer the question directly, your content must be the cited source. Featured Snippets still display the source URL, which generates brand recognition and even authority, even if there is no immediate click. A 2024 Ahrefs study showed that despite the decrease in clicks, sites appearing in Featured Snippets experience an increase in user trust.
- Structure your content with clear questions as H2/H3 and answer concisely in the following paragraph.
- Answer within the first 40-60 words after the question, using clear and direct language.
- Use numbered or bulleted lists, data tables, and concise definitions — Google prefers them for snippets.
- In our experience, optimising for “how-to” or “what is” formats is particularly effective.
2. Optimise for AI Overviews (GEO)
AI Overview answers cite sources. If your content is authoritative, well-structured, with unique data, and adheres to E-E-A-T principles (Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, Trustworthiness), you have a strong chance of being cited. This is essentially GEO (Generative Engine Optimization) applied to Google. It means going beyond keywords and focusing on the quality, depth, and reliability of information. Ensure your sources are clear and your content is easy for AI models to crawl and understand. Clarity and conciseness are key.
3. Think about brand visibility, not just clicks
If your brand appears in a Featured Snippet, an AI Overview, or a ChatGPT response, you generate brand impressions even if there is no click. This has undeniable value: the user will remember you next time they need your service or product. An increase in branded searches is a direct indicator of this visibility and recognition. At ZDS, we have observed that companies with high SERP visibility, even without direct clicks, experience an increase in direct traffic and long-term conversions.
4. Focus on transactional and high-intent searches
Informational searches (“what is SEO”) are most affected by zero-click. Transactional searches (“SEO agency Barcelona budget,” “buy cheap running shoes”) still generate clicks because the user needs to act, compare, or make a purchase. Prioritise content that captures purchase intent, using long-tail keywords and optimising for conversion. This includes product pages, services, contact, and FAQs focused on resolving purchase objections. Core Web Vitals, especially Interaction to Next Paint (INP) from 2024 onwards, are crucial for these pages, as a fluid user experience directly impacts conversion.
5. Diversify beyond Google
If Google gives you fewer clicks, seek traffic from other channels. Diversification is a resilience strategy:
- ChatGPT/Perplexity and other LLMs: Users seeking recommendations or solutions from these models often have high intent. If your content is the source of information the LLM uses, or if you manage to get mentioned directly (e.g., via an API or plugin), the traffic you receive will be high quality. Keep your content updated and well-structured to facilitate AI processing.
- YouTube: The world's second-largest search engine. Videos appear in Google results and generate direct traffic. Optimise your videos with relevant keywords, detailed descriptions, and clear calls to action. Visual content is increasingly valued by users.
- LinkedIn: For B2B, articles, posts, and group participation on LinkedIn generate direct leads without relying on Google. Building a strong personal and business brand on this platform is a long-term investment.
- Email Marketing: Your subscriber list is traffic that doesn't depend on any external algorithm. It is one of the most profitable and direct channels to maintain contact with your audience and drive qualified traffic to your site.
- Social Media (TikTok, Instagram): Although not traditional search engines, they are content discovery platforms where brand visibility is key. Generating engaging content that answers questions can drive indirect traffic to your website.
6. Measure what matters in the zero-click era
In a zero-click world, organic traffic as the sole metric is insufficient. With the transition to GA4 and a privacy-first approach, adapt your KPIs:
- Impressions in Search Console: How many people see your brand even if they don't click? An increase in impressions for relevant keywords without a proportional increase in clicks indicates you are gaining SERP visibility, even if Google resolves the query directly.
- Branded searches: Are searches for your brand increasing? This indicates recognition and trust, a direct effect of visibility in zero-click features.
- AI Visibility: Are AI models mentioning you? With tools like ZDS's AI Visibility Tracker, you can measure the frequency and context in which your brand or content is cited by LLMs. This is vital for GEO.
- SERP Engagement: Even without a click, do users interact with your Featured Snippets (if measurable)? How much time do they spend on the SERP before searching again?
- Conversions, not just traffic: 1,000 qualified visits that convert are worth more than 10,000 visits without intent. Focus on business metrics: leads, sales, subscriptions, etc.
- E-E-A-T Signals: While not direct metrics, the quality of your content, the authority of your authors, and the reputation of your site contribute to your visibility in the AI era. Measure expert mentions, quality Backlinks, and reviews.
SEO is not traffic — it's visibility
The most common mistake is equating SEO with organic traffic. SEO is visibility — and visibility is now distributed across organic results, Featured Snippets, AI Overviews, Knowledge Panels, YouTube, ChatGPT, and more. Google's evolution with the Helpful Content Update of 2022-2023 and the focus on E-E-A-T underscores the importance of creating real value content for users, not just for search engines.
Companies that understand this and adapt their strategy will continue to grow. Those obsessed with a click count that will decrease each year will become frustrated and lose ground to more agile competitors. Adaptability and a holistic view of digital presence are key.
Want a complete visibility strategy — Google, AI, and beyond? At ZDS, we combine traditional SEO with GEO, Core Web Vitals optimisation, and a focus on user experience to maximise your presence across all channels. Let's discuss your strategy.
Common mistakes to avoid in the zero-click era
1. Obsessing only over traditional organic traffic
Measuring only direct organic traffic provides an incomplete view. If your strategy is based solely on increasing clicks to your blue results, you miss a large part of the visibility Google offers. In our experience with clients, those who diversify their metrics and value impressions and brand visibility achieve better long-term results.
2. Neglecting content quality and authority
With Google's increasingly sophisticated AI and the focus on E-E-A-T, low-quality, automatically generated, or content lacking real experience has fewer and fewer chances of appearing in AI Overviews or Featured Snippets. Google seeks reliable and authoritative sources. A common mistake is prioritising content quantity over quality and depth. Invest in experts in your niche to create content that demonstrates Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness.
3. Ignoring Core Web Vitals and user experience
Even if a user doesn't click directly on your result, if they eventually reach your site (e.g., via a branded search or a link in an AI Overview), the experience on your website is crucial. A slow page, with elements that jump (CLS), or with poor interaction time (INP, which replaced FID in 2024), will frustrate the user and negatively affect your long-term Ranking. Google penalises sites with poor UX. Tools like Lighthouse and PageSpeed Insights are your allies.
4. Failing to adapt Keyword strategy
Short-tail informational keywords are most prone to generating zero-clicks. A mistake is to continue pursuing them as the sole source of traffic. It is vital to research and optimise for long-tail keywords, specific questions, and transactional terms that demonstrate clear purchase intent. Use tools like Semrush or Ahrefs to identify these opportunities.
5. Not monitoring visibility in AI and other channels
If you don't measure where and how your brand appears in ChatGPT, Perplexity, or Google's AI Overviews, you're operating blindly. Visibility in these new channels requires specific tools and methodologies. At ZDS, we have developed an approach to track these mentions and understand their impact on brand perception and indirect traffic.
The future of SEO in a world of AI and privacy
SEO in 2026 is intrinsically linked to artificial intelligence and a growing focus on user privacy. The disappearance of third-party cookies and the consolidation of GA4 as Google's sole analytics tool forces companies to be more creative in data collection and performance measurement.
AI is not only in the SERP but also behind Google's ranking algorithms. Understanding how AI interprets and values content is fundamental. This means a greater emphasis on context, semantics, information quality, and source authority. Creating content that is “AI-friendly” (structured, clear, concise, and fact-based) will be a competitive advantage.
Furthermore, privacy has become a key factor. Users are more aware of their data, and regulations (GDPR, CCPA) are stricter. An ethical and transparent SEO strategy that respects user privacy is not only a legal obligation but also a brand advantage. This includes consent management, minimising data collection, and providing value without over-relying on user personal information.
At ZDS Digital, we are aware of these evolutions and prepare our clients for the challenges and opportunities presented by the digital landscape of 2026 and beyond. Our goal is to ensure that your brand is not only visible but also relevant and trustworthy on any platform where your customers seek information.
