A new reality and what to do about it: getting used to zero-click searches on Google

Zero-click search describes a situation in which a person gets an answer directly on Google’s results page and does not open an external website. This can happen through a map, exchange rate, featured snippet, product block or AI summary.

It is not the end of SEO. It means that an SEO report based only on clicks no longer tells the whole story.

What the research actually shows

Verified: a Pew Research Center analysis of US Google browsing data from March 2025 found that users clicked a traditional result during 8% of visits that showed an AI summary, compared with 15% of visits without one. Geography, time period and method matter, so these figures cannot be applied automatically to every European commercial query: Pew Research.

Verified: Google says that AI Overviews and AI Mode provide supporting links and do not require a separate “AI file” or special schema. The same foundations of technical SEO and useful, people-first content apply: Google Search Central.

Professional conclusion: click potential may fall for informational queries, while commercial, local and complex-choice queries remain valuable. A simple factual query and a query such as “SEO agency in Vilnius” should not be judged by the same standard.

Which queries are most likely to end without a click?

The highest risk appears where the answer is short and unambiguous: a definition, date, weather, exchange rate or simple fact. The risk is lower when a person needs trust, a detailed comparison, pricing, consultation, a local supplier or an actual transaction.

Group your queries into four types:

1. Quick fact. A click may not be necessary.
2. Learning. An AI answer may help, but a detailed method or example can still earn a visit.
3. Comparison. The user needs criteria, alternatives and proof.
4. Action. The user wants to buy, register, call or request a proposal.

Do not expect the same conversion behaviour from a quick-fact page as from a service page.

How to create content worth opening

Rewriting common questions is not enough. A page needs value that cannot be compressed reliably into one summary:

• an original method;
• a calculator or checklist;
• a real, verified case;
• clear author experience;
• local market context;
• comparison criteria;
• an update date and sources.

What to optimize for AI search features

Google recommends the same foundations: the page should be indexable, important content should be available as text, internal links should work and structured data should match visible information. There is no special “GEO schema” type.

Practical priorities include one clear answer at the start of a section, logical H2 headings, sources next to numerical claims, author biographies, original examples and consistent company, service and product facts across the site.

A better KPI system

Alongside organic sessions and conversions, track impressions and CTR by query type, branded and non-branded demand, assisted conversions, queries that mention the brand, AI citations across a fixed prompt set, sales-lead quality and the health of content updates and sources.

Testable hypothesis: more impressions and a lower CTR for informational queries may still contribute to later branded searches. Test this by comparing query groups and periods rather than assuming causation.

What to do now

Do not rewrite the whole site in “AI language”. Build a query map, separate informational and commercial intent, strengthen the most important pages with original evidence, and change reporting so it measures more than clicks.

Start with our SEO services if the technical and content foundation needs work. Review our GEO services when that foundation works and you need systematic visibility monitoring in generative answers.