Does your site get cited on the AI overviews but still doesn’t get the traffic?
This is because of the menace of zero-click searches.
Earlier, websites used to compete for the top rank on the search page. Now, even after ranking at the top or getting cited in the AI overviews, it won’t show comparable results.
This makes learning its nitty-gritties a compelling priority.
What is Zero-Click Search?
Zero-click search is when users search their query, read the AI overviews, and close the search without clicking on a link.
Smrush defines it as:
“A zero-click search is when a user finds their answer directly on the search engine results page (SERP) without clicking through to any website.”
The infographic below will make it easy to understand.
A study by the Pew Research Centre concluded that users are less likely to click on any link when they find their answer in an AI overview.
However, a driving force here is the depth of our query.
For general queries that don’t matter a lot, people generally trust the answers mentioned in the AI responses. But for the doubts that matter the most, like health concerns, makes users click links even after finding the answer in AIOs.
Suggested Read: How to Track Traffic From Google AI Overviews: GSC vs GA4
The Consequences And Google’s Response
Neil Patel has provided some stats to show the gravity of the issue. He provided a stat sheet containing the stats of zero-click searches and total searches over time.
See the histogram below.
This shows that although the total searches have increased over time, the share of zero-click searches has also increased from 43% in 2016 to 65% in 2025.
This pattern was also reiterated by Ahrefs, when they stated:
“Our research shows AI summaries alone can slash clicks by 34.5%, with informational content taking the biggest hit.”
All these factors and constant global discontent about zero-click searches made Google take action on 2 fronts.
First are Google’s steps to bring content owners to the forefront in the search results by making some favorable tweaks. For this, it has taken 2 initiatives.
- Providing the preferred sources option to allow users to select the websites from where they want to get the result on priority.
- Top stories carousel in AI overviews to show the top site suggestions for the respective query in AI overview.
Moreover, Google has provided the Generative AI opt-out option to the website owner to restrict their content from appearing on the selected Google AI features.
How Did Digital Marketers Respond?
Neil Patel considers it a key issue that website owners are trying to handle and contain. He also said that the competition is no longer between the sites; it is now with Google.
Ayesha Mansha, Co-Founder of Brand ClickX, presented a unique angle of zero-click searches in her LinkedIn post.
See these experts.
Similar optimistic views were provided by Josh Elkin, the founder of Linkflow, in his LinkedIn post.
These opinions have manifested zero-click search as an obstacle and an opportunity at the same time.
Concluding Remarks
Despite Zero-Click Search inflicting harm to website traffic, Google’s claim that AI features are sending billions of clicks every week makes it a strong prospect for users.
In short, the competition has increased exponentially, demanding genuine, unique, and valuable content to turn AI overviews from an impeding factor to an accelerator.
