Is Generative Search Killing the Click?

Ever since the introduction of generative AI tools back in late 2022, zero-click searches have been on the rise – and some digital marketers are concerned. 

A quick peek at the numbers reveals why. 

In 2022, just 26% of Google searches ended without a click. That is, they received the information they were looking for on the results page instead of clicking through to one of the results. 

SERP features like Featured Snippets were the major culprit back then, as they provided quick answers to informational queries (and cited a single online source):

However, ChatGPT was released in November 2022, and Google introduced AI Overviews to Search in May 2024. 

How much of an impact did these two factors have?

As of data collected in late 2024, zero-click searches now account for 60% of all Google searches. 

Not only that but this number is expected to keep rising due to the increased prevalence of GAI tools used for search, like Perplexity and Claude. 

In this blog, we’ll clue you in on the latest data surrounding zero-click searches, and we’ll teach you how to keep your brand visible without clicks, so keep reading! 

What the Data Says About AI Click-Through Rates (CTRs) 

The truth always lies in the data, and marketers have been running experiments ever since AI Overviews entered the search landscape. 

In particular, there’s been a lot of research done on the impact AI Overviews have on click-through rates. 

Unsurprisingly, the presence of an AI Overview negatively impacts the CTR of the #1 organic result, and there are several reasons why. 

First, just like a Featured Snippet, AI Overviews outright answer user queries, meaning most users will find the information they need in the Overview and won’t click on any search results. 

Second, AI Overviews will list more than one online source, making it difficult for any of the cited websites to snag the majority of the clicks. 

Recent research by Ahrefs found that the presence of an AI Overview reduces the click-through rate of the #1-ranked organic position by 34.5%. 

You can quickly find out why by conducting a Google search, so let’s try it out. 

An example of AI leading to a zero-click search 

Imagine that you wanted to learn what hydroponic gardening is, so you type it into Google. 

Most of the time, this is an opportunity for websites selling gardening equipment to generate clicks by publishing content like ‘Understanding Hydroponic Gardening.’ 

This allows brands to A) inform their audience and be a helpful resource and B) market their products to relevant prospects. 

While this is still a great technique (it’s inbound marketing 101), AI Overviews are hindering the visibility of informative, top-of-the-funnel content (TOFU) like this. 

Here’s what happens if we search for ‘what is hydroponic gardening’ on Google now:

As you can see, the AI Overview immediately defines the process, which will likely satisfy users who were after a quick definition (leading to a zero-click search). 

Also, there are 3 sources listed for further reading, which leads to further competition. Featured Snippets are different because they only highlight a single online source, meaning it gets to hog all the traffic. 

AI Overviews feature multiple sources, as there are even more available if users hit the ‘Show All’ button. That makes it tough for any of these sources to improve their visibility and generate traffic. 

All that, and we haven’t even dealt with the #1-ranked organic position (it’s further down the page). 

It’s not just TOFU queries that generate AI Overviews, either. As of March 2025, Google upgraded its AI Overviews to Gemini 2.0 and increased their prevalence, meaning they appear for all types of search intent. 

That’s not to say that it’s all bad, though. 

Research from Seer Interactive found that CTR improves by 1.08% whenever a brand is featured as a source in an AI Overview, so users are definitely still clicking on these results. 

How to Maintain Brand Visibility Without Clicks 

While AI Overviews are reducing click-through rates, there are still plenty of ways to maintain and even improve your brand visibility without relying on clicks. 

We’re by no means claiming that you shouldn’t focus on SEO anymore, as it remains one of the most impactful and cost-effective marketing channels (and will be in the future). 

All we’re saying is there are ways to offset the small drop in visibility caused by generative AI search tools like AI Overviews and ChatGPT, so let’s look at a few. 

Get your brand featured in generative AI summaries 

A new type of search optimization is emerging called GSO (generative search optimization). 

It’s the practice of improving your brand’s visibility in generative AI (GAI) responses. For example, whenever people ask ChatGPT about products, it always provides recommendations:

Users who conduct these types of searches will visit these brands’ websites, which is a new way to generate traffic. 

So, how can you get ChatGPT and other AI tools to mention your brand?

Here are some tips:

• Improve traditional SEO. Ask ChatGPT and it’ll tell you that it likes to pull information from top-ranked websites on search engines like Google. This means that achieving top organic rankings through traditional SEO is still extremely valuable, even if you’re receiving fewer clicks through Google Search (since you can make up for that with AI mentions). 

• Build trustworthy backlinks. AI tools also prefer to mention trusted brands, so improving your backlink profile is a must. The more trust you build on Google through backlinks, the more likely you are to appear in GAI responses. 

• Aggregate lots of positive reviews and testimonials. Credibility matters to GAI tools, so you’ll need plenty of positive feedback circulating online for your business. For local businesses, Google Business Profile (GBP) optimization is crucial. GAI tools will notice this and become more likely to mention your brand. 

• Build a public API. If you can, building an API for your brand will improve your visibility on GAI tools. This is because instead of crawling the internet, AI platforms tend to use APIs that let them grab real-time data. 

• Use proper schemas. AI tools use structured data to better understand content, so including schemas on your website is a GSO best practice. 

Need help optimizing your Google Business Profile? As stated above, accruing positive reviews on GBP is integral for improving brand visibility on AI tools. Our GBP Management Service is perfect for this!

Use memorable copy, branded imaging, and distinct phrasing 

Can you hear me now? I’m lovin’ it. You’re in good hands. 

You probably instantly recognized those three phrases as coming from Verizon, McDonalds, and Allstate. 

Why is that?

It’s because they leveraged the power of using memorable copy. These catchphrases have become just as synonymous with those brands as their actual brand names, which is pretty insane to think about. 

The good news is there’s nothing stopping you from doing the same thing. 

First, think about what your main value add is for your customers. In other words, what keeps your clients coming back? After that, brainstorm some catchphrases with your team. 

Gathering feedback is key, so check with your most loyal customers to see if what you’re coming up with sticks in their minds. You can even hold small focus groups to find out what your audience prefers for catchphrases and your overall messaging. 

Once you do settle on a catchphrase, stick to it like glue. Consistency is half the game here, so don’t be shy about using your branded language. 

Also, don’t forget to design a memorable logo and include it in every piece of content you create. 

This will help you raise brand awareness without relying on clicks. 

Measuring Engagement in an AI-Driven World 

Lastly, let’s examine how you can keep track of your GSO efforts. 

While GAI metrics aren’t as easily accessible as SEO metrics at the moment, there are still ways to measure your success, like:

• Scroll depth. This metric lets you know how far users scroll down a particular web page during their visit. It’s an effective way to gauge user engagement because if they don’t scroll down past the top, it’s pretty clear that they aren’t engaged with your content. Higher scroll depth means your users are engaged with your content enough to keep scrolling down. You can use Google Tag Manager to measure your scroll depth. 

• Social echoes. Is your target audience talking about your brand on social platforms? Social listening tools like Hootsuite and BuzzSumo will let you know. 

• Branded searches. How often are users searching for your brand online? To find out, you can use Google Search Console. Go to Performance > Search Results and select Queries. Next, look up keywords that include your brand name, and check the metrics. 

These measurements will let you know if your efforts are improving your online visibility. 

Of course, we also recommend keeping up with your traditional SEO, as organic search is still important, and high search rankings and backlinks improve your chances of appearing in GAI summaries. 

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