What is Zero-Click Search (+ How to Optimize for It)?

We can bury our heads in the sand all we want, but the reality is that Google users are increasingly finding what they need without ever visiting a website.

This is what we call a zero-click search, where a user’s query is answered directly on the results page through SERP features such as AI Overviews, featured snippets, People Also Ask boxes, or knowledge panels.

Why Zero-Click Search Is a Big Deal for SEO

Zero-click search is nothing new. Back in 2019, about half of all Google searches ended without a click. Fast-forward to today, and that figure has climbed to 58.5% in the U.S. and 59.7% in the EU. In other words, six out of ten searches don’t drive traffic to any website at all.

Why is this happening? Because Google has made it that way. From featured snippets to PAA boxes to AI Overviews, Google’s SERP features are designed to keep users within their ecosystem. The search engine that once played middleman to the open web now wants to be the open web.

Since the launch of AI Overviews—Google’s generative answer box that debuted as the Search Generative Experience—that gap between being seen and being clicked has widened.

We’re in what some are calling the Great Decoupling: content is still getting impressions, but because AI summaries are answering user queries directly on the SERPs, the clicks are drying up. According to an Ahrefs study of 300,000 informational keywords, AI Overviews are linked to a 34.5% drop in CTR for top-ranking pages compared to similar queries without them.

Zero-Click Search Formats You Need to Know

I’ve briefly mentioned some of the zero-click features, but allow me to be more explicit. Here are the main SERP features driving zero-click:

AI Overviews

Let’s start with AI Overviews, or AIOs for short. They are the newest, and arguably most disruptive, SERP feature. Google uses its generative model, Gemini, to pull from multiple sources, blend the information, and display an “overview” at the top of the results page.

I mentioned the Ahrefs study, the AIO rollout, and the subsequent 34.5% drop in CTR for top-ranking pages. But what I didn’t mention was that the Wall Street Journal and New York Post reported that publishers are seeing traffic collapse despite prominent visibility.

This is the clearest example of the “Great Decoupling,” impressions without clicks.

AI Mode

Unlike AI Overviews, which appear at the top of the SERPs for some search results, AI Mode is a toggle built directly into Search. When activated, it shifts the entire experience into a conversational, AI-driven interface. Instead of a traditional page of blue links, users see Gemini-generated answers, suggested follow-ups, and deeper context pulled from multiple sources.

For site owners and publishers, AI Mode extends the same dynamic seen with AI Overviews: visibility without guaranteed clicks. Users can keep refining their searches inside the AI interface, without the need to click through to a website.

Featured Snippets, a.k.a “Position Zero”

Featured snippets have been around for a good while now. These are the classic featured snippets that appear above the first organic listing, often called “position zero.”

Google pulls a short paragraph, a bulleted list, a table, or even a video from a website and displays it at the top of the search results to answer a user’s query. Paragraph snippets remain the most common, but lists and tables dominate for “how-to” and comparison queries.

Knowledge Panels, PAA, and Local Packs

Other familiar features that drive zero-click include:

• Knowledge panels: Often powered by the knowledge graph, these appear on the right-hand side (desktop) or top (mobile), showing entity-based facts about people, organizations, or places.
• People Also Ask (PAA): A dynamic accordion that expands to answer related questions. Each answer is effectively another direct answer box, usually sourced from third-party content.
• Local Packs: For local SEO, Google surfaces a map with three highlighted Google Business Profile listings. They don’t drive site visits as often as they drive calls, reviews, and direction requests, arguably a win for SMBs.

Ads, Shopping, and Flights

Zero-click isn’t just organic. Google Ads, Shopping carousels, Flights, and Hotels modules all grab premium real estate. For transactional searches, these paid formats absorb clicks that might otherwise go to organic listings. The result: less organic website traffic, more monetization for Google.

Why Zero-Click Doesn’t Spell SEO Disaster

So, where do these features and the zero-clicks they drive leave us? Honestly, it’s not entirely clear just yet, but not all is lost. There are still websites that are finding a lot of success. Here’s what they’re focusing on:

Zero-Click Marketing as Strategy

Rand Fishkin at SparkToro calls it zero-click marketing: delivering value directly on the SERP. Think punchline-first insights, short lists, or answers that stand on their own. Even if the user doesn’t click the first time around, you’ve planted your brand in their mind. That visibility builds brand authority, sparks shares, and often translates into direct searches, social media engagement, email newsletter sign-ups, and eventual conversions.

You could say that the sales funnel has gotten longer. Instead of a straight path from query to click to conversion, zero-click search stretches that journey out.

A user might encounter your brand in a featured snippet today, see it mentioned again in a knowledge panel next week, stumble across your LinkedIn post, and only then decide to visit your site directly. The credit for that conversion won’t show up neatly in Google Analytics, but the sequence started with your zero-click presence.

Expanding the Touchpoints

Building on my previous point, the reality of zero-click search invites us to think bigger than on-page SEO. If the SERP is where the first brand impression happens, then the rest of the journey often continues elsewhere. That means putting more energy into off-page SEO and brand presence, places like LinkedIn, YouTube, podcasts, newsletters, and even earned media.

In this sense, zero-click isn’t a dead end; it’s a multiplier of touchpoints. A search impression sparks awareness, a social post reinforces it, and a newsletter or case study might finally close the loop. The sequence looks messy in analytics, but from the user’s perspective, it feels natural: they’ve “seen you around” enough times to trust you when they’re ready to act.

Visibility ≠ Vanished Presence

Appearing in a featured snippet or knowledge panel isn’t wasted effort. Those placements carry the implicit endorsement of Google. Research shows that snippets and panels increase trust and credibility; users are more likely to remember and revisit a brand that shows up in those spots.

In other words, being seen matters, even when it doesn’t come with a session in Analytics.

New Metrics for Modern SEO

If you only track clicks, you’ll miss the bigger picture. The new reality calls for impression-driven metrics: how often your site appears in SERP features, how your branded search volume changes, and whether search intent aligns with your content. The Wall Street Journal reported that search marketers are already shifting their KPIs this way.

CTR alone doesn’t capture the influence of being part of the conversation.

Local SEO Aside

For small and local businesses, “zero-click” can actually be a win. A Google Business Profile result or Local Pack listing may not deliver a site visit, but it drives the things that matter more: calls, direction requests, and bookings. From a customer’s perspective, that’s the shortest path from search intent to conversion, no homepage required.

How to Optimize for Zero-Click Visibility

Zero-click SEO optimizes your content so that when Google crawls, summarizes, or surfaces it, your brand receives the spotlight. Here’s how to put yourself in the running:

Target Long-Tail Questions and Query Fan-Out

Google’s AI and voice search are moving fast. They’re now designed to see not just what you typed, but all the layers inside your question. That means content that addresses long-tail questions and anticipates the “query fan-out” behind complex prompts will do better in zero-click SERP features.

What is query fan-out?

Query fan-out is when Google breaks a single user query into multiple sub-queries, each exploring a different facet (location, timeframe, comparison, feature, etc.), then combines those to build richer, more helpful answers.

For example, a prompt like “best eco-friendly hotel in Paris with vegan breakfast for families” might fan out into sub-queries such as “eco-friendly hotels in Paris,” “vegan breakfast hotels Paris,” “family-friendly hotel amenities,” or “costs of sustainable hotels.”

Here are some practical ways to align your content with this evolution in search behavior:

• Think in facet maps, not just single keywords. Instead of optimizing just for “Italian restaurant Sydney,” brainstorm related long-tail questions: “Italian restaurant near Circular Quay open late,” “cheap Italian dinner in Sydney CBD,” “best Italian pasta delivery near me.” The goal is to cover the possible sub-questions Google might “fan out” behind your main topic.
• Use conversational / question-led headings. FAQ-style or “People Also Ask”-style questions help expose content to sub-query discovery. Google often pulls answers for those fan-out facets directly from such structured, question/answer content.
• Write with depth and clarity for each facet. When Google issues fan-out sub-queries, it looks for content that handles each angle well. That means your content should have sections dedicated to comparisons, specific features, local variations where relevant, timelines, or costs, etc. If your piece has holes, Google’s AI might choose another source to fill them.
• Use tools and feedback loops to discover sub-queries. Tools like “People Also Ask,” keyword clustering tools, or semantic/intent research can uncover those latent questions. Monitor your Search Console to see related queries people are already using that you haven’t answered yet.

Why bother to go to this trouble? There are a few reasons, including:

1. It expands your visibility footprint. Even if a user doesn’t click now, they might click later after seeing your content appear in various facets.
2. It also aligns with how Google is now evaluating content: depth + coverage across topics, not just perfect keyword matching.
3. It builds topical authority. You become the go-to source across all related questions, which helps with trust, recall, and sometimes even clickthroughs over time.

Structure for Extractability

Google (and SEO experts) agree: when your content is formatted for clarity and structure, it has a far higher chance of being picked up for featured snippets, direct answer boxes, or AI Overviews. It’s not just about what you say, it’s how you say it.

Here’s how to say it:

• Lists and numbered steps are especially helpful when a query asks how to do something or steps to solve a problem. Google recognizes this and will cite lists that quickly address a user’s query.
• Tables do well when queries involve comparison (pricing, features, specifications). They make it easier for Google to pull structured, tabular data into featured snippets.
• Q&A / FAQ style content: writing content around questions (and embedding those questions as headings) makes it easier for Google to identify a precise answer. FAQ/“People Also Ask” format helps capture featured snippets.

Add Schema Markup (FAQ, HowTo, Local)

Adding structured data is one of the simplest ways to help search engines categorize and feature your content. FAQ schema can generate expandable questions, HowTo schema can surface step-by-step instructions, and Local schema makes sure Google ties your business to a location. Sites that implement schema are far more likely to capture rich snippets.

Optimize for Local and Voice

If you’re running a small or local business, zero-click can actually be your best friend. Google Business Profile and Maps results are technically zero-click features, but they drive high-value actions like calls, bookings, and in-store visits. Pair that with conversational copy aimed at voice search (think “near me” phrasing), and you’re giving yourself a strong shot at success.

Blend Visibility with Click Incentives

Of course, not every zero-click result has to be the end of the journey. Smart search marketers find ways to invite curiosity. That might mean:

• Adding a teaser in your snippet (“Step 1 is easy, Step 2 is where most people get stuck, here’s what to do…”)
• Pairing results with infographics or videos that encourage clicks for the full story
• Writing meta descriptions with a strong call-to-action

The goal isn’t to fight zero-click, it’s to plant those seeds and harvest the fruits of your labor at a later date.

Conclusion and Next Steps

Google’s incentives have changed, and so have the rules of the game. Winning today means treating impressions, snippets, and AI mentions as steps in a longer funnel, not wasted effort.

The takeaway? SEO is no longer a one-to-one game of “rank → click.” It’s a long-term positioning play where visibility, authority, and recognition compound over time.

Loganix will help you achieve just that.

Head over to our SEO services page, and let’s get you ranked and cited.