How to Win in a Zero-Click Search Market

Zero-click searches might not drive direct traffic to your site, but they can still help your business grow by boosting visibility and brand awareness.

When your brand appears in zero-click search features (like AI Overviews) you become part of the conversation your audience is already having.

Today, we’re exploring how zero-click searches are evolving with AI. And what you can do to make sure your brand shows up in them.

What is a zero-click search?

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 search engine provides the information the user needs through SERP features like:

• AI Overviews
• Featured snippets
• Knowledge panels
• People Also Ask boxes
• Local packs
• Image and video carousels

So the user has no need to click through to a search result. But can still be exposed to your brand by seeing it mentioned.

Why do zero-click searches happen?

Zero-click searches happen because search engines and AI search platforms are now designed to answer queries directly, rather than routing users to source websites.

Several factors are driving this shift:

• AI Overviews and featured snippets: AI-powered search features synthesize information from multiple sources and display complete answers directly on search engine results pages (SERPs). When users get the information they need immediately, they often don’t need to click through to a website.
• Knowledge panels and instant answers: For factual queries like conversions, definitions, or basic facts, Google pulls answers from its own knowledge graph and structured data systems.
• Search engine incentives: Keeping users on the SERP increases ad exposure and engagement with Google’s ecosystem, which incentivizes search engines to deliver answers without requiring users to visit external sites.
• AI search platforms: Tools like ChatGPT, Perplexity, Claude, and Gemini synthesize answers from across the web, allowing users to get recommendations or explanations without visiting individual sites.

How AI Overviews have changed search behavior

AI-powered search features have compressed the path from question to answer, and the user journey has evolved from “search → click → scan → find answer” to “search → get answer.”

AI Overviews synthesize information from multiple sources into comprehensive responses. Users often get complete answers without needing additional context.

For example, a query like “how to fix a flat tire” now generates step-by-step instructions directly in the AI Overview. Most users don’t need to click through for more details.

In fact, 58.5% of U.S. searches and 59.7% of E.U. searches ended without a click in 2024. 

And AI Overviews were triggered for 13.14% of queries in March 2025. Up from 6.49% in January 2025. Which means more searches could end in zero clicks as AI Overviews grow.

Here’s Google Search Console data from one website that looks at click rate (green line) versus impressions (purple line) from May 2024 (when AI Overviews went live) to September 2025. 

Impressions more than doubled. While the click-through rate fell from ~1.5% to under 0.5%.

And SEO professional Ankush Gupta noticed the same phenomenon:

“We saw something strange in one of our clients’ Search Console. Their impressions kept increasing, but their CTR dropped sharply over the last few months … Google now shows your content inside AI answers. So impressions go up (more people see your content). But clicks go down (because users get their answer right there).” 

But zero-click doesn’t mean zero opportunity. As co-founder of SparkToro Rand Fishkin points out, it’s crucial for brands to reach their audience.

And you can still reach your audience in a zero-click search world.

How AEO extends SEO

SEO optimizes for rankings and clicks. Answer engine optimization (AEO) extends that by optimizing for visibility and citations in AI-generated responses. Together, they’re part of one discipline.

Here’s what AEO adds to what SEO already does:

What SEO has always done	What AEO adds
Increase content visibility in organic results	Earn citations and references in AI-generated answers
Track rankings, traffic, and CTR	Track citations, brand mentions, snippet captures, and AI visibility
Build comprehensive pages targeting keywords	Create direct, self-contained answers with clear source attribution

This means your content must now work in two contexts:

1. As a standalone resource when users visit your site
2. As source material for AI search platforms and featured snippets

Ensuring your content serves as source material for AI requires a different approach to structure, format, and optimization.

Here’s how to do it:

How to build a zero-click strategy: A step-by-step framework

Step 1: Identify your zero-click keywords

Identifying your zero-click keywords helps you understand your current SERP landscape so you know where to focus your efforts.

Use Semrush’s Position Tracking tool to analyze your target keywords. Once you have configured Position Tracking, you can view all the keywords you are targeting that have zero-click SERP features.

Head into “Overview” and click the “SERP Features” drop-down. Click “[your website] doesn’t rank” to pull up keywords where you don’t rank for any SERP features.

Pay attention to:

• AI Overviews
• Featured snippets
• Knowledge panels
• People Also Ask boxes
• Local packs
• Image and video carousels

As these may result in zero-click searches.

Step 2: Build brand authority

Brand authority is a crucial asset in a zero-click search environment. Users may encounter your brand in an AI Overview, SERP feature, or AI platform before they ever visit your site. 

It’s important to show up in these places, and show up with positive sentiment. 

When search engines and AI search platforms consistently encounter your brand across credible sources, they’re more likely to reference or cite your content across these features. 

You can build brand authority in several ways:

• Earn authoritative mentions: Publish original research, data, or insights that other sites reference. Citations and backlinks signal credibility to both search engines and AI systems.
• Leverage subject-matter experts: Encourage company experts to contribute insights through thought leadership content, interviews, and industry publications. Authority is inferred partly from the voices associated with your brand. 
• Build branded search demand: When more users search directly for your brand, search engines interpret it as a signal of trust and relevance.
• Maintain consistent brand presence: Ensure your brand appears consistently across trusted sources such as blogs, industry publications, forums, and review platforms.

Monitoring how your brand appears in search and AI platforms can help you identify opportunities to improve visibility.

You can track where your brand is mentioned across the web using Semrush’s Brand Monitoring tool.

Click “Get started”, enter your brand name, and click “Continue.”

Enter your brand name again in the keywords section, check the “Online” box as a source, and click “Create query” to monitor for mentions of your brand online. 

Check out our full guide to Brand Mentions to learn more. 

Step 3: Optimize existing content with schema markup

Schema markup (structured data) helps AI platforms and search engines understand your content, which can help you grow brand awareness.

Focus on adding schema markup to pages where you don’t rank for zero-click SERP features.

Here are three different types of schema to consider adding to your site.

1. FAQPage schema

FAQPage schema may help Q&A content appear in People Also Ask boxes and AI Overviews.

You can add FAQPage schema to any Q&A content on your page. Even if it isn’t part of a formal FAQ section.

To increase your chance of ranking in answer boxes (like AI Overviews) for FAQ content:

1. Lead with the answer (within the first 40-60 words)
2. Provide context and details in subsequent paragraphs
3. Use the exact question as your heading when possible
4. Structure answers with bullet points or numbered lists

Here’s an example that follows the above points:

And here is an example of FAQPage schema:

{
"@context": "https://schema.org",
"@type": "FAQPage",
"mainEntity": [{
"@type": "Question",
"name": "What is zero-click search?",
"acceptedAnswer": {
"@type": "Answer",
"text": "A zero-click search occurs when users find their answer directly on the search results page without clicking through to any website."
}
}]
}

2. HowTo schema

HowTo schema might increase your chance of appearing in featured snippets and AI-generated step lists and is ideal for step-by-step guides and tutorials.

You can add HowTo schema to any content that walks users through a process. 

Here’s an example of a recipe site that creates HowTo schema for their recipes:

To increase your chance of ranking in step-by-step rich results:

• Keep each step clear and actionable, with one instruction per HowToStep
• Lead with a concise title that reflects exactly what the user wants to do
• Include images or videos when possible to illustrate steps
• Add fields like tools, totalTime, or estimatedCost to provide extra context
• Ensure the schema matches the visible instructions on the page

Here is an example of the code for HowTo schema:

{
"@context": "https://schema.org",
"@type": "HowTo",
"name": "How to optimize for zero-click search",
"step": [{
"@type": "HowToStep",
"name": "Audit your current SERP features",
"text": "Use tools like Semrush to identify which keywords already trigger SERP features"
}]
}

3. LocalBusiness schema

LocalBusiness schema helps populate knowledge panels and local pack results and is valuable for local businesses competing in zero-click local searches.

LocalBusiness schema can highlight key details such as your business name, address, phone number, opening hours, and other attributes that help search engines better understand and surface your business.

Here is an example of LocalBusiness schema:

{
"@context": "https://schema.org",
"@type": "LocalBusiness",
"name": "Your Business Name",
"address": {
"@type": "PostalAddress",
"streetAddress": "123 Main St",
"addressLocality": "City",
"addressRegion": "State",
"postalCode": "12345"
}
}

Step 4: Create zero-click content

Zero-click content is content designed to deliver value directly in search results or AI-generated answers, even if the user never visits your site.

Instead of focusing only on driving clicks, this type of content aims to increase visibility and brand recognition by being extracted, cited, and surfaced by search engines or AI search platforms.

To improve your chances of appearing in SERP features and AI-generated answers, structure your content so it’s easy for search engines and AI search platforms to extract.

Here’s how:

• Provide concise answers early: Start sections with a clear 40–60 word answer to the question being asked. This increases the likelihood that search engines will extract the text for featured snippets or AI Overviews.
• Use question-based headings: Format headings around common search queries (for example, “What is zero-click search?” or “How do zero-click searches affect SEO?”). This aligns with how users phrase questions.
• Structure information for extraction: Use bullet points, numbered lists, and tables to organize content. Structured information is easier for search engines and AI systems to parse and display.
• Include specific facts and statistics: AI-generated answers often cite content containing clear data points, definitions, and authoritative statements.
• Ensure sections work independently: Each section should provide a complete answer on its own. This allows AI search platforms to extract useful information even when it appears outside the full article context.

This article was built to follow these principles. Each section opens with a direct answer that can stand on its own outside of the full piece.

The goal isn’t to replace click-driving content. It’s to complement it with content designed for visibility as well. Both types have a role in a brand’s content strategy:

Content Type	Goal
In-depth resources, tools, and guides	Encourage users to click through to your site
Concise definitions, summaries, and comparisons	Appear in zero-click SERP features and AI answers

For example, our blog hosts in-depth resources and guides like our guide to SEO audits, while our knowledge base hosts concise definitions like our FAQschema page. Each plays a different role in our overall content strategy.

Step 5: Create content for unanswered questions

Look for questions your audience asks that you can steal from your competitors.

Head into Organic Rankings, enter a rival’s domain, and click “Search.”

Scroll to the “SERP Features” section. And click into any of the SERP features under “Linking to domain” to see which keywords that site owns for that particular feature. 

You’ll get a list of keywords. 

Create content for relevant keywords that you don’t have content for. To try to overtake your competitors for these SERP features.

Step 6: Optimize for visibility across AI search platforms

AI search platforms consistently cite sources that offer what generic consensus can’t: proprietary data, expert perspectives, and original insights. 

Start by identifying the questions your audience asks AI search platforms. Use Semrush’s Prompt Tracking tool to discover which prompts mention your brand or competitors.

Enter your brand name and click “Analyze.”

From here, scroll down to the “Related Topics” section and click “Prompts” to see a list of prompts users are searching for on ChatGPT using your brand name. 

You can also do the same for your competitors’ brand names to get more ideas of what users are searching. Once you have these prompts, you can create content to answer those queries.

As you create content, focus on:

• Publishing original insights and data: AI systems consistently cite sources that provide unique information, research, or expert perspectives rather than generic summaries. For example, Semrush’s original research is a good example of content that earns citations regularly.
• Building presence on commonly cited platforms: AI search platforms frequently reference content from trusted blogs, industry publications, forums, and review platforms. Appearing on these sources increases your chances of being cited. 
• Creating clear, well-structured content: Content with strong headings, concise explanations, and structured formatting is easier for AI platforms to interpret and reference.

Deciding when to pursue or avoid zero-click queries

Not all zero-click searches deserve your attention. Strategic keyword selection maximizes your ROI.

When to pursue zero-click keywords

Zero-click opportunities are worth pursuing when they can drive purchase intent, brand awareness, or easy SERP feature wins.

Specifically, look for:

• High-intent queries: Questions buyers ask before purchasing, comparison searches that influence decisions, or problem-identification queries that spark awareness (e.g., “best email marketing software for small business”)
• Brand awareness opportunities: Industry definition queries, trending topics in your niche, or questions where you can showcase a unique methodology to build thought leadership
• Low-competition SERP features: Keywords with weak or missing featured snippets, untapped AI Overview results, or long-tail questions that can be directly and concisely answered 

When to avoid zero-click keywords

Avoid targeting keywords that won’t deliver business value.

Especially when they fall into these categories:

• Pure information searches: Basic definitions, general educational content, or fact-based queries with no commercial intent (e.g., “what year was Google founded”)
• Commoditized comparisons: Generic product matchups with no room for differentiation, price-only searches where you can’t compete, or highly technical topics outside your expertise
• Oversaturated SERP features: Keywords dominated by Wikipedia or major publishers, snippets owned by competitors with comprehensive resources, or AI Overviews that consistently cite the same few authoritative sources 

Which metrics should you track for zero-click searches?

SEO metrics miss the full picture in a zero-click world. Metrics like brand sentiment and visibility better reflect your success with zero-click searches.

Here are the metrics to track for zero-click searches:

• AI Visibility Score: How often your brand appears in AI-generated answers across platforms, including Google AI Overviews, ChatGPT, Perplexity, and other AI search engines
• SERP Feature Share: Your percentage of featured snippet, PAA, and knowledge panel appearances for target keywords
• Brand Mention Sentiment: Monitor not just frequency but the quality of brand mentions in AI responses. Positive mentions in authoritative contexts matter more than raw citation count.
• Question Coverage Rate: The percentage of audience questions your content addresses in SERP features. Higher coverage signals stronger topic authority and user satisfaction.
• Multi-Platform Visibility: Track brand mentions across search engines (Google, Bing), AI search platforms (Perplexity), and conversational AI (ChatGPT, Claude)

Semrush’s Visibility Overview helps you track your visibility and coverage in LLMs and AI Overviews.

Enter your domain and click “Check AI Visibility.”

You’ll see which brand mentions you own in the “Your Performing Topics” tab. 

And clicking “Topic Opportunities” highlights prompts where LLMs don’t mention your brand and mention competitors instead.

Consider creating AI-optimized content for these prompts. To try and improve visibility.

And the Perception tool gives you your share of voice and sentiment. Along with tips to improve each one.

Connecting zero-click metrics to business ROI

Zero-click visibility can still contribute to measurable business outcomes. 

Alongside pipeline or revenue metrics, track:

These will help you understand how increased visibility influences customer journeys. 

Even when users don’t click immediately, repeated exposure to your brand in search features and AI answers can build trust and drive conversions later in the buying process.

Preparing for the future of search

Zero-click search is evolving SEO.

Success in 2026 and beyond requires shifting from traffic-focused to visibility-focused strategies. The brands that win will be those that provide immediate value in AI responses, which will help them build long-term authority and recognition.

Your content will increasingly work in two ways: as a direct resource for users who click through, and as source material for AI engines serving millions of users who never visit your site.

Both matter. Both can drive business results.

The key is measuring and optimizing for both simultaneously.

Ready to adapt your SEO strategy for the zero-click future? 

Use Semrush to audit your current SERP feature presence and identify your biggest visibility opportunities.

Zero-click search FAQs

Why do zero-click searches happen?

Zero-click searches happen when search engines and AI search platforms provide answers directly in the results page or response interface. Features like AI Overviews, featured snippets, knowledge panels, and conversational AI platforms like ChatGPT, Claude, and Perplexity synthesize information from multiple sources, allowing users to get the information they need without clicking through to a website.

How do zero-click searches affect SEO?

Zero-click searches often reduce organic click-through rates, even for top-ranking pages. However, they also create opportunities for brand visibility through SERP features and AI citations. 

Successful SEO strategies focus on both traffic and visibility, ensuring your content can appear in search features and AI-generated answers.

What is zero-click content?

Zero-click content is content designed to deliver immediate value directly in search results or AI-generated answers. It typically includes concise explanations, question-based headings, structured lists, and clear definitions that search engines or AI tools can easily extract.

How can I measure ROI from zero-click searches?

You can measure the impact of zero-click visibility by tracking metrics such as branded search growth, AI visibility scores, SERP feature share, and assisted conversions. Comparing these visibility metrics with pipeline or revenue trends helps connect search visibility to real business outcomes.