What is Zero-Click and Why It Matters in 2025

What Is Zero-Click and Its Impact on SEO

If you typed a question into Google today and got the answer without clicking on anything, you experienced zero‑click search. In SEO, that behaviour is no longer the exception. A majority of queries now end on the results page itself, and that shift is reshaping how rankings translate into real traffic, enquiries, and revenue.

This piece focuses only on SEO and search engines, not other uses of the term. We will look at what zero‑click means in practice, how it affects rankings and KPIs, what drives it, and how site owners can adapt with confidence.

What zero‑click means for rankings and real outcomes

Ranking in position one once felt like a guarantee of clicks. That assumption no longer holds. When answers appear inside Google’s SERP features, users often feel satisfied without visiting a site. Recent studies estimate about 58 to 60 percent of Google searches in the US and EU end without any click. In the same datasets, about one third of all clicks go to Google’s own surfaces like Maps, News, YouTube, or Shopping. Only a minority reach the open web.

The result is a structural drop in organic CTR, even when your ranks hold steady. One user study assigned about 42 percent of clicks to answer boxes like featured snippets and knowledge panels, leaving roughly 44 percent to classic listings. That is a dramatic reallocation of attention.

This change does not mean rankings no longer matter. It means the value of ranking is now split between two outcomes:

• On‑SERP visibility and brand recall
• Actual visits and conversions from the clicks that remain

Treat both as wins. If your brand name and logo appear in an answer box, a PAA citation, or a local pack, people notice. Some will click later on a different query. Others will call or request directions right from the SERP. Rankings still influence these outcomes, but the scoring has changed.

What the major engines are doing

• Google
  Google dominates market share and runs the most aggressive set of on‑SERP features. Zero‑click rates now exceed half of all queries in many regions. Newer elements like AI Overviews push that even higher for the queries where they trigger.
• Bing Bing has similar features, including knowledge panels, carousels, and an AI chat entry point. Fewer independent studies quantify its zero‑click share, and its feature set is generally less crowded than Google’s. Impact is present, but smaller.
• DuckDuckGo A minimal SERP by design, drawing on Bing and other sources. Its market share is small, so the effect exists but is felt at a niche scale. Optimisation largely mirrors Bing with a strong focus on clean, relevant content and local data accuracy.

Recent zero‑click and click‑share snapshots

The figures below are directional, not identical across all methods or markets, yet the pattern is clear.

Intent explains the variation

Not all queries behave the same:

• Informational queries Definitions, listicles, how‑tos, quick facts. These trigger featured snippets, PAAs, and AI answers more than any other group. Zero‑click is strongest here.
• Navigational and local queries
  Brand terms, entity lookups, “near me” searches. Knowledge panels and map packs serve addresses, phone numbers, hours, and reviews right on the SERP. Calls and direction taps rise, website visits fall.
• Transactional and commercial queries Buyers comparing products or services still click through more often, although many clicks go to Shopping, marketplaces, or aggregator surfaces. That is not a zero‑click outcome, but it is not an open‑web organic visit either.

Industries built on quick facts, local presence, travel planning, or events see the biggest erosion in organic clicks. High‑consideration B2B, complex solutions, and research‑heavy purchases feel less pressure, though the feature footprint keeps growing.

The SERP features that siphon clicks

These elements do the heavy lifting for zero‑click outcomes:

• Featured snippets Paragraphs, lists, tables. Direct answers to question‑led searches. They often satisfy the need without a visit.
• Knowledge panels Entity summaries with images, facts, social profiles, and sometimes product listings. A brand’s official website link may appear, yet many users grab the info and move on.
• People Also Ask Expandable related questions with short answers on page. Users iterate inside the SERP instead of scrolling to blue links.
• Local packs and map interfaces Ratings, proximity, hours, call buttons, directions. These drive phone calls and foot traffic without touching the website.
• Rich carousels Top stories, videos, images, and Shopping. Clicks often move into Google’s own verticals or partner surfaces.
• Utility widgets and AI Overviews Weather, calculators, conversions, sports scores, stock prices, and now summarised AI answers. Where AI Overviews appear, a very high share end without any click.

None of these are going away. They exist because searchers like them.

What to measure now that CTR is lower

Traffic is still vital, yet it is no longer the only sign of success from organic rankings. Expand your scorecard:

• Impressions in Search Console for key topics and entities
• Visibility in featured snippets, PAAs, local packs, and knowledge panels
• Branded search growth over time
• SERP interactions that bypass the site: calls, direction requests, bookings, menu views
• Assisted conversions tracked in analytics
• Post‑click depth for the visits you do win, not just bounce rate
• Share of clicks to the open web vs Google surfaces for target terms, estimated from panel studies and your own tests

If leadership only looks at sessions, zero‑click can make SEO look weaker than it is. Bring these extra indicators into your regular reporting.

Answer Engine Optimisation as a mindset

Traditional SEO targets rankings and clicks. Answer Engine Optimisation targets citations and on‑SERP visibility in places that reduce clicks. Both matter.

Practical moves:

• Write scannable, one‑paragraph definitions and step lists near the top of key pages
• Label sections with clear H2 or H3 questions
• Provide short answers first, then expand with richer detail that rewards a click
• Use tables for comparisons that are easy to excerpt
• Add schema where appropriate: FAQ, HowTo, Product, Review, Event, Organisation, LocalBusiness
• Keep entity data consistent: names, addresses, phone numbers, logos, and sameAs links

AEO is not about giving away everything. It is about being the source that gets credited, while reserving deeper context, downloads, or interactive tools for the page itself.

Structuring content to still earn the click

The snippet should be enough to win the placement, but not enough to satisfy the user who wants more. A few patterns work well:

• Provide the quick answer, then promise extras users cannot get on the SERP Examples include annotated checklists, industry benchmarks, calculators, and templates.
• Insert helpful visuals partway down the page Short videos, diagrams, and interactive charts create a reason to visit.
• Build topic clusters
  If a snippet satisfies the primary query, internal links invite the next question. Clusters also strengthen topical authority.
• Add practical CTAs matched to intent “Email me this checklist”, “Compare plans”, “Book a call”, “Download the full template”. Make progression obvious and useful.

Small changes in layout and copy can lift dwell time and conversions on the traffic you do capture.

Technical signals that feed zero‑click features

Your technical setup influences how engines extract and present your answers:

• Clean headings, semantic HTML, and tight intro summaries
• Schema that reflects real on‑page content
• Updated content with current dates on pages where recency matters
• Clear author or organisation details for E‑E‑A‑T signals
• Fast mobile performance and stable layout to reduce snippet mis‑parsing

Treat structured data as a publishing feed to search engines. If you want a specific fact or price to appear on the SERP, make sure it is correct on the page and in the schema.

Local businesses and zero‑click wins

For a Kiwi café, tradie, clinic, or tourism operator, the local pack is often the whole game. Priorities:

• Claim and complete your Google Business Profile
• Keep NAP data identical everywhere
• Add high‑quality photos and short videos
• Post updates, offers, and events
• Use primary and secondary categories that match customer intent
• Collect and reply to reviews, and reference services in your responses where appropriate
• Add booking, menu, or product links if available

Many conversions will happen without a site visit. Measure calls, direction taps, and bookings as core SEO outcomes, not just sessions.

How zero‑click affects bounce rate and behaviour metrics

Zero‑click suppresses clicks by definition, so it never shows in your analytics. Among the visits that do occur, expect some users to bounce quickly because the featured text already answered the basics. That is not always a failure. If your page also brings in qualified visitors for deeper content, overall contribution can still rise. Use secondary metrics like scroll depth, key events, and assisted conversions to decide whether a page is pulling its weight.

Paid and owned channels that complement SEO

Relying only on organic clicks in a heavy zero‑click environment creates risk. Balance the mix:

• Email newsletters to retain readers who found you through search
• Social posts that highlight original data, short videos, and behind‑the‑scenes content
• Partnerships and PR to seed branded demand
• Shopping and PPC campaigns on queries with strong commercial intent

This is not an either‑or setup. Strong brands tend to win more zero‑click citations and more clicks.

Strategy highlights by query type

• Informational Lead with crisp answers. Keep the win by updating regularly. Offer a deeper guide or tool to earn the visit when interest goes beyond the basics.
• Navigational Secure sitelinks, keep brand SERPs clean, and enrich your knowledge panel data. Make sure the most valuable next action is obvious.
• Local Treat your Business Profile as a storefront. Photos and recent posts boost engagement. Add attributes and services. Encourage reviews.
• Transactional Use Product schema, merchant centre feeds, and comparison tables. If ads and Shopping dominate, decide where organic still wins and where paid is efficient.

A playbook for AI Overviews

Where AI Overviews appear, clicks plummet even further. You can still claim space:

• Provide concise, source‑ready statements that AI can cite
• Publish unique data or methods that get quoted
• Use explicit units, definitions, and clear step names so summaries stay accurate
• Watch which queries trigger AI Overviews in your niche, then author pages tailored to those questions with a short‑then‑deep structure

Do not chase every summary. Prioritise terms where visibility influences later branded demand or downstream conversions.

Measurement that reflects reality

Build a dashboard that balances visibility and visits:

• Search Console impressions and average position for target entities and themes
• Featured snippet, PAA, and local pack appearance rates
• Branded query trends
• Calls, direction taps, and bookings from GBP
• Assisted conversion paths that include organic impressions or visits
• Content freshness cadence and re‑crawl frequency

Share this view with stakeholders so they understand why “flat sessions” can still mean growing brand impact.

A 90‑day plan to adapt

Weeks 1 to 2

• Map your top 50 queries by intent: informational, navigational, local, transactional
• Audit SERP features present on each query
• Identify content gaps and quick wins for featured snippets, PAAs, and local pack gains

Weeks 3 to 6

• Rewrite priority pages with short answers above the fold and deeper value below
• Add schema: FAQ, HowTo, Product, Review, Event, Organisation or LocalBusiness
• Refresh dates and update examples, prices, or screenshots
• Optimise Google Business Profile and request 10 new reviews

Weeks 7 to 10

• Produce two interactive assets or calculators that cannot be fully shown on the SERP
• Launch a monthly email featuring these assets and top guides
• Test two PPC or Shopping campaigns where organic visibility is crowded by ads

Weeks 11 to 12

• Measure changes in impressions, SERP feature wins, branded search, and non‑site conversions
• Reprioritise topics based on where visibility turned into calls, bookings, or pipeline

Quick checklist

• Short answer first, richer content second
• Headings that match the way people ask questions
• Schema everywhere it fits what is on the page
• Crisp entity data for knowledge panels and local packs
• Visuals and tools that reward a click
• GBP kept fresh with photos, posts, and accurate hours
• Reporting that counts impressions, calls, and assisted conversions, not just sessions

The search page has become a destination. Treat it like an extension of your site, and design your content, data, and measurement to thrive in that reality.