Zero-click search
A zero-click search is a search that ends without the user clicking through to any website, because the answer was shown on the results page or the user searched again or left.
A zero-click search ends on the results page. The searcher found what they needed in a snippet, a knowledge panel or an AI answer, refined the query or simply stopped.
The idea predates AI answers. SparkToro’s 2024 study, based on clickstream data from Datos, found that for every 1,000 Google searches in the US only 374 clicks went to the open web, and 360 in the EU.
Why it matters now: AI answers make more searches end without a visit. Pew Research Center’s study of 900 US adults’ browsing in March 2025 found that a session ended on 26% of visits to results pages with an AI summary, against 16% without one, and that a traditional result link was clicked on 8% of those visits against 15%.
Practical note: clicks undercount visibility. Track impressions and citations as well, and make pages worth the click for readers who want more than the summary can give: depth, data, tools and first-hand experience.