The way people find information online is rapidly changing. Instead of being presented with a list of websites that they must then click on to get the answer, many now expect the convenience of their queries being directly answered on the search engine results page (SERP) without them having to click any further.
Search engines like Google are increasingly presenting zero-click results in formats such as AI overviews and featured snippets. AI searches also present direct answers and summaries that will often provide all the information the user is looking for.
This is undoubtedly convenient for users, but it presents challenges for businesses that want to direct searchers to their own websites and other online assets, such as blogs or social pages.
There are opportunities as well, though. Being featured in zero-click results can improve visibility, trust and authority. If people do click on your website from such a source, they will often be further down the conversion funnel and closer to making a purchase. It’s important to adapt to this evolving search environment and optimise for zero-click searches.
What Are Zero-Click Searches?
Previously, a search engine would analyse the keywords in a query and present a ranked list of websites it considered best suited to that query. The user would see a SERP Snippet, summarising the page’s content, appearing below the clickable title and URL to help them decide if it’s relevant.
These lists are still being compiled and presented to the user, but more detailed info is increasingly being shown in a prominent place at the top of the SERP. This can take a number of forms that you’ve probably seen, including:
- Featured snippets
- Knowledge panels
- Weather boxes
- People Also Ask panels
- AI Overviews
- Map Packs
Searching directly with an AI tool such as ChatGPT, Gemini, or Bing Copilot often provides complete answers to a query. Essentially, a zero-click search is any search in which the user finds the information they need on the platform without clicking through to any external website.
Why Zero-Click Searches Are Increasing
Several sources have reported that no-click searches in the UK now account for more than half of all searches, underscoring the growing importance of zero-click and AI search optimisation.
There are a number of reasons for this. Google has increasingly sought to position itself as less a search engine and more an ‘answer engine’. Simple queries searching for a weather forecast, looking for a flight, finding the latest Premier League results or working out a sum via a calculator app are answered on the page.
Increasingly, more complex queries are also being answered on-page via AI summaries and some of the other formats mentioned above. AI summaries still include links but summarise the most important or relevant information, often all the searcher is looking for. Traditional search engines like Google are facing increased competition from standalone AI assistants, which also tend to present summarised answers. Another factor is the prevalence of mobile and verbal search, which leads to conversational answers and summaries.
How Zero-Click Searches Affect SMEs
The most noticeable change for most SMEs will be a decline in organic click-through rates and, ultimately, in website traffic. It also means that competition is fiercer and more difficult for top-of-SERP real estate. The proliferation of AI search and SERP changes in the UK represents a significant shift for many businesses and their online marketing strategies.
With fewer direct click-throughs and less emphasis on rankings, businesses are seeking to increase visibility through zero-click searches. Appearing in a featured snippet or being cited or linked to in an AI summary can be highly beneficial for your brand, increasing authority, trust, and visibility.
Even without the click, impressions are still important for these reasons, as they build brand awareness and recognition, providing a foundation for the customer journey.
Local SEO is also becoming more critical. Searching for a term like ‘pizza near me’ will result in a Google Map and a top 3 of local businesses, as well as the options to search further on platforms like Just Eat and TripAdvisor. The Map Pack results may be zero-click, but they still drive leads.
How to Optimise for Zero-Click Search Results
There are a number of steps you can take to improve Google AI overviews, SEO, and optimise for other zero-click search results. These involve strengthening your brand’s authority and ensuring information is easily accessible and usable by Google, other search engines, and AI tools.
These include:
- Create direct-answer content such as FAQs. These can be referenced and used in AI summaries and other zero-click results.
- Use schema markup. This refers to structured data that enables search engines or AI to understand a website’s content. Again, this could involve FAQs, how-to guides, star ratings, prices, and other structured data.
- Strengthen your Google Business Profile. This is crucial for local zero-click visibility.
- Build broad topic authority instead of chasing single keywords.
- Improve E-E-A-T signals to increase trust. This stands for Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness.
- Produce content that encourages clicks even when summaries exist. This could include original data, strong hooks, guides and other valuable content.
- Use brand-building measures, such as reviews, citations, and a strong social media presence, to increase visibility.
How MaxWeb Solutions Helps SMEs Navigate Zero-Click SEO
It’s challenging to keep on top of the ever-changing landscape of search and digital marketing, especially as the pace of technological advances and consumer behaviours continues to accelerate.
At MaxWeb Solutions, we offer a comprehensive range of SEO services tailored to UK SMEs. We have a wealth of traditional SEO techniques blended with expertise in ranking content for AI-driven search and optimising for zero-click searches. This can include technical SEO, structured data, content strategy and Google Business Profile (GBP) optimisation. With a deep understanding of how AI Overviews and SERP features affect visibility, transparent reporting and a results-focused approach, we can help SMEs navigate both traditional search and zero-click SEO.
Contact MaxWeb Solutions today for a modern SEO strategy built for AI-driven search.
Posted on Friday, December 12th, 2025 in Latest News.
