No Clicks? No Problem! Visibility Still Pays.

So, your agency’s suddenly buzzing about “visibility” and “impressions.”
You’re thinking: Is this just marketing smoke and mirrors?

You’re not wrong to question it.

“Why should I care if I’m seen but not clicked?”
“Isn’t SEO meant to bring me traffic, not empty views?”

Completely fair questions!

Because it does feel like a bait-and-switch. You paid to get found. You wanted sales calls and checkout carts, not “exposure.”

And now? Google’s AI hands out instant answers right on the search results page. People search, skim, and move on - no website visit needed.

It’s like showing up to a trade show only to realise someone already gave away your brochures before you walked in.

So, is SEO toast? Are impressions the digital participation ribbon?

The Rise of Zero-Click (Not a Plot Twist!)

This isn’t a brand-new curveball.

• Featured snippets
• Knowledge panels
• Maps
• FAQs
• Product listings

All have been cutting clicks for years. AI just cranked the volume to max.

Back in 2021, over half of searches ended without a click. That was pre-AI summaries. Has it increased since? Probably. But, Google’s not exactly publishing receipts.

What’s clear is this: zero-click has been climbing for years. AI just put it on steroids.

Google’s Playbook Hasn’t Changed - Just the Interface.

Google has always wanted three things:

• Answer faster
• Keep you on their turf
• Sell more ads

The tools evolve, but the aim stays the same. Yesterday it was “People Also Ask.” Today it’s AI Overviews. Tomorrow it’ll be something else.

Different packaging, identical purpose.

SEO Dead? Nope. Measured Wrong? Yep.

If you’re staring only at traffic graphs, SEO feels broken. But the real question isn’t “Did they click?” It’s “Were you there when it mattered?”

Visibility is still the win, even if no click follows.

What’s Actually Different Now?

Google’s giving away more answers right on the results page. AI chews through the quick, factual stuff. Generic content? It just fades into the background.

And search journeys? Messier than ever. Google admits that 15% of daily searches are brand new - things they’ve never seen before. That means search isn’t fixed. It’s moving. Constantly.

Clicks haven’t vanished, though. They still show up when:

• The question is complex
• The stakes are high
• The decision actually matters

Because people still research. They still want to trust before they buy. They’ll check reviews, compare options, and stalk your About page.

The only change? They’re doing it across more places - Google, TikTok, YouTube, Reddit, AI chats - often without you even knowing.

What Hasn’t Changed?

The golden rules:

• Be helpful
• Be discoverable
• Be trustworthy

The machine is louder. The basics remain.

Let’s Talk Content (Yes, Again)

We’ve been saying it for years:

• Publish consistently
• Show thought leadership
• Give Google proof you’re real

But content usually always lands in the “do it later” pile. Understandable - it takes time and effort.

Here’s the kicker: there is no “later” anymore.

In an AI-first world, no content = no presence. Your site without it is like an unattended lemonade stand with a tip jar. People walk past, maybe glance, but mostly go to the stall that actually looks open.

What’s the Right Play? 

Show up properly. Prove you exist. Prove you’re worth picking.

That means:

• Answer the real questions customers ask
• Put faces, places, and proof behind your brand
• Spread your presence beyond just one Google result page

Build a footprint so strong that both algorithms and humans can’t ignore it.

Terminology’s Playbook: 

Optimise for Visibility, Not Just Clicks

• AI Overviews
• Featured snippets
• Local map packs
• Reviews 
• Brand mentions anywhere AI and Google pulls from

Strengthen Brand Signals

• Real people
• Local anchors
• Transparent About Us pages
• Reviews, media, social proof
  

Content That Pulls Weight

• No filler
• Structured, useful, action-ready
• Written for buyers, not bots
  

Show Up Across Channels

• SEO fuels Google
  Google fuels AI
  AI fuels people
• And people search on TikTok, Insta, Reddit, YouTube
  

Track What Really Matters

• Leads
• Phone calls
  Walk-ins
• Reviews
• Brand searches
• AI Overview presence (yes, that’s a metric now)
  

And What We Don’t Do

• Panic
• Sell vanity rankings
• Chase junk traffic
• Pretend impressions are the end game 

The Part Nobody Admits

Zero-click isn’t a bug. It’s not temporary. This is the road search has been on for a long time.

And no, that doesn’t mean the end of SEO. It just means clicks aren’t the only scoreboard.

Visibility still drives action. Whether through AI summaries, reviews, videos, or a direct search for your brand.

If you’re found, trusted, and chosen - SEO worked. Whether the analytics graph shows a spike or not.

The Real Questions

• Do you show up?
• Do people trust you?
• Do they remember you when it counts?

That’s the win - AI or not.

Need help staying visible (and valuable) in this messy new search world?

That’s why we’re here. Before AI answers everything… without you.

Sidebar: “Remember when marketing was straightforward?”

Yeah… neither do we.

And for the record: as of mid-2025, there’s still no solid data from Google or anyone else on the real impact of zero-click or AI Overview traffic.

  Author: Ian Hopkinson 

    Digital Madman, Founder of Terminology and Mad Scientist Digital

    Socials: Instagram / / LinkedIn 

    Websites: Terminology / / Mad Scientist / / Hopkinson Creative