Zero-Click Search
What is zero-click search, and how can brands adapt their SEO strategy to an AEO strategy when they’re feeling invisible in zero-click search?
TL;DR: Customers don't want to click into links, and AI search is training us that we don't have to. To get discovered now, brands have to make every snippet and direct answer count. Keep reading to find out how to keep your brand and local storefronts visible — and influential — in AI search experiences.
Hint: data strategy must be part of your content strategy now.
Zero-click search (or no-click search) happens when a customer finds the information they want directly on the search engine results page (SERP) or in an AI search platform's user interface. They don't need to click into a link or onto a website to get the information they're looking for.
In a search engine, this might look like a Featured Snippet, Knowledge Panel, Local Map Pack, or an AI Overview (AIO).
On an AI platform like ChatGPT, Claude, or Perplexity,zero-click search results will look like a direct, conversational answer. And this is where the future of search is headed — fast.
75% of customers use AI tools more than they did a year ago, and nearly half of us use AI search every day. When asked, "When do you choose AI over traditional search engines?" the appeal of zero-click search is clear: 53% of customers use AI search because they want summarized, direct answers.
For marketers, this shift to zero-click search can look like a drop in website traffic. Because the shift is relatively new, and because marketers are still trying to figure out how to optimize for visibility in no-click search experiences, it can feel like a reason to worry.
It isn't. Clicks were never where brands saw value. The value of a click was in what it represents: high customer intent.
Customers still have high-intent when they conduct zero-click searches. So now, instead of chasing clicks, brands can focus on zero-click visibility. Just in a new way.**
How do you get brand visibility in zero-click moments where there's high customer intent? Double down on telling better brand stories and sharing the right information with customers at every digital touchpoint.
AI has torn up the traditional SEO roadmap. The tactics that once drove traffic — paid links, backlinks, keyword stacking — don't move the needle in Perplexity or ChatGPT. Meanwhile, legacy SEO playbooks (keyword ranking → clicks → conversions) can't tell the full story on what drives awareness and search performance — especially at the local level.
Plus, it can be hard to attribute pipeline to digital and content marketing efforts when the search journey starts and stops at an AI summary.
Now, marketers need to understand how new systems evaluate content and surface brands. But remember: this isn't all that different from what we've always dealt with in traditional SEO.
AI is changing search fast, and there are three key principles to adopt if you want to stay competitive and poised to adapt in the rapidly changing search and discovery landscape.
Your data strategy is your AI strategy. Make sure it's a good one and that you bake it into the way you manage your brand presence from a knowledge graph.
Details matter. Detailed data behind the scenes, like with structured data and Schema. Detailed content in front of customers, like hyper-local landing pages, accuratelistings content, and conversational FAQs that speak to machines as well as customers.
Publish broadly because every channel impacts discoverability. AI doesn't just pull information from your website — it pulls from listings, social, reviews, and third-party platforms.
Zero-click search is not a loss of opportunity; it's a shift in where visibility matters. Answers outrank links, and impressions have gained on clicks. That's why, as customers and technology shift to zero-click search, brands need new tools to help them measure, manage, and win visibility in SEO, AEO, and GEO worlds.
Yext Scout shows where your brand appears in AI-driven search — and where it doesn't. We help you see what customers are seeing, what AI is saying, and how you compare to the competition.
Combined with the Yext platform, Scout gives brands the power to act fast to fix informational inaccuracies, update old facts, and optimize what matters, so you move the needle on discoverability and show up everywhere your customers are searching.
Discover how Yext Scout helps your brand stay visible in no-click and AI-driven search. Learn more →
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