The Rise of AI-Powered Search and Zero-Click Results

Search is changing, and changing quickly. Over the past year, AI has redefined how people are finding and consuming information online. Rather than navigating through multiple websites, users are now able to receive condensed, AI-generated content directly on the search engine results page.

This development has significant implications for digital marketers and SEO professionals. Users are not searching less frequently, but are simply gathering information more efficiently. According to a study from SEMRush and Datos, 13.14% of U.S. desktop Google queries in March 2025 triggered an AI Overview; up from 6.49% in January 2025. That’s a 72% increase in just two months, underscoring how quickly Google is integrating AI-generated results into the search experience.

For marketers, this means users are engaging with content in ways that don’t inherently result in a click or session. Fortunately, fewer clicks doesn’t necessarily mean less value.

How AI-Driven SERPs Are Changing SEO Performance Metrics

For years, SEO success has been measured by traffic metrics such as clicks or sessions. But as AI continues to evolve the way users search, these metrics are becoming less reliable as true performance indicators. In March 2025, Search Engine Land reported that 27.2% of all US searches ended without a click, compared to 24.4% in March 2024.

It’s just our new reality: your content may still drive visibility, authority, and even conversions, but those signals are trickier to see in traditional analytics tools. This is why our team is measuring SEO value beyond the click. This includes tracking how organic visibility supports the full customer journey; from awareness and engagement to conversions that happen later via email, paid ads, or direct visits.

Today’s customer journey extends far beyond Google. Users are searching across a growing ecosystem of platforms like:

  • ChatGPT
  • Instagram
  • Amazon
  • Other search-adjacent tools

While there’s been plenty of debate about whether ChatGPT might replace Google, current data suggests otherwise. Most users treat it as a supplement, not a substitute.

In fact, SEMrush’s Q1 2025 user behavior study found that people who adopted ChatGPT in the past year did not reduce their Google Search usage; their habits remained steady across both platforms. This reinforces a key shift in SEO thinking: success is no longer defined by where users click, but by where your brand shows up.

Why Impressions, Visibility, and Conversions Matter More Than Ever

Impressions — Your First Indicator of SEO Impact

Impressions represent how often your content appears in search results, regardless of whether or not a user clicks. It’s the foundation of visibility, showing how frequently your brand is being presented to potential customers. In this age of zero-click searches, impressions can demonstrate continued brand presence even when click-through rates are declining.

Google Search Console remains the best tool for measuring impressions and which keywords or pages are earning them. It’s important to note that Search Console only tracks impressions within Google Search, but with Google’s dominance, that data is still incredibly valuable. Following Google’s removal of the “100 results per page” option in September 2025, impression data may appear lower, although it reflects a more accurate picture of the searches your site is truly appearing for.

Rocket55 Quick Tip: Consider segmenting your branded and non-branded keywords to uncover unique trends, such as seasonal demand patterns or emerging topics.

Visibility — Measuring Brand Presence Across the Search Landscape

More broadly, visibility measures how prominently your brand appears across all search experiences; not just Google. As users spend more time interacting with AI search features, visibility becomes the truest measure of brand presence. Even if a user never clicks through, being featured or cited within AI results builds trust and long-term brand equity.

Emerging visibility tracking tools, like Scrunch and Profound, are taking measurements further than the traditional search engine results, offering tracking within AI platforms and generative search experiences. Using a combination of Google Search Console, keyword rank tracking and broader visibility tools provides digital marketers with a comprehensive view of a brand’s visibility.

Conversions — The Ultimate Measure of Business Impact

Conversions are the actions that drive business results; whether that’s a form submission, phone call, product purchase, or any other meaningful engagement that contributes to your business’ performance. Even if a user doesn’t convert on their first visit, SEO often plays an influential role earlier in the path to purchase, assisting other marketing channels that close the deal.

Tracking conversions can be done simply through Google Analytics 4. For a more comprehensive and accurate approach, a connected analytics ecosystem is required. By integrating Google Analytics 4, Google Search Console, and a CRM platform like HubSpot, marketers can see how organic search contributes to conversions across multiple touchpoints.

Using HubSpot for Better SEO Attribution

With HubSpot’s attribution reporting, you can correlate organic search visibility to tangible business outcomes, showing how someone who discovered your brand through search eventually filled out a form, made a call, or purchased a product. When paired with Google Search Console and GA4, HubSpot helps create a clearer picture of multi-touch conversions, revealing how SEO drives value beyond traditional traffic metrics.

This approach shifts the conversation away from “How many clicks did we get?” to a more meaningful question: “How much business impact did our SEO efforts create?”

At Rocket55, we’ve seen this firsthand. Clients who broaden their measurement beyond simply click traffic often uncover a stronger, more accurate story about the true ROI of their SEO investment.

Case Study: Redefining SEO Success Through Visibility and Conversions

So what does this look like in practice? Here’s how one brand in the off-road industry turned declining traffic into meaningful growth by focusing on what really matters: visibility, intent, and conversions.

Despite publishing consistent, high-quality content throughout the year, their resource hub saw a 37% year-over-year decrease in organic click traffic in September.

At first glance, that might seem like a setback, but the story beneath the surface tells a different tale. During the same period, impressions grew by 30%, and after focusing on stronger, revenue-generating content, their resource hub experienced a 70% increase in organic revenue compared to the previous year.

The takeaway? Even with fewer overall clicks, the site is attracting higher-intent users, or people who are ready to make a purchase, not just gather information. Much of the click loss likely came from top-of-funnel, informational queries now answered directly within AI-generated search results.

What defines SEO success has changed. The real wins come from being seen, remembered, and ultimately chosen; not just visited.

Are You Prepared for the Next Generation of Search?

At Rocket55, we help brands stay ahead of the curve. Our SXO (Search Experience Optimization) approach bridges traditional SEO with new strategies that expand visibility across AI search and social search platforms. By combining proven optimization practices with advanced analytics and attribution, we can connect visibility, engagement, and measurable business outcomes.

Ready to see what your SEO is really worth? Contact Rocket55 to learn more about your performance across traditional, AI, and social search platforms.