Glossary
Zero-click search
A zero-click search ends without a click to any website: the query was answered on the results surface itself. AI answer layers intensify the pattern, which makes citation presence and brand visibility the remaining prize on those queries.
The term predates AI answers — featured snippets and knowledge panels produced zero-click results for years — but composed answers extend it from simple lookups to complex questions that once required visiting several pages.
How much traffic the answer surfaces actually remove is the category's central dispute. The engines assert that AI features still send substantial clicks; third-party studies keep finding click-through declines; and the first-party data that would settle it is published selectively. The wire tracks both sides of that ledger as news.
The record: Google
See also: Citation shareAnswer engineSEO