Datos/SparkToro study — cited via Search Engine Journal, methodology not published
Zero-click Google searches hit a record high, AI Mode use stays flat
Just 40% of U.S. searches and 40.7% in the EU/UK sent a click to the open web in June 2026, a record low, per Datos and SparkToro’s Q2 State of Search report as covered by Search Engine Journal. The same report put Google AI Mode at only 0.13% of U.S. search-related visits (0.29% in the EU/UK) — usage it says has plateaued or dipped in the U.S. — while paid clicks fell from 2.3% to 1.3% of U.S. searches between March and June.
Why it matters: The zero-click record and stalled AI Mode adoption together undercut the idea that AI answer surfaces are what's driving traffic away from the open web — the decline looks broader and older than that.
The record: GoogleGoogle AI Mode
Posted to the wire August 3, 2026.