The growth of zero-click search results may be slowing, according to new industry reports.
Semrush-owned Datos analyzed “tens of millions” of desktop searchers in the U.S. and Europe from March 2025 to March 2026, and published the results in “State of Search Q1 2026.” SparkToro’s Rand Fishkin added commentary.
Per the report, zero-click searches in the U.S. declined from 24.5% in December 2025 to 22.4% in March. Organic click-throughs increased from 42.0% to 44.9%.
Moreover, a May 6 update from Google announced more forthcoming links in AI Overviews and AI Mode to help searchers “explore relevant websites, deep insights, and original content.”
The new links, according to the update, cite (i) trustworthy authors and brands, including social media discussions and (ii) in-depth articles and analyses for “further reading.” Google will also disclose on-site the name and title of the linked source, as well as whether the searcher is a paid subscriber, if necessary to access.
Here to Stay
While helpful, the new links cannot replace the drastic decline of organic search traffic to virtually all websites. AI Overviews is here to stay.
As a reminder, links in AI Overviews appear in Search Console’s Performance reports with an average position of 1. Keep an eye on the pages ranking for new queries in this section, which links to content covering “different facets of a topic.”
I’ve seen no plans from Google to add separate Search Console reports for AI Overviews and AI Mode, despite the update.
The update tells us:
- Google continues experimenting with AI Overviews and seems willing to encourage more clicks.
- The new “further reading” section offers an opportunity to produce data-driven reports and studies.
- User-generated content and social media discussions have increased visibility in AI Overviews.
None of this is exactly new. The update reinforces Google’s trends and provides some hope. The search giant is trying to surface varied content (in-depth, user-generated) to satisfy multiple needs.
Creating content that’s impossible to summarize without a link is a solid way to get cited, remain visible, retain traffic, and build a brand.
In short, traditional search remains fluid and uncertain. Don’t rush into abandoning once-effective strategies. Instead, expand on them with a new emphasis on Reddit, YouTube, and other channels that drive buying decisions and visibility.
Smart shopping starts here.
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