Zero-click search
A zero-click search is a search that ends without the searcher clicking any result. Two independent studies, one from a clickstream panel and one from a browsing panel, put numbers on it for Google. Their definitions, panels and dates differ, so the figures should be read side by side rather than merged into one statistic.
What the SparkToro and Datos study measured
SparkToro's 2024 study used a multi-million-device clickstream panel from Datos, a Semrush company, covering September 2022 to May 2024.[1] The study defines zero-click searches as those that end without clicking any of the results presented, including searches where the searcher is satisfied, frustrated, or changes the query and searches again.[1]
- In 2024, 58.5% of US Google searches and 59.7% of EU Google searches in the panel resulted in zero clicks.[1]
- Of the searches with no click, the searcher ended the session about 37% of the time and changed the query about 22% of the time.[1]
- For every 1,000 US Google searches, 360 clicks reached a property that Google does not own and that is not a paid ad. The EU figure was 374.[1]
- Almost 30% of all clicks in the US went to platforms Google owns, such as YouTube, Google Maps, Google Flights and Google Hotels.[1]
- Almost half of mobile searches in both regions ended the browsing session, more than twice the share on desktop.[1]
Independent study The author lists limits himself: the panel may not be perfectly representative, iPhone and iPad coverage is minimal, mobile data only starts in January 2024, and ad blockers may mean paid clicks are undercounted and organic clicks overstated.[1] The post also says the count probably understates zero-click behavior because it excludes voice-answered searches and searches in the Google mobile app.[1] The page carries a notice that it includes data from an earlier study and may be out of date.
What the Pew Research Center study measured
Pew analyzed the March 2025 browsing of 900 US adults who shared their activity, covering 68,879 unique Google searches. About 58% of those adults had at least one Google search that produced an AI summary, and 18% of all searches produced one.[2]
| Measure (March 2025 panel) | Search with an AI summary | Search without one |
|---|---|---|
| Visit where the user clicked a traditional result link | 8% | 15% |
| Visit where the user clicked a link inside the AI summary | 1% | Not applicable |
| Browsing session ended on the results page | 26% | 16% |
Independent study Pew also reports that about two-thirds of all searches ended with no click on a result link.[2] The study found AI summaries were more likely for longer, question-style searches: 8% of one- or two-word searches produced a summary against 53% of searches with ten or more words, and 60% of searches that began with a question word produced one.[2] The median summary was 67 words long (range 7 to 369), and 88% of summaries linked to three or more sources.[2]
Why the two studies do not add up to one number
| SparkToro / Datos | Pew Research Center | |
|---|---|---|
| Data type | Clickstream panel (multi-million devices) | Browsing activity shared by 900 US adults |
| Period | September 2022 to May 2024 | March 2025 |
| Region | United States and European Union | United States |
| Question asked | What share of searches end with no click on any result? | How do clicks differ when an AI summary appears? |
| AI Overviews | Covers the May 2024 rollout and rollback only | Core variable |
The SparkToro period ends before AI summaries were common, and the Pew period is a single month. A decline from 58.5% zero-click in 2024 to a higher number in 2026 cannot be inferred from these two sources, because they measured different things in different panels. SparkToro's own post links to a newer study on the subject, which is the better place to look for a current trend.[1]
Which sites AI summaries cite
Pew compared the domains linked in AI summaries with those in standard results. Wikipedia, YouTube and Reddit together made up 15% of the sources in AI summaries and 17% of the links in standard results. Government sites (.gov) were 6% of AI-summary links and 2% of standard-result links, and news sites were 5% in both.[2] Independent study
What this means for AEO work
Neither study says a page should stop trying to win clicks. They show that a large share of searches end on the results page, and that clicks fall when a summary appears. Reasonable responses, flagged as practice rather than vendor guidance:
- Track impressions and clicks separately. Google's AI optimization guide points to the Generative AI performance report in Search Console as the source for how AI features affect your site, and says third-party tools have no access to Google's internal metrics.[3] Vendor-documented See measuring AI visibility.
- Treat a mention as a distinct outcome from a visit. An answer that names your brand without a click leaves no session in analytics. Log those mentions through manual prompt checks. See citations and brand mentions. Practitioner practice
- Prioritize pages that earn clicks even beside a summary. Pew's data shows that longer and question-style queries produce summaries most often, so tools, data and local pages that a summary cannot replace are the safer investment. Practitioner practice
- Do not rely on one study. Re-check when a new panel study is published and note the panel, period and definition of "zero-click" before quoting a percentage.
Frequently asked questions
Is zero-click search the same as no one clicking?
No. In SparkToro's definition a zero-click search ends without a click on any result, but the searcher may have found the answer, given up, or typed a new query. About 37% of searches ended the session and about 22% led to another search in the 2024 data.
Do AI summaries reduce clicks?
In Pew's March 2025 panel, searchers clicked a traditional result in 8% of visits with an AI summary and 15% of visits without one. That is a difference observed in one month of US browsing data, not a measure of cause.
What percentage of Google searches are zero-click now?
These two sources do not answer that. SparkToro's figure is for 2024 (58.5% US, 59.7% EU) and Pew's study covers March 2025 with a different definition. Check for a newer study before quoting a current number.
See also
References
Pages accessed October 31, 2026. See all sources and our editorial policy.
- ^ "2024 Zero-Click Search Study: For every 1,000 EU Google Searches, only 374 clicks go to the Open Web. In the US, it’s 360.". SparkToro. Published July 2, 2024; updated January 27, 2025. Data from Datos.
- ^ "Google users are less likely to click on links when an AI summary appears in the results". Pew Research Center. Published July 22, 2025; March 2025 browsing data.
- ^ "Optimizing your website for generative AI features on Google Search". Google Search Central. Added May 15, 2026; last updated July 10, 2026.