By AdWorld
Copyright adworld
With AI hovering over SEO landscapes and more and more people turning to social media platforms to look for goods or services, traditional SEO is on the decline. But as Michaela Simpson says, brands shouldn’t panic just yet so long as they continue to focus on the important metrics.
In recent years, something dramatic has been happening on Google.
A majority of searches (nearly 60%) no longer result in a click to a website. Instead, users find their answers directly on the search results page via featured snippets, “People Also Ask” boxes, knowledge panels, and most recently, AI Overviews.
This phenomenon, known as “zero-click searches”, has reshaped the SEO landscape. Marketers traditionally relied on organic clicks as a core performance metric. But when those clicks disappear, what’s left?
Well, quite a lot actually: Revenue. Engagement. Visibility.
Which begs the question: Were clicks ever the goal?
Because it’s never really been about the click. It’s always been about what comes after: the sale, the signup, the relationship, the brand.
Rethinking Performance: From Sessions to Sales
There’s already been a significant shift away from clicks, which is about to be compounded by Google’s AI Mode. Powered by the Gemini model, AI Mode is creating a more conversational and in-depth user experience. This goes beyond simple snippets and moves toward a dialogue with the search engine. More and more of the user’s research is going to happen here, before a click to any website.
We firmly believe that there’s no reason to panic over a decline in clicks, provided your strategy is focused on visibility, user intent, search experience, and revenue per visit.
Together with our clients, we’ve embraced the shift. We’ve built strategies that focus on these key areas, and some of our best recent wins are coming from periods of declining traffic.
Clicks are declining, but sales aren’t… at least, not for brands ready to evolve.
Let’s unpack two standout examples of how we’ve turned a downturn in clicks into a revenue boom.
Case Study #1: Woodie’s – When Fewer Clicks Drive Bigger Wins
Woodie’s, a DIY, Home & Garden retailer, noticed a shift in non-branded organic clicks with the rise of SERP features like AI Overviews.
The Insight
Even though clicks were down, impressions were rising. This meant their visibility remained strong. The audience was seeing Woodie’s content at the top of the search results, keeping the brand front of mind for users, even if users weren’t clicking through to the site.
The Strategy
We shifted our focus to conversion optimisation and refined the alignment between the SERP content and the landing pages. This ensured that when a user did click, they landed on a page that was perfectly optimised to convert them into a customer.
Conversions up 83% YoY in Q2
Organic revenue up 72% YoY in Q2
Conversion rate from organic traffic increased nearly 60%
For example, in the DIY & Building category, while sessions grew modestly at 2.6% YoY, revenue saw a massive 68% increase, showing us that quality engagement drives meaningful impact.
This shows a clear pattern: Impressions are rising, and while users may be clicking less frequently, those who do arrive are more engaged and ready to buy than ever before.
Case Study #2: Horseware – Attracting More Qualified Traffic
The Challenge
The introduction of new search features in the U.S., such as AI Overviews, significantly impacted traffic to e-commerce websites in many industries, including the equestrian space. The challenge was to ensure that even with a drop in clicks, overall revenue was not affected.
The Strategy
We reviewed each of Horseware’s main collection pages and implemented optimisations specifically designed to increase visibility across the AI landscape. We also continued to create supporting blog content. Our tactics included:
Introducing Expert Opinions: We added expert opinions to verify our content, which is crucial in a specialised field like the equestrian industry.
Targeting Conversational Queries: We focused on longer, conversational types of queries and restructured our copy to include FAQs to target these searches.
Improving E-E-A-T: By featuring an author like Megan Hines, an ABTC-registered Equine Training Instructor, we boosted the content’s Expertise, Experience, Authority, and Trustworthiness.
The Results
Comparing January to July YoY, website sessions were down 3%, and new visitors were down 14%. However, revenue grew by 11%, with a 14% uplift in transactions. These results prove that by focusing on the real goal, revenue, not clicks, targeted AI optimisations will attract more qualified traffic to key pages.
Why This Works: Zero-Click ≠ Zero Impact
Rand Fishkin put it best: “Zero Clicks Doesn’t Mean Zero Sales”.
The zero-click environment rewards:
Being seen in featured snippets, AI answers, PAA and across Social
Creating brand awareness that pays off in later visits or other channels
Answering questions directly and building trust before the click
The Wolfgang Playbook: Turning Decline into Dominance
The zero-click environment rewards brands that are seen in featured snippets and AI answers, create brand awareness, and answer user questions directly to build trust before the click. Here’s how Wolfgang builds SEO strategies that thrive in this new landscape:
Content in a Zero-Click World: Is It Still Worth It?
My God, yes!
While click-through rates on blogs may be lower, the strategic value of content has never been higher. Here’s why:
Your Website Is Still Home Base: Even if you’re creating content primarily for LinkedIn, the full version should still live on the website for many reasons – to get indexed in search, to send to email subscribers, for AI training data, and for long-term visibility.
Cross-Channel Amplification: One blog post can fuel a full campaign: it becomes a LinkedIn post, a newsletter story, a slide for a webinar, or a video transcript. This repurposing maximises your return on every content investment.
SEO Still Starts with Strong Content: Without great content, you can’t win featured snippets, get mentioned in PAA boxes, or be used in AI Overviews. Content is the foundation of visibility.
Brand Authority & Trust: Blog content still builds credibility, supports the sales cycle, and positions your brand as an expert in the field.
Measurement Has Evolved: Success now includes a broader range of metrics such as impressions, engagement, and assisted conversions, not just clicks.
Don’t fall into the trap – if you’re not investing in content, you’re not competing in the new search landscape.
The Bigger Picture: The Future of SEO
We’re entering a world where fewer clicks don’t mean fewer wins. It just means brands have to change the way they view their SEO strategy – focusing on impact, not just traffic.
In a zero-click landscape, your brand needs to:
Show up early in the journey
Stay visible without needing the click
Convert users more effectively when they do arrive
Not only will this set you up for success in the traditional SERPs, it’s the same type of thinking that you’ll need to triumph in LLMs and AI Search platforms, like ChatGPT.
Wolfgang Digital’s AI Search Service
On that note, Wolfgang is currently onboarding a limited number of clients to their AI Search service. If you want to be among the first in your space with a dedicated ChatGPT strategy, reach out, and they’ll walk you through their approach to make AI Search your newest growth channel.
Michaela Simpson is Head of Content at Wolfgang Digital.
