Beyond the click: How marketers can score in the zero-click search era

Artificial intelligence (AI) is reshaping how we communicate, create, and innovate. In fact, generative AI (Gen AI) has emerged as a top-three business priority for 83% of C-suite executives across the Asia-Pacific region, according to a 2024 Salesforce study.  

This shift is most evident in the evolution of search. AI-generated responses are now served directly on results pages, reducing the need for users to click through to websites. At the same time, tools such as Google Lens and multimodal search are redefining traditional search behaviour, allowing users to query with images, text, and voice.

This rise of "zero-click" searches is forcing a strategic pivot for marketers and brands.

The rise in zero-click searches has really changed the game for industry players, according to Gary Cheung, managing director, HK, TW and SEA, NP Digital. “Now, instead of just trying to drive traffic to websites, we’re all about creating content that gives users the answers they need right away.” 

For industry players such as Jenny Yam, performance director, OMG Hong Kong, said the agency has moved from chasing clicks to owning the answer. “Our primary goal is now to ensure our clients' brand is the information featured in AI summaries and snippets, establishing authority on the results pages.”  

This also requires embracing AI-powered targeting solutions and refining our keyword strategy from product-based to focus on the intent-based, conversational questions that users are asking today, she said.  

With Google and AI-powered engines keeping users on their platforms, the focus must shift to visibility, according to Marcus Ho, managing director, Brew Interactive.  

“Instead of fighting that, we tell clients to optimise for visibility, not just clicks. That means structuring content in Q&A formats to win featured snippets and AI overviews; Investing more in brand-building so when people see your answer, they recognise your company and come back later.” 

“Traffic may not land on your site immediately, but if your brand consistently shows up in zero-click environments, you win mindshare,” he added. 

New era of performance marketing 

This evolution marks a new chapter for performance marketing, shifting toward an omnichannel approach that emphasises overall brand visibility over direct conversions from a single link.

“AI and machine learning will play a larger role in predictive analytics, personalisation at scale, and automated campaign optimisation. Marketers will focus on delivering hyper-personalised content across platforms, embracing social commerce, influencer authenticity, and voice search optimisation,” said Chris Tam, co-founder and director of SDMC. “Measurement will rely more on impressions, brand mentions, engagement, and AI-driven insights rather than traditional click-through rates.”

However, some see this not as a revolution, but a reset. Jeffrey Hau, co-founder, PRIZM Group, argued that URLs still matter. “The key to success remains creating quality content, but now it needs to be more authoritative and backed by hard facts. KPIs will need to be revised, and marketers must stay tuned to new ad gameplay related to AI overview placements, with the trend, it is almost not an option.”

In fact, the value of traditional SEO signals may be increasing. Brew Interactive's Ho pointed to research showing that AI tools such as Perplexity and Gemini frequently cite external sources.

“A study of 40,000 AI responses found Perplexity cited external sources 6.6 times per answer, Gemini 6.1, and ChatGPT 2.6 on average. This is clear evidence of how reputable sites still fuel AI. Performance marketing won’t just chase clicks—it will focus on earning citations and building domain authority so AI chooses your brand.”

Measuring success in a post-click world 

With the decline of clicks, how can value be measured? SDMC’s Tam suggests leaning on:

• Impression share

• SERP feature

• Brand search volume

• Engagement metrics on platform

• Off-SERP conversions and actions

• Dwell time and interaction with rich content

• Branded mentions across platforms

To connect this upper-funnel visibility to business outcomes, OMG Hong Kong is turning to innovative methods such as lightweight Marketing Mix Modeling (MMM), said Chris Kwok, data director, OMG Hong Kong. 

“This allows us to correlate the high-funnel brand exposure gained in search with broader business metrics like overall sales or an increase in branded search queries, proving value without relying on a direct click. We can also supplement this with brand lift studies and by monitoring shifts in direct and social traffic that may be influenced by search visibility.”  

He anticipates new, contextual ad formats emerging directly inside these AI conversations, such as the sponsored follow-up questions. “This would create a dynamic where our advertising strategies need to be agile enough to work with new AI systems to gain visibility. While this could shorten the conversion funnel, the industry must be ready to navigate new complexities in attribution.” 

Ultimately, as PRIZM’s Hau notes, the value of an impression must still be tied to business outcomes. “The trend will likely shift toward fewer impressions but higher-quality clicks and traffic. We need to adjust and update the benchmarks and KPIs that we’ve been using to reflect that change.” 

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