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If you own a small business, you may have noticed your website traffic slowing down over the last year. It’s not your imagination – search is changing, and not every query ends with someone clicking through to a website.
Instead, search engines and AI are answering questions directly on the results page. Answers appear on featured snippets, maps, reviews, and AI overviews. It’s known as zero-click search and is now a normal part of how people search online.
We’ve heard for years that traffic (clicks) is the main measure of success, so this change can feel worrying. But things like being noticed, earning trust, and the actions customers take can also lead to sales, so they’re just as important to measure.
In this post, we’ll cover:
You’ll come away knowing exactly what to focus on.
Zero-click searches are when people find what they need without visiting a website. It’s now a normal way to search online. Here are some everyday examples to show what happens:
“Plumber near me”
“Opening hours of…”
“Best accountant in Barnsley”
“How long does pasta take to cook?”
Search engines do this to make searching faster and easier, and they want people to stay on their platform. But even if nobody clicks on your website, people still see your business. They notice your name, read your reviews, and get a feel for your services before ever visiting your site.
Nearly 60% of Google searches end without a click, rising to 77.2% on mobile.
This means people are:
Search behaviour has also spread across platforms, and many of them keep people inside the app.
For example:
Each platform has its own way of showing your business without anyone needing to visit your website. Add AI overviews and personalised search results, and it’s easy to see why zero-click searches are becoming more common. This isn’t a temporary trend either, so looking at only clicks will miss the full picture of how visible your business really is.
Old school SEO was simple. More traffic meant more conversions, leading to success. Today, it’s not that straightforward. People often decide before they click, judging your business through reviews, photos, service descriptions, and whether you appear in snippets or maps.
Only looking at website clicks can be misleading. Even if people aren’t clicking, a rise in impressions shows your business is still appearing in search results. This helps people feel confident and can lead to phone calls or visits to your shop.
This is especially true for:
So, even if your clicks drop, you could still be doing well in search.
Instead of only tracking clicks, monitor things that show your influence, visibility, and customer actions. People remember brands they see regularly, and that familiarity helps them feel comfortable doing business with you.
Body: This is how often people see your business in search results, even if they don’t click through.
How to track:
These show what potential customers are doing when they’re interested in your business.
What to track:
A good example is a café that now receives less website clicks but more directions requests. It’s likely to mean more people are visiting in person.
People often choose businesses they trust, so keep an eye on your reviews. Look at Google Reviews, Trustpilot, and Facebook.
What to look at:
Tip: After every sale or service, ask customers for a review using a quick and easy process.
These happen when someone looks for your business by name. They show that people know your brand and that your offline marketing is working.
How to track:
Instead of counting website clicks, see what other useful actions people are taking instead:
In a zero-click world, traditional ways of measuring success don’t tell the whole story. Instead, look for actions that lead to calls, bookings, or sales.
Useful ways to keep an eye on search performance in 2026
Even a few simple alerts can let you know where and when your business appears in search results. These free tools can get you started:
| Tool | What it tracks |
| Google Search Console | Impressions, rankings, query performance |
| Google Business Profile insights | Maps views, calls, actions |
| Meta insights (Facebook / Instagram) | Engagement, reach |
| YouTube analytics | Views, engagement, search traffic |
| TikTok analytics | Views, trends, engagement |
| Ubersuggest and Moz free tools (free with limits) | Visibility estimates, keyword data |
| Google Alerts | Brand mentions |
Google analytics (GA4) is also useful for tracking what happens once someone visits your website:
That said, GA4 won’t show zero-click results because there’s no page load. To track zero-click activity, look at impressions, Google Business Profile actions, and how people interact with your business instead.
Body: Keeping track of different metrics can become confusing, so a monthly scorecard will make it easier to see what’s happening. What you include will depend on your business, but here are a few ideas to get you started:
Body: Seeing website clicks fall can be frustrating, but remember the bigger picture. Focus on the things that show people are noticing your business and doing something about it:
Try these easy steps to keep your business showing up, even in a zero-click world:
Clicks still give you an idea about your search performance, but they’re only one part of the picture. With zero-click results on the rise, other factors such as visibility, engagement, brand trust, and customer actions become just as important.
Search and SEO have changed, so the way you measure success needs to change too. You can no longer open a web analytics page and expect to see instant results. But with some simple tools and a monthly checklist, you can still track visibility and see trends over time.
If you’d like help with your search metrics, get in touch. We can connect you with the right support.
Body: A: Yes, SEO is still worth it, but the results are now more about visibility, trust, and actions than website clicks.
A: Zero-click results are search results that answer questions without someone needing to visit a website.
Body: A: No, if you track the right metrics, zero-click search can still bring customers to your business.
Body: A: You can track zero-click performance indirectly via impressions, actions, and engagement.
Body: A: Yes, a website lets people learn more about your business, helps them feel confident choosing you, and builds conversions and brand authority.
