A zero-click search is one where the user gets their answer without clicking any result. It is a growing share of all search, and it changes how visibility works.
A zero-click search is a search where the user finds the answer directly on the results page (in a featured snippet, knowledge panel, or AI overview) without clicking through to any website.
More and more searches end on the results page itself. Featured snippets, knowledge panels, and AI overviews answer the query in place, so the user never clicks. For some informational queries, the majority of searches are now zero-click. This reshapes SEO: ranking first matters less if no one clicks, which pushes brands toward answer engine optimization and generative engine optimization to stay present even when the click never happens.
Zero-click search matters because it breaks the old SEO bargain of rank-then-click-then-convert. If the answer is given on the page, visibility no longer guarantees traffic. The response is to optimize for presence in the answer itself (being the cited source or featured snippet), to focus on queries that still drive clicks (commercial, comparison, and deep how-to intent), and to build brand so people seek you directly.