SEO. How Google’s artificial intelligence is changing the way we get information

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Searching on Google no longer necessarily means visiting a website. Increasingly, users get immediate answers without clicking on any link. This phenomenon, known in SEO as “zero-click searches”, has accelerated with the arrival of AI Overviews, the artificial intelligence–generated summaries that Google displays directly on the results page.

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A recent report by Ahrefs, an SEO analytics platform, confirms that Google’s artificial intelligence is not only transforming search engine rankings, but also the way people consume information, with a direct impact on digital media, journalists, and content creators.

What Are Zero-Click Searches and Why Are They Increasing?

Zero-click searches occur when a user gets the information they need without visiting any website. Previously, this behavior already existed thanks to features like featured snippets, knowledge panels, or local results. However, Ahrefs’ report notes that AI Overviews have taken this model to a new level.

These AI-powered summaries provide complete, structured explanations written in natural language, reducing the need to explore an external source. In many cases, users feel their question has already been answered within Google itself.

The Role of AI Overviews in the New Search Experience

AI Overviews appear at the top of the SERP and combine information from multiple sources to generate a single answer, synthesized and contextualized. Unlike traditional snippets, they do not highlight one media outlet as the main source, but instead reformulate content available across the web.

According to Ahrefs, this shift changes the logic of search: Google stops being just an intermediary and becomes a direct provider of information, altering the natural flow between users and publishers.

Ahrefs’ analysis, based on hundreds of thousands of informational queries, shows that when an AI Overview appears, the click-through rate (CTR) drops dramatically, even for results ranked in the first position.

In some cases, the CTR reduction reaches up to 58%, meaning more than half of potential clicks disappear. This confirms that the growth of zero-click searches is not just perception, but a measurable and sustained trend.

What Type of Information Is Consumed Without Leaving Google?

According to the report, the most affected searches are those with an informational intent, such as definitions, explanations, background, and general context. Questions like:

• What is…?
• Why does it happen…?
• How does it work…?

These queries are fundamental to digital journalism and educational content, which explains why news media outlets are among the most impacted by this transformation.

How the Relationship Between Users and Media Is Changing

Traditionally, media outlets acted as the gateway to knowledge. Today, Google’s artificial intelligence intermediates and summarizes that information before readers reach the original source.

This creates a profound shift in consumption habits: users read fewer full articles, compare fewer sources, and increasingly rely on a single synthesized answer. Ahrefs warns that this scenario could reduce informational diversity and the visibility of specialized media.

The report does not claim that organic traffic will disappear, but it makes clear that it can no longer be taken for granted. Ranking at the top still matters, but it no longer guarantees visits, especially in searches where AI provides answers in advance.

This forces a rethinking of traditional SEO value and the consideration of new metrics beyond clicks, such as visibility, topical authority, and presence as a trusted source for AI systems.

The Challenge for Journalism in the AI Era

Zero-click searches pose a structural challenge for digital journalism. If users get informed without leaving Google, media outlets must compete not only with each other, but also with the summarization power of artificial intelligence.

Ahrefs suggests that content with deep analysis, a unique perspective, and differentiated value will be harder to replace with automated summaries, although it acknowledges that the shift is already underway.

Zero-click searches are the result of a technological transformation driven by artificial intelligence. According to Ahrefs, AI Overviews are redefining how people access information and how media organizations reach their audiences.

In this new landscape, the challenge is not just to attract clicks, but to remain relevant when the answer arrives before the link.