Nearly 60% of Google searches ended without a single click to another website last year. That figure is expected to climb as generative AI takes a bigger role in search. With AI overviews now occupying prime space, more users are finding what they need without leaving the results page.
This rise in zero-click search is reshaping digital visibility. For business leaders, it signals a fundamental shift in consumer behaviour and how brands need to communicate. Visibility is no longer about rankings alone; it now depends on demonstrable credibility across multiple channels.
From Search to Answers
Google’s evolution tells the story. Search, once dominated by lists of links driving traffic to websites, now features results pages with snippets and AI-generated overviews that deliver direct responses. When these summaries appear, click-through rates to traditional results fall to around 8%. Google says the clicks that remain are of higher quality, but the outcome is clear: fewer people will reach your site.
At the same time, AI tools like ChatGPT now handle around 2.5 billion queries daily, meaning that it is starting to catch up with Bing as a search tool. Apple has also reported declines in Safari searches for the first time in two decades, attributing the drop to rising use of AI assistants such as ChatGPT, Perplexity, Gemini and Anthropic.
Consumer behaviour changes
Search terms are becoming longer and more conversational, often two to three times the length of traditional queries. Rather than typing short keywords or phrases, people are asking full questions and expecting direct responses. For example, instead of searching for "best hotels Cambridge," a user might type "What are the best hotels in Cambridge for a weekend stay with family and their dog?". AI will take this full information and provide a more customised answer compared to traditional search.
Generational habits also underpin the change. Under-25s are the most likely to trust and use AI summaries for news, suggesting tomorrow’s consumers will rely even less on traditional search.
Search behaviour is fragmenting. Visibility is no longer judged solely on a website’s content. Mentions in trusted media, the strength of social signals and channels, and consistent high-quality multi-platform content all matter.
Why Brand Mentions Matter
Brand mentions are fast becoming the strongest currency of visibility. It’s clear from the way that AI is currently evolving that companies with frequent mentions in respected outlets are far more likely to appear in AI-generated answers.
Research from Ahrefs found that brands in the top quartile for mentions gained around ten times more visibility than those lower down. Muck Rack reports that more than 89% of AI citations come from earned media. Muck Rack’s recent report, “What Is AI Reading?”, analysed over 1 million links cited by AI tools, and found that:
- 95% of AI citations come from non-paid media
- 89% come from earned media and 27% come from journalistic content
- 49% of citations for recent queries originate from journalistic content
Muck Rack’s senior director of data Matt Dzugan says “This is the loud and clear message to communications professionals and PR professionals: yes, the media that these AI systems are reading truly does affect what they say.”
It’s becoming clear that traditional link-building, which has been a foundation of SEO practice for so long, now carries less weight. What matters now is where and how often your brand is discussed. PR activities, from media outreach to credible reviews, directly feed the signals AI systems use.
PR as the New SEO
Google itself has acknowledged the important role digital PR plays in this new era of search. John Mueller, one of its senior search advocates, has said:
“I love some of the things I see from digital pr… It's just as critical as tech SEO, probably more so in many cases.”
Muck Rack’s data supports this: digital PR placements currently consistently outperform traditional link-building in authority scores and are more resilient to algorithm changes.
This shift highlights a new reality: brands that have attracted coverage in credible outlets have a far greater chance of inclusion in AI-driven answers and search results.
As Joel Buckland, CEO of We Do Stories, notes,
“We're entering an season where authority is more valuable than a click. The rise of AI-powered search brings new opportunities. Our job as PR professionals has always been about building trust and earning brand authority. Now, those are not just nice-to-haves, they are the core currency of being seen. The new challenge is to ensure a brand's story is so credible, and so well-supported by earned media, that it becomes part of the definitive answer AI finds and shares. This is an incredible opportunity to move beyond traditional metrics and prove the true, lasting value of digital PR.”
The Leadership Challenge
Executives should see this as more than a marketing concern. Organisations that do not choose to share their stories with trusted external platforms risk disappearing from AI summaries altogether. This calls for a rethink. PR, SEO and content should no longer sit apart but work together.
Budgets are shifting accordingly. Brands are moving spend from narrow SEO tasks to media outreach, thought leadership and content placement. Many are also linking PR with structured data strategies, which generative AI favours.
The PR Resurgence
Rand Fishkin has called PR "the future of marketing" because it builds the authority that AI systems, traditional SEO, and consumers all rely on. Mentions in respected outlets, appearances on influential podcasts and credible social content all build the signals that search engines and generative models prioritise.
PR is no longer just about reputation management; it has become a growth discipline. Secure the right mentions, and your brand is more likely to be discovered.
Does that mean SEO is dead?
The answer is no. People will still search, and traditional SEO techniques still have value. But search is changing, and those who adapt early will benefit most.
While the industry debates whether to call the new approach Search Everywhere Optimisation, Generative Engine Optimisation (GEO) or AI Optimisation (AIO), the techniques developed for AI also strengthen traditional SEO, boost social engagement and build brand awareness. A holistic approach to digital presence is the way forward.
What Business Leaders Need to Do
To stay visible in a search environment shaped by AI, credibility is now the deciding factor. The companies that pull ahead will be those that act early and consistently. PR is no longer a support function; it underpins digital visibility. Integrated PR combines media outreach, digital strategy and content creation to build authority across channels.
If you’d like to find out more about how to stay ahead, speak to one of our team today.
Author: Joel Buckland - CEO of We Do Stories PR Agency.
Joel Buckland is a strategic communicator with over 20 years’ experience in media, PR and brand development. He’s worked with the BBC, Discovery, Al Jazeera, among others, and now leads the PR agency We Do Stories. Joel helps organisations grow their brand awareness and reach through clear communication shaped by journalism and digital strategy.
About We Do Stories
We Do Stories is a PR agency based in Cambridgeshire, founded by former journalists and media professionals with over 20 years’ experience. We work with innovators and changemakers to build awareness, trust, and influence through clear, strategic communication. From media outreach and press coverage to integrated PR and digital campaigns, we help brands tell their stories, connect with their audience, and drive growth.