Brandformance
AI search and the vanishing clicks: how to stay visible
September 2025Artificial intelligence is revolutionizing online search and advertising. Google’s AI-generated “Overviews” now appear at the top of results—part of a broader shift toward zero-click searches that now account for nearly 57% of queries, slashing organic traffic by over 40% and risking up to a 20% drop in revenue if unaddressed. AI chat and answer engines deliver richer UX—conversational interfaces, personalized answers, and faster resolutions—shaping behavior and business outcomes. As search evolves, brands face urgent challenges: declining clicks, fragmented attention, and downward-trending revenue.
“Act now—or watch AI Overviews siphon away your visibility and revenue, leaving your brand effectively invisible to the majority of searchers“
This article diagnoses these issues and offers actionable SEO and paid-media strategies to reclaim visibility, boost ROI, and thrive in an AI-first world.
The AI-Driven search landscape
This new search experience is changing the way results appear and how users interact with them. Google’s AI Overviews now deliver conversational answers, often enhanced with images or shopping suggestions directly within the results page. The company is even testing Search and Shopping ads inside these Overviews—pulled from existing Performance Max campaigns—with early feedback indicating that users find ads placed above and below the AI-generated answer helpful. Meanwhile, Google says its AI-driven language understanding has improved broad-match campaign performance by about 10% for Smart Bidding advertisers. In short, AI is increasingly blurring the line between organic answers and paid ads.
AI and organic positioning: new SEO imperatives
Search engines now reward quality, authoritative content more than ever. Google’s AI mode favours sources with clear expertise (so-called E-E-A-T) and content that directly answers user questions. SEO best practices are shifting accordingly: content should use conversational language, cover common user questions, and provide data or multimedia that an AI can extract.
“SEO guideline advises that content must directly and concisely answer questions to increase the chance of appearing in AI-generated answer boxes”
But how do you measure whether your content is truly optimised for AI? Traditional metrics like keyword ranking are no longer enough. Instead, track:
- AI snippet share: Percentage of queries where Google surfaces your content in AI Overviews or featured snippets (via Search Console).
- Engagement metrics: Dwell time, scroll depth, and interactions with embedded rich features (e.g., FAQ clicks) in platforms like Google Analytics.
- Answer extraction rate: How often AI tools extract your data tables or lists (inferred through impressions on knowledge panels and structured data reports).
A simple before/after comparison illustrates the shift:
By evolving from keyword stuffing to user-centric, AI-friendly content—and measuring it with these new KPIs—you’ll ensure your pages not only rank but also power the AI Overviews that dominate modern search.
AI-Driven paid campaigns: smarter ads and efficiency
To combat the traffic loss caused by AI Overviews, paid media teams must adapt their keyword strategies and creatives to mirror conversational search intent. Instead of bidding on rigid search terms alone, campaigns should include long-tail, question-led keywords that align with how users now ask AI systems. For example, rather than targeting “car rental Berlin,” you’d also bid on “what’s the best way to get around Berlin?”, ensuring your ads surface alongside or within AI-generated answers. Dynamic keyword insertion and responsive search ads can automatically swap in these conversational phrases, preserving visibility even when organic click-throughs decline.
On the paid side, Google’s flagship Performance Max campaigns already use AI to select placements and adjust bids across channels (Search, Display, YouTube, etc.), delivering an average of 27% more conversions at a similar cost-per-acquisition. Platforms like Facebook use AI lookalike modelling, while programmatic ad platforms apply machine learning to bid on impressions automatically—saving time and cutting waste.
"AI is supercharging ads, creatives, and budgets like never before"
Generative AI now produces on-brand images, animations, and multiple ad copy variants in minutes, with Google’s responsive search ads adapting headlines and descriptions in real time to match queries. Predictive models are replacing manual A/B testing, auto-allocating budgets across channels by ROI. For example, the IBM-powered Albert AI platform generated over 10,000 ad variations for Interactive Investor, boosting keyword coverage by 286%, capturing 89% share of voice on branded terms, and significantly lowering CPA while dramatically increasing new sign-ups.
These capabilities allow paid media to fill the gaps left by zero-click AI Overviews—by surfacing relevant ads on conversational queries, optimising spend in real time, and crafting AI-native creatives that engage users where they seek answers.
Integrating paid and organic: a holistic AI strategy
With AI blurring the line between search and answer, paid and organic channels must be tightly coordinated—no longer can SEO and PPC operate in silos. Paid and organic are “two sides of the same coin”.
“AI Overviews amplify the need for unified workflows to prevent duplication and maximise visibility”
Actionable coordination tactics
- Weekly joint planning sessions: Every Monday, SEO and SEM teams review AI-driven keyword insights together. Team A (SEO) generates three new question-led keywords—e.g., “what’s the best way to get around Berlin?”—which Team B (SEM) then incorporates into responsive search ads and bids by Friday.
- Shared content calendar: Use a single Asana or Trello board for scheduling AI-optimised blog posts, FAQ updates, and ad copy rollouts. This ensures that when an SEO article goes live, matching ad variants launch simultaneously, reinforcing messaging across channels.
- Unified analytics dashboard: Build a Looker Studio or Data Studio report that displays AI Overview placements, AI interaction rates, organic snippet share, scroll depth, and paid-media KPIs side by side. Assign a Search Integration Lead to monitor data integrity, highlight opportunities, and alert teams to performance shifts.
Broader strategy ideas
- Cross-training workshops: Host monthly sessions where SEO specialists learn paid-media tactics and vice versa, fostering empathy and shared expertise.
- Creative swap sessions: Quarterly workshops where top-performing ad copy and high-engagement organic headlines are exchanged and refined collaboratively.
By embedding these workflows, dashboards, and roles into your process, you create a seamless SEO/SEM ecosystem. This integrated approach empowers marketers to dominate every touchpoint—from AI answer boxes to paid results—without wasting budget on duplicate efforts.
Key takeaways and recommendations
The AI shift is still unfolding—and every day you delay means more lost clicks and slipping visibility in search results. Marketing leaders must act now or risk complete invisibility as user behaviour shifts toward AI-driven answers.
Audit your AI tools
Threat: Manual workflows can’t keep up with AI speed, leading to missed optimisation opportunities and wasted budgets. Action: Map out where AI can automate content generation, ad targeting, and analytics. Integrate writing assistants and ad bots to scale quickly and reclaim efficiency.
Upgrade content for AI overviews
Threat: Zero-click answers are siphoning organic traffic—up to a 40% drop in clicks for unoptimized pages. Action: Rewrite content in Q&A formats, implement FAQ and HowTo schema, and embed rich media. Ensure author bios and data citations to boost E-E-A-T and secure AI snippet placements.
Leverage Google’s AI ads
Threat: Traditional search ads struggle for attention when AI Overviews dominate the top fold. Action: Test Performance Max and smart bidding, use Google’s generative ad creation tools (e.g., AI image ad builder), and pilot Shopping Lens ads to appear alongside AI answers.
Measure with new KPIs
Threat: Clicks no longer equate to success—relying on them risks flying blind. Action: Track conversions, micro-conversions (newsletter signups, chatbot engagements), AI interaction rates, and use Google’s conversion lift studies to capture incremental impact.
Train and align teams
Threat: Siloed SEO and PPC teams miss cross-channel insights, doubling work and ceding ground to more agile competitors. Action: Conduct joint AI trend workshops, share a unified analytics dashboard, and appoint a Search Integration Lead to ensure a cohesive strategy.
“Inaction means invisibility”
As AI continues to dominate search, only brands that overhaul their content, ads, and team structures will remain visible and relevant. Make these changes now—or watch your share of voice—and revenue—slip through the cracks of AI-powered search.
