Is Search Dying? How Social Discovery and AI Are Reshaping the Future of Content

For over two decades, Google has dominated the digital discovery landscape. But today, the search engine that once seemed unshakable is showing cracks. The majority of Google searches now end without a user clicking through to a website, a phenomenon known as “zero-click search.

Zero-Click Searches: The New Norm

• As of 2024, an estimated 65% of all global Google searches result in zero clicks, up from around 50% in 2019. This means most users find the information they need directly on the search results page, without visiting external sites.
• The trend is even more pronounced on mobile devices, where convenience drives users to accept quick answers rather than explore further.

What’s Driving the Shift?

Several factors have contributed to the surge in zero-click searches

AI-Generated Answers (AI Overviews)

Google’s introduction of AI Overviews (formerly known as Search Generative Experience or SGE) has made it possible for users to…