The proportion of zero-click searches has barely increased despite Google AI Overviews, according to a recent study. However, the data only goes up to March 2025.
Despite the introduction of new AI search engines such as Perplexity and SearchGPT, Google continues to maintain its dominant position in the traditional search engine space, both in the US and Europe. Data for the first quarter of 2025 shows that Google answered even more search queries in 2024 than before.
But how exactly do users behave after they’ve submitted a search query to Google? A recent analysis by Datos and Sparktoro, based on data from the US and Europe, sheds light on the various actions that follow a Google search.
Traditional search engines continue to dominate, both in the US and Europe. While in the US, traditional search accounts for 10.55 percent and AI tools for 0.55 percent, in Europe and the UK, the figures are 10.25 percent and 0.71 percent, respectively.
The most common action following a Google search query remains visiting an external website that isn’t the result of a paid ad. This is classified as an organic click. The share of these organic clicks remained stable from January 2024 to March 2025. However, there are indications that the opportunities for organic clicks for content creators, website owners, and publishers have been gradually declining for years. This suggests that content providers should diversify their strategies.
Zero-clicks follow in second place. Their share remained largely stable over the period under review, but showed a slight increase until March 2025.
The number of clicks on organic search results is declining. In March 2025, 40.3 percent of Google users in the US clicked on an organic search result, down from 44.2 percent the previous year. In the EU and UK, 43.5 percent of Google users clicked on an organic result in March 2025, compared to 47.1 percent in March 2024.
In March 2025, 27.2 percent of searches in the US resulted in no click, compared to 24.4 percent in March 2024 – a slight increase. In the EU and the UK, the share of zero-click searches rose from 23.6 to 26.1 percent over the same period.
In March 2025, 14.3 percent of Google searches in the US resulted in clicks on other Google services such as YouTube or Maps, compared to 12.1 percent in the previous year. In the EU and the UK, this figure rose from 11.6 to 12.6 percent.
YouTube is now the most important destination for traditional searches in the US, EU and UK.
Zero-click searches and the role of AI overviews
Some forecasts assume that the introduction of Google AI Overviews would lead to a significant increase in zero-click searches.
Interestingly, the available data shows that this assumption hasn’t been true, at least so far. Following the launch of Google AI Overviews in the US, zero-click searches actually declined slightly in the following three months. However, it’s important to note that the rollout of AI Overviews is gradual. The true long-term effects of this new feature will only become apparent over time. Currently, we can observe a widening gap between impressions and clicks in search.
It should be remembered that the study’s data only extends to March 2025. In the period after that, Google significantly expanded the presence of AI Overviews and included additional countries, including Germany.
Conclusion
User search behavior has become more diverse and is no longer limited to a single search engine or experience. While traditional search engines continue to account for the majority of search activity and Google maintains its dominance, Google’s share is declining slightly in both the US and Europe as other tools gain traction. The increase in AI usage is undeniable, with ChatGPT emerging as the leading AI tool and rising to the top five search destinations in the US and Europe. Videos are also gaining significant traction, with YouTube becoming the leading destination for traditional searches in both the US and Europe.
The data shows that reports of traditional search “dying” in favor of AI-centric discovery are exaggerated. Contrary to many expectations, the zero-click rate has not increased dramatically since the introduction of AI overviews, underscoring the need for a data-driven view of reality. It remains crucial for companies and content creators to adapt to these developments and diversify their presence across different platforms.
