For years, search marketing revolved around one goal: getting users to click through to your website. But in 2025, that playbook is becoming obsolete. The rise of zero-click searches means that Google, AI search engines, and other discovery platforms are increasingly serving users’ needs without sending them anywhere else.
If you’re still measuring success by organic traffic alone, it’s time for a rethink. The future of search isn’t about clicks, it’s about discoverability. And that means showing up across the entire digital landscape, not just on your own website.
A zero-click search happens when a user gets the answer they need directly on the search results page, without clicking through to an external website. This happens through:
The implications for content marketers are huge. As search engines and AI platforms focus on retaining users within their ecosystems, websites are seeing a sharp decline in referral traffic.
The numbers paint a clear picture:
For brands that still measure success by website visits, this shift is a serious challenge. If most searchers never leave Google (or whatever AI tool they’re using), how do you ensure your brand gets found?
The answer: embrace the era of connected discoverability. Instead of focusing on clicks, the priority must shift to presence, being visible, credible, and referenced across every platform your audience engages with.
This builds on what we explored in our recent article on search in 2025:
Search is no longer just about ranking in Google. It’s about creating a connected web of brand touchpoints, across AI search, social platforms, news aggregators, and digital communities. The future belongs to those who optimise for discoverability, not just SEO.
So, what does that look like in practice?
If clicks aren’t guaranteed, you need to make an impact within search results. This means:
Relying solely on your website to distribute content is a losing battle. Instead, meet your audience where they already consume content:
If your audience spends time on these platforms, your content needs to be there too.
Public relations has traditionally been about media coverage, but in 2025, it’s about influencing search and discovery algorithms.
If your brand is referenced, cited, and featured across multiple digital ecosystems, you shape how AI and search platforms present your expertise. This is why PR is having a major resurgence: being mentioned on high-authority sites, quoted in articles, and featured in industry roundups directly impacts search visibility and AI indexing.
Google, ChatGPT, and social algorithms are unpredictable. The only way to future-proof your brand is by owning your audience directly:
Discoverability matters, but owning the connection with your audience is even more important.
The days of relying on Google search rankings to drive traffic are fading. In their place, a new reality is emerging, one where discoverability is the key to success.
That means thinking beyond clicks and optimising for:
As we explored in our recent deep dive on the future of search, the brands that succeed will be those that embrace a multi-platform, interconnected approach to content marketing.
Google’s not in the business of sending you traffic anymore. AI search isn’t crediting sources. Social algorithms are unpredictable. But people are still searching, discovering, and engaging with content every day.
Your job? Make sure they find you, wherever they are.
Our job? To support our clients in achieving this.
If this is something you’re looking for support with, get in touch with our expert team.
Remarkable are one of the world’s leading digital experience agencies. As a double platinum Sitecore and Optimizely partner, we offer technology solutions to help brands build experiences that convert.
