Welcome to the Post-Click Era: How to Stay Visible When Nobody’s Clicking

For years, marketers have obsessed over climbing Google’s rankings. Traffic reports were our proof of success; those upward lines on the analytics dashboard that kept the C-Suite smiling. But recently, many teams have experienced a harsh new reality: traffic drops of 20% or more overnight, without any major changes to strategy.

So, what’s going on? And how can brands continue to grow in this new environment?

The Rise of Zero-Click Behaviour

The internet has changed – again. Consumers are getting the answers they need without ever visiting a brand’s website. Whether it’s through Google’s instant answers, AI assistants like ChatGPT, or content-rich social platforms, users can find what they need right where they are.

This trend, called “zero-click behaviour,” means that searchers are getting information without clicking, fewer visits are making it to owned websites, and traditional SEO metrics are losing relevance. But that doesn’t mean your content no longer matters; it just means your definition of success needs to evolve.

Redefining What “Success” Looks Like

“Click-through rates and web traffic can’t be our main metric anymore,” says Craig.

Instead, marketers need to measure visibility and impact — wherever those happen.

That includes:

Mentions and citations by AI platforms
Brand visibility on Reddit, TikTok, and forums
Engagement across multiple touchpoints, not just one website

Tools like Google Analytics 4 and SEMrush’s AI tracking can already help identify which AI systems are driving visitors – and what prompts or topics your brand is being connected to.

Why Reddit (and Platforms Like It) Matter

If you’ve been wondering why everyone is suddenly talking about Reddit, here’s why. AI systems increasingly rely on platforms that feature authentic, unfiltered discussions. Reddit threads are filled with real people sharing real opinions – something AI considers more trustworthy than a brand’s own website copy.

In short, AI trusts authenticity.

Brands that want to show up in AI-generated responses need to show up where genuine conversations are happening. But don’t panic. It doesn’t mean you need to abandon your website or start spamming Reddit. It means focusing on restructuring and distributing your existing content to increase its chances of being referenced by AI models.

Optimizing for AI Discovery

Your content doesn’t need to be rewritten; it needs to be refined for AI.

Using clear headings and bullet points
Highlighting factual information that’s easy to extract
Building modular content that can be quickly updated as the landscape shifts

In other words, design your content not just for humans, but for how AI “reads” it.

SEO Isn’t Dead — It’s Evolving

When clients ask whether they should stop focusing on SEO, the answer is simple: expand your strategy. Continue optimizing for traditional keywords, but also make sure your content is ready for AI-driven discovery. That means structuring for machine readability, tracking which prompts lead to your brand mentions, and extending your strategy beyond Google to include AI search ecosystems.

How to Adapt: Five Action Steps for the Post-Click Era

Optimize for answers, not just rankings.
Be where conversations happen, not just where searches start.
Restructure your content for AI readability.
Measure impact, not impressions.
Dedicate time to experimentation — start small, test, and scale what works.

Final Thought

“AI isn’t killing visibility — it’s just changing when, where, and how it happens.”

The takeaway is clear: marketers who understand this shift, and build content strategies for the new ecosystem of AI, authenticity and conversation will continue to win.

How to Stay Visible in the Post-Click Marketing Era

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