The Death of the Click is Not the Death of Your Business
For two decades, SEO agencies have sold Brisbane business owners on a single metric: clicks. We’ve been conditioned to believe that if a user doesn't land on our website, the search session was a failure.
That line of thinking is officially dead.
In 2026, over 60% of Google searches end without a single click. Between AI Overviews, Featured Snippets, and Local Packs, Google has transformed from a postman into a librarian. It’s no longer delivering the mail; it’s reading it out loud. Most marketers are panicking, trying to fight for the scraps of remaining traffic.
At Local Marketing Group, we take a different view: If Google wants to show your answer on the search page, let them. You just need to make sure it’s your brand they are quoting.
Myth #1: Zero-Click Searches Steal Your Revenue
The biggest lie in the industry is that a zero-click search is a lost lead. This is nonsense. If a Brisbane homeowner searches "how often should I service my ducted AC?" and Google shows a Featured Snippet from your HVAC company, you have achieved instant authority.
They didn't click? Fine. But who are they going to call when the unit actually breaks? The brand that provided the answer they just read. This is about brand impressions and top-of-mind awareness. Stop obsessing over your Google Analytics session count and start looking at your brand search volume. If you want to understand the fundamentals of this shift, look at our introductory SEO principles to see how the landscape has evolved.
Myth #2: AI Overviews are the Enemy
I see SEOs spending thousands of dollars trying to "block" AI scrapers or complaining that AI Overviews (SGE) are killing their blogs. This is a losing battle. You cannot fight the algorithm; you can only feed it better data.
AI Overviews rely on authoritative, structured information. If your content is a rambling 2,000-word mess of fluff, you’ll be ignored. If you provide concise, data-backed answers, you become the source. The reality is that low-quality AI content is what's actually hurting businesses, not the search engine's desire to provide quick answers.
How to Win the Zero-Click Game
1. Optimise for the "Snippet Sentence": Every blog post should have a 40-50 word summary that directly answers the primary question. Don't bury the lead. Give Google the exact sentence it needs to display. 2. Schema is Non-Negotiable: If you aren't using Organisation, FAQ, and Local Business schema, you are invisible to the bots that build zero-click results. 3. The Google Business Profile (GBP) is Your New Homepage: For a local Brisbane business, your GBP is more important than your website's 'About Us' page. If your hours, services, and reviews aren't perfect, you’ve lost the lead before they even see your URL.
Stop Overcomplicating Keyword Research
Most agencies will charge you thousands to rank for high-volume keywords that result in zero conversions. It's a vanity project. In the zero-click era, you need to stop chasing keywords and start focusing on proximity and proof.
Google’s goal is to satisfy the user's intent as fast as possible. If the intent is "emergency plumber near me," they aren't looking for a blog post. They are looking for a phone number and a 5-star rating in the Local Pack. If you aren't there, you don't exist.
The "Information vs. Transaction" Divide
You must categorise your content strategy into two buckets:
Informational (Zero-Click Friendly): Accept that you won't get the click. Write for the snippet. Use clear headings and bullet points. Your goal here is brand authority. Transactional (Click-Driven): This is for your high-intent landing pages. These shouldn't be competing for snippets; they should be solving specific problems that require a deep dive or a booking.
The Harsh Truth: Your Website Might Be the Problem
If you are seeing a massive drop in clicks but your rankings remain high, it’s a sign that Google is doing a better job of answering the question than your website is. Instead of trying to force people back to a slow, clunky site, optimise your presence on the SERP itself.
Use high-quality images in your GBP, answer every single Q&A on your profile, and ensure your NAP (Name, Address, Phone) data is consistent across every Australian directory.
Conclusion
Zero-click search isn't a threat; it's a filter. It filters out the businesses that rely on tricking users into clicking and rewards those who provide genuine value upfront. As a Brisbane business owner, your job isn't to hoard traffic—it's to dominate the conversation, regardless of where that conversation happens.
Stop mourning the clicks you lost and start measuring the brand equity you're building.
Ready to stop chasing vanity metrics and start winning leads? Contact Local Marketing Group today and let’s build a strategy that actually moves the needle.