Brand Visibility in the Zero-Click Era

The famous Bob Dylan lyric, “The Times They Are A-Changin’,” has never felt more relevant than it does today, as AI reshapes nearly every aspect of our lives. For marketers who are hyper-focused on how consumers discover and consider brands, the times have officially changed.

Since Google’s inception, the click has ruled all and served as the currency of discovery. That era is over.

Welcome to the Zero-Click Era.

What is the Zero-Click Era? 

In short, consumers are overwhelmingly getting their answers directly from AI-generated search results and large language models (LLMs)—like ChatGPT, Gemini, and Claude—without ever visiting the source website. Instead of clicking on search results, the answer is served instantly.

The data confirms this monumental shift: 

• In May 2025, a staggering 69% of Google searches ended with no click. 
• Over half (58%) of consumers have already replaced traditional search engines with Gen AI tools when seeking product or service recommendations. 
• Within three years, it’s predicted that AI will own 95% of all customer interactions.
  

The New Fuel for Visibility

If clicks and traditional search rankings are fading, what now powers brand visibility in the Zero-Click Era?

LLMs are prioritizing patterns, clarity, and consistency. When key information appears across multiple respected sources, AI trusts it and cites it as fact. This includes: 

• News outlets and niche publications 
• Reference sites (e.g., .gov, .edu, Wikipedia) 
• Social platforms like Reddit and YouTube, where community consensus builds authority 
• Structured company content like corporate blogs and newsroom pages 

The new currency of authority is mentions, not backlinks. In fact, according Ahref, branded web mentions are the single strongest driver of visibility in Google’s AI Overviews, proving three times more potent than traditional backlinks. MuckRack also reports that 89% of all citations within LLMs come from earned media.

Simply put, if you want AI to recommend your brand, you must pair strategic PR with website content optimized for LLMs.

Introducing: Generative Engine Optimization (GEO)

To master this new landscape, we at Buffalo have strategies to help clients succeed with Generative Engine Optimization (GEO).

GEO is focused on optimizing your owned content and overall digital footprint to maximize the probability of being cited, summarized, or recommended directly within AI-generated search results and LLMs outputs.

Success in GEO relies on three key factors:

• Structure: Optimizing your website with schema, clear content hierarchy, and strong internal linking.
• Authority: Prioritizing earned media placements in high-authority, frequently-cited outlets.
• Topic Weighting: Creating content perfectly aligned with the prompts and questions users are asking LLMs.

The health and structure of your website are more critical than ever, serving as the “anchor” for earned content that drives back to it.

What’s Next For Your Brand?

While there is no definitive formula, as this is still an evolving space, the time to act is now. At Buffalo Groupe, we have already begun educating, auditing, and providing clients with a tailored AI visibility roadmap to navigate the Zero-Click Era.

Are you interested in learning more and receiving a free AI Visibility audit? Email Jeff Webster at jwebster@buffalogroupe.com.