Google searches ended without a click 68.01% of the time in the U.S. during the first four months of 2026, according to new SparkToro research based on Similarweb clickstream data. That’s up from 60.45% in 2024, a 7.56-point increase in two years.
Fewer searches result in clicks. The share of searches generating at least one click fell 9.51 percentage points between 2024 and 2026 (a 22.9% decline), according to SparkToro. This includes clicks to organic results, paid ads, and Google-owned properties such as Maps and YouTube, but excludes follow-up searches within Google.
- Over the same period, the share of searches that led to another Google search rose 7.2 percentage points.
- This trend reflects Google’s growing ability to answer questions directly in search results while encouraging users to refine or continue their searches within Google, according to SparkToro.
AI Overviews and zero click. SparkToro believes AI Overviews are likely contributing to the increase in zero-click searches, though the study doesn’t isolate the extent to which the overall rise between 2024 and 2026 can be attributed specifically to AI Overviews.
- AI Overviews now appear on more than 20% of Google searches, according to the research. When they do, click-through rates drop by nearly 60%.
AI Mode and zero click. It appears to have played only a limited role during the January to April study period. SparkToro found that just 0.34% of searches transitioned into AI Mode during that time.
- However, Google said at I/O 2026 that AI Mode had surpassed 1 billion monthly users and that query volume was more than doubling each quarter, suggesting its impact on search behavior could grow significantly.
Zero click history. SparkToro has tracked zero-click search behavior for years, though its underlying data sources have changed over time. Because the studies rely on different providers, panels, and methodologies, long-term comparisons are not directly equivalent. Still, the available data consistently points to a rise in zero-click behavior over time, according to SparkToro.
Why we care. The findings suggest Google is increasingly satisfying user needs without sending users to external websites. However, you should interpret direct comparisons across years cautiously because SparkToro’s historical analyses rely on different clickstream data providers and panels.
SEO still matters, but… SEO alone may be insufficient for many publishers seeking to regain historical levels of Google-referred traffic. SparkToro co-founder Rand Fishkin recommended investing in brand awareness and influence on the platforms where your audience already spends time, regardless of whether those efforts drive direct website visits.
- Some categories continue to benefit significantly from SEO, including branded searches, local business queries, and high-intent transactional searches, Fishkin said.
About the data. The study used Similarweb…
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