📪 HH #91: Zero-Click is eating your traffic. What Now?
- Justin Hubbard
- Jul 27
- 6 min read
TL;DR –Clicks are disappearing. AI is deciding who gets seen.
Over 60% of Google searches end without anyone visiting your site.
You used to win by ranking. Now you win by being remembered.
✅ Create content that AI and people trust
✅ Show up on every platform, consistently
✅ Track more than traffic—track impact
Starting tomorrow, I’m breaking all of this down in a 4-part series.Each part will show you how to win leads without relying on clicks.
This is the shift. Don’t wait for it to wipe you out—learn how to use it to your advantage.
🚨 Heads up—this is just the beginning.
This newsletter gives you the full breakdown of the zero-click shift that’s changing how service businesses show up online.
But to make sure it sticks, I’m breaking it down into a 4-part series starting tomorrow.
Each one will hit your inbox with clear, simple steps to help you:
Stay visible when clicks disappear
Build a brand that AI and people remember
Create content that drives attention and trust
And measure what really matters in 2025
Watch for Part 1 in your inbox this coming week.
This series could be the shift that changes how you grow your business forever.
Let’s go!
Full extended Zero-Click Newsletter 👇
For years, the formula was simple:
→ Get your website to rank on Google
→ People click
→ You get organic leads
That playbook is outdated.
Today, more people are searching but not clicking.
They get answers right on Google’s results page. No need to visit your website.
It’s called a zero-click search, and it’s happening more than ever.
What’s a Zero-Click Search?
Example:
Someone types “How much does junk removal cost?” into Google.
Google shows a short answer at the top—pulled from someone’s site.
That’s it. No click. No visit. No lead.
Over 60% of Google searches now end without a click.
This number has grown fast in the last few years—and it’s not slowing down.
Why This Hurts Small Businesses
If your marketing plan relies on:
Showing up on Google
Getting organic clicks
Letting your website do the selling
…you’re in trouble.
Google is giving people answers before they even hit your site.
And AI tools like ChatGPT and Perplexity? They’re doing the same thing—giving full recommendations without sending people to your website.
You’re losing traffic before you ever had a chance to convert it.
So What Do You Do?
Simple:
You make sure people remember your brand—even if they never click.
You do that by creating signals.
What Are Signals?
A signal is a piece of content, media, or brand impression that sticks with someone—even in a quick glance.
Examples:
A helpful Instagram Reel about how to load a dumpster
A quote from your blog featured in someone else’s video
A tip you posted on LinkedIn that gets shared
Your brand name showing up in an AI’s answer
People might not visit your website—but if they keep seeing you and hearing you, you stay in their mind.
Signals = Staying power.
Why AI Is Part of This Now
When ChatGPT launched, people thought it was just a chat tool.
But now? It recommends businesses, gives answers, and picks what to show.
AI is curating the internet for people.
If your brand isn’t showing up in that world, you’re invisible.
AI tools notice:
Who’s posting helpful content
Who’s being mentioned
Who’s showing up consistently
Who sounds like an authority
That’s why building your brand matters more than ever.
How to Make Your Brand Stand Out (Even Without Clicks)
1. Be the Authority
Don’t post basic content.
Post the best content. Be the one that gets quoted, saved, and remembered.
Ask yourself:
“Would someone share this?”
“Would an AI pull this as a top source?”
If not, go deeper. Say something that matters.
2. Create Content for People and AI
Keywords still matter—but they’re not everything.
AI and people both respond to content that’s:
Clear
Helpful
Deep
Original
Teach something. Add real value. Don’t just try to rank—try to stick.
3. Play to Each Platform
What works on TikTok doesn’t work on LinkedIn. What works on Instagram doesn’t work on YouTube.
Don’t post the same thing everywhere. Make each piece fit the platform.
IG: Show your face.
TikTok: Teach or entertain.
LinkedIn: Drop insight.
YouTube: Go deeper.
Every platform is a chance to be remembered. Use it.
4. Be Consistent and Frequent
You’ve heard it before—people need to see your brand at least 7 times before it sticks. That’s probably low now.
Zero-click makes it worse.
If they’re not clicking, you have to show up more often just to stay relevant.
Consistency builds recognition. Frequency builds trust.
5. Track More Than Just Website Traffic
Traffic is just one piece of the puzzle.
In today’s world, ask:
Are people mentioning my business online?
Are they sharing my content?
Are AI tools recommending me?
Am I showing up everywhere my audience scrolls?
That’s what matters.
Recap:
Zero-click searches are now over 60% of all Google searches
Clicks are going down, but search volume is going up
Relying only on SEO traffic is risky
You need to create signals that stick with people and AI
Focus on brand, trust, and repetition across platforms
Your Action Plan This Week:
Google a question your customers ask all the time.→ Do you show up?→ If yes: How can you improve that answer?→ If no: Make content that would.
Post 1 thing this week that teaches something real.Not fluff. Not generic. Something you know from doing the work.
Choose one platform and commit to posting 3x per week for the next month.Show up. Get seen. Get remembered.
—
Zero-click is not the end.
It’s the push you needed to start building a brand that lasts. Don’t chase clicks. Build memory. And when they’re ready to buy—they’ll come looking for you.
And just so you know…
I’ve got something real special I’m building behind the scenes.
It’s a new division of my digital marketing company, designed to go hand-in-hand with this revolution we’re all living through.
We are at the very beginning of the next human shift—something as big as the rise of the internet.
AI is changing everything. And fast.
Do not ignore this just because it feels confusing or hard to learn.
That’s how people get wiped out—not from failure, but from hesitation.
The change will be swift.
It’ll feel like a rug pull.
And it won’t wait for you to catch up.
I’m building something that’s going to help service business owners stay ahead of this shift—not behind it. Stay tuned.
That’s the Hauler’s Edge ✌️
Justin Hubbard
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