📪 HH #93: Part 2/5 📉 If They Don’t Click… How Do They Remember You?
- Justin Hubbard
- Jul 30
- 5 min read
TL;DR – The Power of Signals in a Zero-Click World
Search is changing — and clicks are disappearing.
AI tools like Google’s Search Generative Experience, ChatGPT, Bing AI, and Perplexity are answering your customer’s questions before they ever visit a website. If you’re not part of that AI-generated answer, you’re not even in the conversation.
That’s what zero-click means: no visit, no opportunity, no visibility.
The only way to win is by building signals — content, mentions, and trust markers that help AI and search platforms see, recognize, and recommend your brand.
This isn’t about traffic. It’s about being seen, remembered, and trusted across platforms — even if no one clicks.
If you’re not being featured, you’re being skipped.
The Power of Signals in a Zero-Click World
Let’s say someone types into Google: “Junk removal near me”
They get a list. A map. Maybe a short answer.
And then… they don’t click.
Not because they’re ignoring your site—
But because Google already gave them everything they needed.
No visit. No call. No shot.
And most of the time, Google didn’t even give them the option to see your site.
That’s zero-click—and it’s by design.
What’s Actually Happening?
This isn’t just people choosing not to click.
This is Google—and AI tools like ChatGPT, Bing AI, and Perplexity—building search experiences that make clicking optional… or unnecessary altogether.
Searchers are handed summaries, comparisons, prices, directions—even recommendations—without visiting a single website.
Unless you're the brand being pulled into the box, the map, or the AI answer…
You never even entered the conversation.
That’s why this shift is such a big deal.
It’s not that attention is shrinking.
It’s that the gatekeepers have changed—and they’re not showing your link unless you’ve earned it.
So… What’s a Signal?
A signal is a piece of content or a brand impression that makes you visible inside this new gatekeeping system.
It’s not about trying to “get the click.”
It’s about making sure your name is the one that gets featured in that answer box, that map pack, that AI-generated summary.
Signals are what Google and AI tools use to decide:
Who shows up
Who gets mentioned
Who gets trusted
Here’s what a strong signal looks like:
✅ Your business name showing in a local search result
✅ A helpful blog post that gets quoted by AI
✅ A quick tip shared on Instagram that gets reposted
✅ A customer mentioning your company in a community group
✅ Your brand getting pulled into a ChatGPT or Perplexity answer
Each one increases your visibility—even if no one clicks.
⚠️ Why This Matters Right Now
If you’re still relying on your website to “do the selling,” you’re already behind. Most people won’t even get to your site if Google or AI solves the problem first.
The only way to stay relevant is to:
Be featured
Be quoted
Be remembered
And all of that comes from building signals.
AI Tools Are Curating Everything
These tools aren’t neutral anymore. ChatGPT, Bing AI, and Perplexity aren’t just scanning the web—they’re choosing what to show and who to recommend.
They look for:
Brands that publish helpful content
Businesses mentioned in trusted sources
Names that come up repeatedly
Signals of authority, not just random shit
And if they don’t recognize your brand name?
You don’t get featured. You get skipped.
Real-Life Examples
Here’s how this shows up in the wild:
Someone searches Google and sees your company name in the local map—no click, but now they’ve seen you.
A prospect reads a tip from you on LinkedIn or in a Facebook group. Now they know your name.
A user asks ChatGPT: “How do I get rid of an old hot tub?” And your blog post is where the answer gets pulled from. You just earned a trust point.
None of these required a website visit.
But they all counted as impressions that build memory.
People Remember Repetition
If they see your brand once, they forget. If they see it again and again—across platforms, in AI answers, in posts—they start to remember.
The classic rule of marketing is called the Rule of 7:
A person needs to see or hear your brand at least 7 times before they remember it or take action.
But in 2025? It’s probably more like 8 to 15+.
Why?
People scroll fast
Platforms are noisy
Attention is split
Most impressions are shallow (a glance, not engagement)
That’s what we’re playing for now:
Not just clicks.
Not just likes.
But brand memory.
🔁 Recap:
Google and AI aren’t just replacing search—they’re curating results
Most users never even see your website as an option
Signals are your only shot at showing up in answers, maps, or AI-generated results
Repetition matters—because memory is the new metric
The goal isn’t traffic. It’s trust at scale
✅ Action Step for This Week:
Post one helpful tip your future customer could use. Something simple, specific, and useful.
Examples:
“Pro tip: Don’t fill your dumpster with wet concrete—it’ll be too heavy to haul. We see it all the time. It’s expensive. Avoid it.”
“Three things junk haulers won’t take—and what to do instead.”
Pick one. Post it. You’re not just building content. You’re building signals!
Coming Up Next (Part 3):
In the next issue, I’ll show you how to create content that people and AI can’t ignore.
Real, useful, memorable content—the kind that builds authority and leads to business.
Stay tuned.
That’s the Hauler’s Edge ✌️
Justin Hubbard
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