SEO used to feel pretty straightforward: you ranked well, people clicked, traffic increased, and leads followed. Clicks were the main proof that your strategy was paying off. For years, businesses measured organic success by watching website visits rise month after month. It was an easy way to connect the dots between search rankings and real growth. If traffic went up, it felt obvious that SEO was doing its job.

But in 2026, search doesn’t work the same way anymore.

With AI Overviews, featured snippets, map packs, and instant answers dominating the Google search results page, users are getting what they need faster than ever — often without visiting a website at all. In many cases, Google, ChatGPT and other LLMs are answering the question before someone even has a reason to click through to a website. In fact, a February 2026 study from AHRefs noted that in the presence of an AI Overview within a Google search result, clicks through to a website dropped by 58 percent.

That shift has left many businesses staring at their analytics, wondering: if the rankings are strong but clicks are dropping, is SEO still doing anything?

The answer is yes. SEO is absolutely still working. The impact just looks different now.

Search Is No Longer a Single Experience

Visibility Still Creates Real Brand Value

SEO Drives Leads Beyond Website Visits

Metrics That Reflect the Full Funnel

The Bottom Line: Success Isn’t Just About Traffic Anymore

Search Is No Longer a Single Experience

One of the biggest changes in modern search is that Google is no longer just a list of links. It’s an answer engine. Instead of sending users to websites, search platforms increasingly deliver information directly on the results page.

AI Overviews now summarize content at the very top of search results. Featured snippets answer questions instantly. Local map listings provide phone numbers, reviews, directions, and business hours without requiring a single click to a website. But here’s what many businesses overlook: Not all searches behave the same way anymore. In 2026, the search experience varies significantly depending on user intent.

Educational searches, when someone is learning about a problem or exploring possible solutions, are now heavily influenced by AI summaries and instant answers. Users often gather foundational knowledge directly from search results or LLM responses without visiting a website.

Comparison searches, where users evaluate brands, products, or technologies, also tend to generate fewer clicks than before. AI Overviews frequently consolidate options and key differentiators into a single snapshot, reducing the need to open multiple tabs.

Local service searches, on the other hand, often lead to direct action. When someone searches for a provider in their area, map packs, reviews, and click-to-call features encourage immediate engagement, sometimes without a website visit. Now more than ever, having a robust Google Business Profile presence with a consistent review flow is an absolute must.

Branded searches behave differently still. When users search specifically for a company by name, they may already be influenced by earlier visibility in AI results or non-click interactions. These searches often signal trust and readiness to take the next step. 

This shift is especially noticeable in higher-funnel research. Early-stage discovery is increasingly happening within search features and LLM interfaces themselves. So even when a user searches for a service, they may never visit a site. This “no-click trend” is becoming normal across industries, and it explains why many companies are seeing fewer organic visits even though their visibility is higher than ever.

Visibility Still Creates Real Brand Value

Even if someone doesn’t click through to your website, they still see you.

That’s an important mindset shift businesses have to make. SEO today is just as much about presence as it is about traffic. When your company shows up repeatedly in search results, in AI summaries, local listings, or answer boxes, you’re building recognition.

Most customers don’t make a decision after just one search. They research, compare, and come back multiple times before reaching out. Many of those early research touchpoints now happen in zero-click environments, where users gather information without ever leaving the search results page. Each time they see your brand, your credibility grows.

When someone sees your company recommended again and again, eventually, trust forms.

In other words, SEO is still doing one of its most valuable jobs: making sure your business is visible at the exact moment people are looking for what you offer.

SEO Drives Leads Beyond Website Visits

Website traffic is only one way people take action. In many cases, modern search results make it possible for customers to convert without ever clicking through. 

The difference is often funnel stage. While top-of-funnel research may result in zero clicks, lower-funnel searches, especially local and service-based queries, still drive direct actions. Local businesses see this all the time. Someone might search for a smart home installer in their specific town, find your company in the map pack in search results, and tap to call immediately.

Or they may discover your name through an AI Overview or an interaction within ChatGPT, remember it, and search for you again later when they’re ready to schedule an appointment. That second search might lead directly to a phone call or form submission.

SEO is influencing these interactions even if Google Analytics doesn’t count them as a traditional organic search session.After all, your business won’t show up in AI results anyway if you don’t have a robust, information-rich website that performs strongly in SEO.

This is especially true for industries where customers rely on trust and reputation. The more often you appear in high-visibility search features, the more likely you are to be chosen.

Metrics That Reflect the Full Funnel

Because search has changed, the way we measure SEO success has to change, too.

Clicks still matter, but they’re only part of the picture. Traffic and click-through rate remain important, especially for high-intent searches. But today, performance can’t be evaluated solely by traffic.

Visibility metrics such as impressions, AI Overview inclusions, and map pack visibility help show how often your brand appears in front of potential customers, even when a website visit doesn’t follow. Branded search growth and Google Business Profile engagement, including calls and website visits, often reflect real influence and direct action that traditional organic session data may miss.

It’s also important to look at conversion rate and assisted conversions. A user might first encounter your brand through an AI summary, return later via a branded search, and convert days later. SEO still shaped that journey, even if it wasn’t the final click.

A drop in clicks doesn’t automatically mean SEO is failing. In many cases, it means your visibility is working earlier in the decision-making process. This isn’t a replacement of traditional metrics — it’s an evolution.

The goal now is not only to drive traffic but to measure impact across the full search journey.

The Bottom Line: Success Isn’t Just About Traffic Anymore

If your website clicks are down but your impressions are rising, your rankings are strong, and your phone is still ringing, SEO is doing exactly what it’s supposed to do.

Search visibility remains one of the most powerful ways to stay competitive, build trust, and generate leads in 2026, even if the customer journey doesn’t always include a website visit. But your website is still driving your brand’s visibility in search engines and in LLMs, perhaps now more than ever.

Today’s SEO strategy must account for multiple stages of the buyer’s journey: influencing early research within AI-driven search environments and capturing high-intent prospects when they are ready to act. 

In today’s AI-driven landscape, SEO is no longer just about driving website clicks. It’s about being seen, being remembered, and being chosen – by the right person, at the right place, at the right time. 

Because even when they don’t click… SEO is still working.

Schedule a call with One Firefly's SEO strategists to evaluate your current search presence and create a plan to boost visibility across AI Overviews, map results, and the moments when customers are ready to take action.