Ep 64: Zero Click AI Searches- The Reason Your Website Traffic is Down
Listen to the Podcast Episode for a deeper dive
Episode 64 of the AI for Interior Designers™ Podcast, hosted by Jenna Gaidusek, takes on a topic every designer needs to understand right now. If you have checked your website analytics lately and thought, “Where did all my traffic go?” you are not imagining things. Interior designers and small creative businesses are experiencing a major shift in how people search online, and most of it traces back to one phrase many business owners still do not fully understand:
Zero click searches.
In this episode, Jenna breaks down what zero click means, why your traffic is dropping, and what you can do to stay visible in a search landscape where AI often acts as the gatekeeper between you and your next client.
What Exactly Is a Zero Click Search?
A zero click search happens when someone types a question into Google, Gemini, ChatGPT, or Perplexity and gets the answer directly in the search window. They never have to click through to a website.
No blog visit.
No page view.
No opt in.
No inquiry.
Here is the part most designers do not realize. This behavior is no longer rare. It is now the dominant search experience.
Key stats designers need to know:
Around 60 percent of Google searches now end without a single click.
Many small businesses are reporting a 25 percent drop in organic traffic.
This trend represents an estimated 3.2 billion dollars in lost revenue every year.
AI overviews, summaries, answers, and snapshots now appear above traditional search results on nearly every platform.
So when you see a dip in your analytics, it is not because your work is not strong or because your SEO suddenly failed. It is because AI is often giving people what they need before they ever reach your website.
Why Interior Designers Are Feeling It More Than Most
Designers already face an uphill battle when it comes to online visibility. Most of us did not enter this industry because we love analytics or keyword research. We came for the creativity, the transformation, and the client experience.
But 2025 added another layer of complexity. Here is why our industry is feeling the impact more intensely.
1. Many designers are not checking analytics at all
If you have a web person who “handles everything,” you may not even know traffic has dropped. You need to know where people are coming from, what pages they visit, what keywords are working, and which content is converting. Without this information, you are flying blind.
2. Most designer websites are not updated often enough
A website is a living thing. If your last blog post is from 2021, search engines notice that. And so do the AI models pulling from the same information.
3. Weak SEO foundations
This includes:
• No backlinks
• No fresh content
• Service pages that do not mention location
• Vague phrasing like “full service design” without clear definitions
If AI models cannot understand you, they cannot recommend you.
4. AI image tools are quietly changing client behavior
Many people now take designers’ images, upload them into AI tools, and shop for look alike items without crediting the original designer. This removes context, reduces traffic, and weakens the authority signals search engines and AI rely on.
All of this combined creates the perfect storm.
What Today’s AI Models Are Prioritizing
We are past the phase where keyword stuffing or clever titles matter most. Today’s models look for authority, expertise, and original insight.
Here is what the major platforms are doing:
High zero click rate. AI Overviews summarize entire topics without sending people to websites. Authority driven content wins.
Millions of weekly searches. High direct answer rate. Rare source citations. You may be influencing the results without ever receiving credit.
Better at citations and more likely to link back to your site. Growing rapidly in design and home industries.
Claude and Gemini Deep Research
Great for deep research. Minimal referral traffic.
The new rule is simple. If your content is not authoritative, original, and rich in context, you will not surface in AI driven search.
How Designers Can Win in the Zero Click Era
Here is the good news. You can regain visibility. You can show up in AI search. You can become the designer these models trust. You simply need to adjust your strategy.
1. Become the primary source AI wants to quote
AI models prioritize content that demonstrates real expertise and lived experience. Focus on long form blogs, case studies, behind the scenes explanations, and project breakdowns. AI cannot replicate your personal reasoning or your decision making process. Use that to your advantage.
2. Add FAQ style content to your website
AI and conversational search engines love Q and A formatting. Every service page should include five to ten context rich FAQs using natural language and long tail keywords.
Instead of “Do you offer e design?”
Try “Do you offer virtual interior design services for clients outside of Charleston?”
The more context, the stronger the signal.
3. Simplify your website
People do not read long sales pages anymore. They skim and click. Your site should make it instantly clear who you are, what you offer, where you work, and how to hire you. Simple navigation wins every time.
4. Build authority through backlinks
Backlinks matter more today than they did even five years ago. High authority backlinks matter most. Think press mentions, publication features, partnerships, interviews, guest articles, and industry organizations. Even small opportunities are worth pursuing.
5. Review your analytics every month
Not once a year. Monthly. Look at referral sources, search keywords, top pages, time on site, click paths, and conversion data. If you do not look at your numbers, you cannot understand your business.
6. Decide whether to allow AI to crawl your website
You can allow AI crawlers, which increases discoverability, or you can block them, which protects content. There is no right or wrong choice. But you do need to choose.
If you want to appear in AI search results, AI needs access to your site.
If you want to protect your content from being used without context, you may choose to block it.
Doing nothing leaves you without a strategy.
Your Action Checklist
Here is what to do this week:
• Turn on or update Google Analytics and Squarespace analytics
• Review referral traffic
• Add an FAQ section to every service page
• Publish one authority building blog post
• Secure one backlink opportunity
• Audit your site navigation for clarity
• Check whether AI crawling is allowed
• Look up your AI search profile on Perplexity or Gemini
Final Thoughts: Zero Click Is Not the End. It Is a Shift.
AI is not killing your business. It is rewriting the rules. Designers who cling to outdated SEO habits will keep struggling. Designers who adapt early will stand out in local and AI driven search.
This shift is survivable. It is also an opportunity to take ownership of your authority and become the designer clients and search engines trust.
Episode 64 covered a lot, and we only scratched the surface. Next week I will be sharing a few major updates I have been building behind the scenes that will help you stay competitive in 2026 and beyond.
Stay tuned. Big things are coming.
Disclaimer: This blog was written using AI as a recap from the recording then edited by the author for accuracy and details.
