The Australian Centre for AI in Marketing has launched a four-week programme on search strategy and AI in response to a sharp rise in searches that do not lead users to click through to websites.
Based on published data, more than 70% of Google searches in Australia were producing zero clicks through to a landing page by early 2026, according to ACAM. When AI-generated summaries appear in results, the share of users who click through falls to 17%, while zero-click behaviour on mobile has risen above 75%.
These figures point to a growing challenge for brands and publishers that still depend on website visits from conventional search. As search platforms place more answers directly on results pages, marketers are under pressure to rethink how they appear not only in search engine listings, but also in AI-generated responses and other discovery tools.
Many organisations remain focused on search engine optimisation while paying less attention to answer engine optimisation, generative engine optimisation and discovery engine optimisation, ACAM said. It argues that this gap leaves brands less visible as consumers increasingly find information through AI-assisted tools rather than traditional search listings.
Search Shift
The programme, called The Future of Search, will cover SEO, AEO, GEO and DEO. Contributors include The Navigators, Kantar, Genea and ACAM executives, alongside participants from Microsoft Advertising, Gumshoe and Xpon.
The course is aimed at marketing leaders, digital teams, content specialists, agencies and in-house practitioners. Participants will receive a framework for improving brand discoverability across traditional and AI-based search environments, along with a 90-day action plan.
Jodie Sangster, co-founder of the Australian Centre for AI in Marketing, said: "Marketers and agencies are experiencing the same scenario: page views dropping off a cliff or their brands becoming almost invisible in search, and questioning what they're doing wrong. But the fact is, the rules of the game have changed.
"I'm consistently having conversations with marketers who report that their traditional search is down by 30 percent or more, and that's being driven by AI. The only way to counter it is to know how to show up in AI answers. If marketers don't understand how that works, they just won't show up. There's a lot of talk about this, but not enough action. We need to move beyond theory to what to do, what to fix, what to build and where to focus so brands get seen.
"People think you can fix this by restructuring your website or pumping out more content, but that's not enough. It's about how the whole brand shows up across the internet and whether AI sees you as worth including."
Her comments reflect a broader debate in digital marketing over how AI systems decide which sources and brands to cite, summarise or surface. For companies used to measuring success through rankings and clicks, the shift raises new questions about visibility, attribution and the value of owned web traffic.
Industry Response
Technology groups and agencies have been adapting their search products as generative AI changes how users ask questions and receive information. That has created a parallel set of tactics focused on how brands are referenced in AI summaries, conversational interfaces and recommendation tools.
Adam Goodman, Director, AI in Advertising APAC at Microsoft Advertising, said: "As AI transforms how people search, discover and make decisions, marketers need deeper, real-time insight into how their brands are represented across evolving digital environments. This program brings together practical expertise and leading technology to help organisations move from experimentation to real-world application, building the confidence to embed AI into everyday marketing strategy and execution."
ACAM launched in 2025 as a body focused on AI adoption in marketing. It works on benchmarking, governance frameworks, executive education and community learning around the use of AI in the sector.
Louise Cummins, chief executive officer and co-founder of the Australian Centre for AI in Marketing, said: "There's a lot of conversation about AI and search, but not enough clarity on what marketers should actually do next. We wanted to give teams a structured, practical way to understand what needs to change so they can show up in AI-driven search and not disappear from it."