Navigating the 'Zero-Click Era': How SMEs Can Survive - The 4 Survival Strategies (Part 1)

In June 2025, I successfully passed all levels of the SEO certification hosted by the All Japan SEO Association (AJSA). While I felt a sense of accomplishment from gaining systematic knowledge, during my exam preparation, I sensed a kind of "storm" brewing across the industry, the concern that "AI might signal the end of SEO."

To explore the answer to this question, I attended a seminar held at Tokyo International Forum on January 23, 2025, titled "Is Google Coming to an End? New SEO Strategies for the AI Era", presented by Mr. Suzuki, who is also a representative director of AJSA.

The seminar lasted nearly three hours, including the final Q&A session. I will share my participation report and the insights I gained from it across two separate articles.

To put it simply, "SEO is not dead, but the rules have fundamentally changed." The pipeline we've always believed in, i.e "users search, click, and visit your website" is in fact now crumbling before our eyes.

In this report, I'll share my perspective on the shocking data revealed in the seminar and the survival strategies for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in response to these changes.

The data presented by Mr. Suzuki confirmed what we had been sensing for some time.

• Decline in Google Traffic: Many websites have seen a 35% to 66% decrease in traffic from Google since the beginning of this year.
• The Rise of ChatGPT: According to SimilarWeb data (June 2025), ChatGPT has grown to become the 5th most visited website globally (1.3%). It also ranks #1 worldwide in app downloads.
• Zero-Click Searches: As revealed by HubSpot's CEO, 60% of users who perform a Google search do not click on a single search result.

What does this mean?

It means users are no longer "visiting websites to find information." Instead, they are "viewing the answer on the search results page (or AI response screen), becoming satisfied, and leaving."

For us small and medium-sized businesses, this signifies that the fundamental assumption of "attracting customers to your website" is collapsing. Websites that have relied heavily on SEO for traffic will be hit particularly hard by this shift.

2. AI, Academic Discrimination, and the Content Reset

Another fascinating point was the discussion about the "bias" in information referenced by AI (such as Google's AI Overviews and ChatGPT). Mr. Suzuki used this as a starting point, stating that "AI exhibits academic elitism."

AI tends to trust and cite websites like these:

• Government agencies, universities, and large corporations
• Major portal sites (e.g., MedDoc for medical information, Hot Pepper for beauty)
• Sites deemed to have high "academic standing" (based on the presence of certified professionals, proximity to train stations, patent holdings, etc.)

Conversely, readily available, generic content or websites from small and medium-sized businesses without solid backing are mercilessly ignored.

The key takeaway here is that "the content marketing bubble has burst." Articles mass-produced via crowdsourcing at low cost, or those simply outsourced to ChatGPT without careful consideration, now have no SEO value. This is because AI itself can generate responses of even higher quality.

3. A Survival Strategy: Showing the "Way of Life" That AI Cannot Create

Does this mean that only well-funded large corporations and public institutions can win now?
Mr. Suzuki's answer was NO. However, the approach must change.

What will be valued in the age of AI are "firsthand experience" and "evidence", things AI absolutely cannot generate.

Specifically, the following elements will be crucial:

1. Thorough Disclosure of Case Studies: Not just a list of achievements, but case pages that serve as "evidence," complete with photos, videos, specific data, and customer testimonials.
2. Activity Reports (Way of Life): Daily, on-the-ground accounts like "We visited XX location" or "We attended XX training." These serve as trust signals of an "active, real-world company."
3. Video Content: Vertical videos such as YouTube Shorts or TikTok. AI is starting to understand not only text but also video content, using it as a basis for trust verification.

It appears that certain local law firms and clinics are demonstrating overwhelming strength even in the age of AI search—by leveraging such "raw, genuine content" and "thorough physical presence" (like opening offices inside train stations).

4. The Future Battle Plan: Diversification Across "4 Channels"

What Mr. Suzuki emphasized was that "the era of relying solely on Google SEO is over." To diversify risk and ensure AI recognizes you as a "trustworthy brand," you need to synergize the following four channels.

1. Google SEO: Still crucial. The focus is on maintaining traffic with free, useful content while simultaneously building authority.
2. MEO (Map Engine Optimization): For Google Maps search. The number of reviews and frequency of updates are key, especially for businesses with physical locations.
3. Social Media: Platforms like Instagram, X, Facebook, and TikTok. Posting the same short-form videos across all platforms demonstrates consistent messaging to AI.
4. AEO (Answer Engine Optimization): The next primary battlefield. Optimizing content to be cited as the "answer" by AI.

Conclusion: Becoming a Brand That Gets "Chosen" by AI

Saying "search is dead" might be a bit extreme, but the era where anyone could easily gather traffic is decidedly over.

However, this is also an opportunity. Competitors who relied on copy-pasting or low-quality content to rank are fading away. The age is coming where businesses that "do honest business," "face their customers," and "put in the hard work" will be rightfully evaluated by AI.

Let's start with something you can do right now.

• To Do: Ask ChatGPT, "Tell me about my company ([Company Name])." If the response is, "I have no information," then, to AI, your company might as well not exist.

In the next article (Part 2), we will delve deeper into the specific "AEO implementation framework" proposed by Mr. Suzuki, exploring both the technical aspects (like structured data) and the content side.

(Continued in Part 2)

P.S. If I may share one thought - this change also aligns perfectly with Kafkai's vision: "Leveraging AI to deliver uniquely human value." Rather than focusing on jobs that AI might replace, let's use this tool wisely to create the "essential value" that AI itself will recognize.