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State of Search Q3 preview: Google CTRs and zero-click data

Rand Fishkin · linkedin.com

The freshest behavioral numbers on what still earns clicks, in two minutes of reading.

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The question it answers

  1. Is traditional SEO dead, what should an early-stage startup actually do?

Read with it

  1. The Product-Led SEO author explains which parts of SEO still compound for startups and which are now a waste. lennysnewsletter.com Podcast Rethinking SEO in the age of AI, with Eli Schwartz Lenny's Podcast / Eli Schwartz
  2. Google's own words: no special AI requirements, the same quality systems power AI Overviews. developers.google.com Article Top ways to ensure your content performs well in Google's AI experiences Google Search Central
  3. The primary-source reference to check every AEO vendor claim against. developers.google.com Guide Google's Guide to Optimizing for Generative AI Features on Google Search Google Search Central
  4. The updated 300k-keyword study quantifying exactly how much informational SEO traffic has evaporated. ahrefs.com Article Update: AI Overviews Reduce Clicks by 58% Ahrefs
  5. Reframes the panic: influence without clicks still sells, if you market where audiences already are. sparktoro.com Article Zero Clicks Does Not Mean Zero Sales Rand Fishkin (SparkToro)
  6. The most rigorous independent researcher's annual read on what works now across SEO and AI search. growth-memo.com Article State of AI Search Optimization 2026 Kevin Indig (Growth Memo)
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