# Zero-click Google searches hit a record high, AI Mode use stays flat

Published: 2026-08-03T14:47:26.201Z · Source: Search Engine Journal (https://www.searchenginejournal.com/the-state-of-search-in-2026-video/584116/)
Source date: 2026-08-03
Flags: Datos/SparkToro study — cited via Search Engine Journal, methodology not published
Entities: google, ai-mode, sparktoro

Just 40% of U.S. searches and 40.7% in the EU/UK sent a click to the open web in June 2026, a record low, per Datos and SparkToro's Q2 State of Search report as covered by Search Engine Journal. The same report put Google AI Mode at only 0.13% of U.S. search-related visits (0.29% in the EU/UK) — usage it says has plateaued or dipped in the U.S. — while paid clicks fell from 2.3% to 1.3% of U.S. searches between March and June.

Why it matters: The zero-click record and stalled AI Mode adoption together undercut the idea that AI answer surfaces are what's driving traffic away from the open web — the decline looks broader and older than that.

## What this answers

**What share of Google searches now end without a click to another website?**

About 60% in the U.S. and 59.3% in the EU/UK as of June 2026 — a record low for open-web click share — per Datos and SparkToro's Q2 State of Search report.

**Is Google AI Mode usage growing?**

Not much: AI Mode accounted for just 0.13% of U.S. search-related visits and 0.29% in the EU/UK in Q2 2026, and the report says U.S. usage has plateaued or even dipped.


Canonical: https://anythingengineoptimization.com/item/2026-08-03-zero-click-google-searches-hit-a-record-high-ai-mode-use-stays-flat/
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