DMS25 Part 3: The Zero-Click Era: Preparing For A Major Shift In Search Marketing

A view of the lobby from the 2nd floor of the Grand Ballroom, the venue for the Digital Marketing Summit 2025 in Seoul

This is Part 3 of my DMS 2025 Seoul report. You can read Part 2 here

Another talk which I attended during the Digital Marketing Summit (DMS) in Seoul was one where the speaker Dr. Kang Jeong-soo, CEO of Bluedot AI shared insights into what is called "zero-clicks"

This shift goes far beyond just new technology - it's creating an entirely new paradigm where decisions are increasingly made without users even needing to search or click. As someone who's been in the tech and marketing field for years, I found these insights both fascinating and slightly concerning for traditional marketing approaches.

One caveat:

This session was conducted in Korean (even the slides were in Korean). Through the slides I can capture some numbers and ideas, but my notes were all from the talk recording that I made which I transcripted via Whisper and translated into English. The notes will not be as precise as usual compared to talks which I directly understand, but I believe I have managed to get the gist of the talk.

The Emergence of the Zero-Click Era

The core concept is simple but revolutionary: AI search is replacing keyword-based search with context-driven recommendations. Instead of actively searching for information or products, users are becoming more passive as AI systems proactively push relevant content to them.

This transformation is happening fast. According to Dr. Kang, 2025 (this year!) will see a fundamental shift in customer behavior driven by AI automation. We're witnessing the rise of what he called "machine customers" - AI systems that operate autonomously on behalf of users.

How Consumer Behavior Is Already Changing

What struck me most was how many of these changes are already happening right under our noses:

• Smart device habits around music, news, video, communication, and shopping have already shifted from active to passive interactions
• AI-driven services now recommend restaurants and make bookings without requiring user searches
• Google AI Overview, ChatGPT plugins, and Naver's AI shopping services (launched in Korea in December 2024) are showing rapid adoption

Perhaps most telling is the data point that younger generations are increasingly shifting away from Google search, calling it "for old people." Instead, they're using platforms like Instagram, TikTok, and ChatGPT for search-like experiences. This aligns with what I've seen in my own research - the traditional search engine as we know it is losing relevance among Gen Z.

The AI-Driven Decision Journey

What's particularly fascinating is how AI is now influencing the entire consumer decision journey:

1. Discovery: AI proactively suggests products or content based on user context
2. Research: AI compares options and provides personalized recommendations
3. Purchase: AI facilitates seamless transactions without requiring multiple clicks

According to an IBM study shared during the presentation, 3 out of 5 Americans now consult AI before making purchase decisions. This statistic alone should be a wake-up call for marketers still focused exclusively on traditional search.

The market is transitioning from attention marketing to decision marketing. In this new paradigm, conversion and completion metrics become more relevant than search volume.

Real-World Examples in Action

Dr. Kang highlighted several examples of how this is playing out:

• Naver's AI Shopping: Launched in Korea in December 2024, it's already showing significant adoption rates
• Open AI PT Shopping: A model showing the future of AI-first buying behavior, merging discovery, research, and purchase into one seamless experience
• Meta and TikTok: Both are actively testing embedded AI buying agents within their platforms
• Cokrex2.US: A pioneering platform in the AI commerce space

What's particularly interesting about the Korean market is that Google's share has fallen from 90% to the high 80s, indicating that change is already underway. Korean daily active users (DAU) on AI tools increased from 40 million to 50 million in just one month.

The Shift in Trust Dynamics

One of the most profound changes happening is the shift in trust dynamics. Social proof and peer opinions are increasingly being replaced with AI-curated decision logic. AI chatbots are now helping users make emotionally sensitive decisions, like family purchases or gift selection.

In essence, AI is acting as a proxy for trust, judgment, and negotiation in B2C interactions. Customer loyalty is now being shaped by the performance of AI agents, not just brands themselves.

This represents a fundamental shift: from trusting human influencers to trusting machine influencers (AI agents). As Dr. Kang noted, AI is even helping users align decisions with personal values, budgets, and ethics.

Implications for Marketers

So what does all this mean for those of us in marketing? Several critical shifts need to happen:

1. Rethink search marketing: Reassess search engine marketing spend in light of diminishing traditional keyword search behavior
2. Develop machine-customer strategies: Create approaches that target AI-directed commerce
3. Optimize for AI interfaces: Ensure your brand is visible and recommendable in AI environments
4. Focus on decision-aid marketing: Prioritize helping AI make decisions over attention-grabbing tactics
5. Create AI-optimized content: Develop product information that serves buying agents, not just human readers

The reality is that brands will need to produce AI-comprehensible assets, not just human-readable ones. Content strategies should now be AI-recommendation optimized rather than solely SEO-centric.

Practical Next Steps

Based on Dr. Kang's presentation, here are some actionable steps I'd recommend:

1. Audit your current AI visibility: How does your brand perform when users ask AI systems about your product category?
2. Test AI shopping interfaces: Begin experimenting with platforms like ChatGPT plugins or Naver AI Shopping
3. Develop AI-optimized product comparisons: Create structured data that helps AI systems accurately represent your offerings
4. Integrate conversational UX: Start incorporating chatbot experiences that blend chat, search, and commerce
5. Model "machine customers": Begin treating AI systems as distinct segments in your CRM approach

Looking Forward

The funding landscape reflects this shift as well. Soft funding rounds for AI commerce startups have raised over $400 million recently, indicating strong investor confidence in this direction.

Companies like Meta and Facebook are reportedly preparing AI shopping integrations, while Open AI is working on fitness and nutrition recommendation engines through AI search. These moves by major players suggest the zero-click era isn't just coming - it's already here.

My Perspective

Having spent years in both the Python development world and marketing, I find this shift both exciting and challenging. The technical side of me appreciates the efficiency and personalization AI can bring to commerce, while the marketing side recognizes the massive disruption to established practices.

What's clear is that sitting on the sidelines isn't an option. As we've seen with previous digital transformations, early adopters who understand and embrace these changes will have a significant advantage.

For me, the key takeaway is that we need to start thinking about marketing to AI systems as much as we market to humans. This doesn't mean abandoning human-centered approaches, but rather understanding that AI is increasingly becoming the gatekeeper to human attention and decisions.

What are your thoughts on the zero-click era? Are you seeing these changes in your industry?

That's it for the 3rd part of this series. Continue on to the final part, Part 4 here