The publishing industry is facing a silent crisis: the rise of zero-click searches. Thanks to AI Overviews, featured snippets, and answer boxes, Google now gives users everything upfront, leaving your content without a click, a view, or a dime.
While traffic from traditional search has declined sharply, referrals from AI tools haven’t made up the difference. Between May 2024 and February 2025, publisher sites lost an estimated 64 million visits from search engines. Referrals from AI chatbots during that same period? Just 5.5 million. The gap is massive.
According to SparkToro, as of early 2024, only 37.4% of Google searches in the U.S. result in a click to the open web. That number drops even lower in regions where Google’s AI features are more prominent.
For publishers, this means fewer pageviews, fewer ad impressions, and fewer chances to convert users into paying subscribers or members.
But zero-click doesn’t have to mean zero revenue for publishers.
The Shift From Clicks to Connections
Admiral has worked with hundreds of publishers navigating this exact challenge. What we’ve learned is this:
“The publishers thriving today aren’t the ones chasing clicks—they’re the ones building relationships.” — Dan Rua, CEO, Admiral
AI may steal the first click, but publishers still control what happens once a user lands on their property. That’s where Visitor Relationship Management (VRM) comes in.
How Admiral Helps Publishers Monetize in a Zero-Click World
1. Capture Value Fast with Smart Email & Identity Collection
You may not get the click, but when you do, make it count. Admiral’s VRM platform makes it easy to:
- Deploy scroll-based and exit-intent modals to collect emails and grow your list.
- Offer content upgrades or rewards for subscribers.
- Run A/B tests on CTAs and offers to optimize conversions.
Leite’s Culinaria, a recipe publisher using Admiral’s, increased subscription revenue by 54%. Here’s the video by the publisher explaining why subscription and good experience are important for his business.
2. Turn Adblockers into Revenue (Yes, Really)
Over 31.5% of users have adblockers enabled, but that doesn’t mean they’re losing revenue.
Admiral’s Adblock Recovery Suite helps you:
- Detect adblock users and segment messaging.
- Offer ad-lite or ad-free experiences for subscribers.
- Prompt users to whitelist your site in exchange for value (access, content, loyalty points).
New York Post, another Admiral client, achieved 80% adblock recovery and drove over $6M in revenue.
3. Personalize Experiences With Logged-In Users
Logged-in users are your most valuable asset. With Admiral, publishers can:
- Encourage registration with low-friction modals.
- Personalized content recommendations based on behavior.
- Use visitor identity data to unlock more relevant monetization paths (ads, offers, donations).
4. Turn First-Party Data Into a Monetization Engine
With cookies fading and privacy rising, first-party data isn’t optional, it’s oxygen. Admiral helps you:
- Build rich profiles of your visitors: what they read, how long they stay, what devices they use.
- Segment your audience into high-value cohorts.
- Feed this data into your CRM, ESP, or ad systems to maximize monetization.
A top lifestyle publisher used Admiral’s Nudge Layout to boost engagement, seeing a 9.4% average CTR with no hit to bounce rates or session time, delivering 3–4x more touch points per visit without disrupting the experience.
5. Deploy Personalized Monetization Journeys
One-size-fits-none. Admiral’s monetization journeys allow you to show different prompts to different users:
- Ask new users to register or subscribe to a newsletter.
- Show loyal readers a membership offer.
- Prompt adblock users to support with donations.
The Bottom Line: Revenue Comes From Relationships
Zero-click will keep growing. So will AI summaries. But while Google controls discovery, you control the experience once a user enters your world.
Many publishers have already started owning their audience and relationships, it’s your time now.
With Admiral’s VRM platform, you can:
- Grow your email list
- Recover lost ad revenue
- Personalize user journeys
- Build sustainable, direct revenue streams
Zero-click doesn’t mean zero control. It’s time to stop chasing clicks—and start owning your relationships.
Ready to see how Admiral can help?
