Zero Click Marketing Is Here!

Welcome to the Franchise Marketer Newsletter Edition 5!

⏳ Read time: ~5 minutes

Welcome back! This week’s newsletter is packed. We’re diving into how Google is changing the game for everyone in 2025, and I’ve included a collection of practical, copy-paste AI prompts you can start using right now based on the epic new Chat GPT image upgrade!

Here’s what you’ll learn today:

✅ The future of search and what franchisors need to know
✅ Copy-paste AI prompts to boost your content creation

 The Future of Search in 2025 is Zero Clicks

🧠 What Does It Mean for Your Brand?

Google isn’t dying—it’s evolving.

And it’s changing how brands get found.

Here’s what you need to know:

🔍 Search Volume Is Up, Clicks Are Down Searches are up 11–12% year-over-year, but fewer people are clicking on websites.

Google’s AI Overviews are giving users direct answers—keeping them in the Google ecosystem. What this means: Being found matters more than being clicked.

🧠 AI Overviews Are Shaping Visibility Google now compiles answers from multiple sources. If you’re not being cited in these AI summaries, you’re invisible—no matter your ranking.

Who wins?

Recognised brands People with consistent content across channels Those getting cited in blogs, news, and YouTube

🚫 The Decline of External Clicks: Only 34% of Google searches lead to a website visit (down from 50% in 2018).

Google prefers to keep people inside its own services. Action step: Focus on being mentioned—not just ranking.

📉 Referral Traffic Is Changing Search is no longer the only game in town: Google: ↓ to ~50% of referral traffic Social & dark social (WhatsApp, Slack): ↑ to ~35% Diversify. Don’t rely only on Google.

⚠️ Zero-Click Searches Are Everywhere People get answers without clicking—weather, stock prices, definitions, flight times—all happen right on Google. New goal: Be part of the answer, not just a destination.

📈 SEO = Visibility, Not Just Traffic The new measure of SEO isn’t how many people click—it’s how often you show up: In AI Overviews In featured snippets, In Google’s video results, Measure influence, not clicks.

🎥 YouTube & Podcasts Are King Google prioritises video—and pulls from YouTube and podcasts in AI Overviews.

We see this every day. That’s why we create video and podcast content for franchisees—it works.

Tip: If you’re not filming, start. Do an interview. Share your story.

🧭 Google’s Strategy Is Clear: Keep Users Inside Between Google Maps, YouTube, AI Overviews, and travel results—Google wants to be the final stop.

So what should you do? Get cited in AI Overviews Be active on YouTube and podcasts Build brand mentions across the web.

✅ What You Should Do Now Feed the machine: Post content across platforms. Invest in brand mentions: PR, blog articles, YouTube, interviews.

Rethink traffic goals: Prioritise brand recall over raw traffic.

Diversify: Go beyond SEO and PPC—build influence across your digital sphere.

The future of search is influence, not clicks. Focus on visibility, reputation, and showing up where your audience is.

Chat GPT Image Upgrade!

If you're on the paid version of Chat GPT, start playing around with images now, it’s simply amazing! I have a lot more on how to use this with GPTs, however, below are some copy paste prompts you can use with my examples for yourself, have fun!

PLEASE UPDATE AND INSERT YOUR DETAILS INTO THE PROMPTS.

🧍‍♂️ Action Figure Prompt

"Create a hyper-realistic action figure based on my likeness using the provided four reference photos. The figure should replicate my facial structure and features — including blonde hair, blue eyes — while maintaining a smooth, toy-like plastic texture. Dress the figure in a blue shirt, beige chinos and white Nike Air Max, and pose it confidently inside a clear, form-fitted plastic shell within a high-quality blue cardboard collector's box. Design the packaging with bold, comic book-style text featuring my name: “Joel Kleber,” and include a smaller italicized subtitle beneath: “Franchise Marketer.” Include accessories such as podcast microphone, mobile, laptop, arranged in designated compartments inside the packaging. Ensure the lighting is evenly distributed, and the box design is modern and professional. Highlight detailed facial expressions and textures—like small smile—while keeping the stylized plastic figure feel consistent throughout the image."

🧊 Funko Pop Prompt

✅"Use the images attached as training images to generate a realistic Funko Pop version of the character. Box should be Blue and White with [ logo ] along with the name 'Joel Kleber'. Below the Name put 'Vinyl Figure' and warning labels like the real box."

🧱 LEGO Minifigure Prompt

"Using the four reference photos of me, create a LEGO-style minifigure version of myself. The figure should capture my facial features — including blonde hair, blue eyes — translated into the iconic LEGO aesthetic with a yellow head and simplified expressions. Dress the minifigure in beige chinos, white t-shirt, white shoes, and place it in a dynamic LEGO scene such as a city street in Japan. Include classic LEGO details like molded hands, movable limbs, and detachable accessories such as coffee cup, mobile, laptop, AI robot. The final image should resemble a LEGO product display or in-universe action scene with clean lighting and sharp details."

🟫 Minecraft Avatar Prompt

"Using the four reference photos of me, create a Minecraft-style character version of myself. The character should clearly resemble my facial features — including blue eyes, blonde hair — while staying true to the pixelated, blocky aesthetic of Minecraft. Outfit the character in white t-shirt, white shoes, jeans, and place them within a classic Minecraft game environment, such as a village. The final image should look like an in-game screenshot, complete with Minecraft-style lighting, textures, and UI elements like hearts, hunger bar, or inventory slots, to reinforce the game-like feel."

🌿 Studio Ghibli Anime Illustration Prompt

"Transform this photo into a Studio Ghibli-style anime illustration. Use soft, painterly textures and a warm, natural color palette. Capture my facial features — including defining traits like hairstyle, expression, accessories — in the signature Ghibli style, with gentle linework and expressive eyes. Place the character in a beautifully detailed background inspired by seaside town, evoking the whimsical and nostalgic atmosphere of films like My Neighbor Totoro or Spirited Away. The overall mood should feel magical, peaceful, and slightly surreal, with subtle lighting and natural elements like floating leaves, distant mountains, or glowing fireflies to enhance the scene."