19 January 2026
Kudos is launching a fast-track research project to help publishers and the wider research community understand and respond to the threat of zero-click search (“Google Zero”) and AI overview panels. The company has announced that its launch partners for the initiative are De Gruyter Brill, Emerald Publishing, IOP Publishing, Silverchair and Springer Nature.
The study will explore the implications of zero‑click search, not only to publisher traffic and business models, but also to research integrity and trust in the scholarly record. It will incorporate a survey of user perceptions and behaviours; desk research and teleinterviews to deliver insights into how organizations within and beyond our sector are tackling the zero-click search threat; and actionable next steps for publishers and platforms, including practical guidance on implementing “Answer-Engine Optimization” (AEO).
The study is codenamed “Taming the Crocodile”, after the phrase “the Crocodile Effect” coined by SaaS marketing expert Tim Soulo to describe the growing gap between content impressions in search engines, and click-throughs to source platforms.
“The scholarly sector needs to act quickly to steer the next stages of this seismic shift in how information is discovered and consumed, and how emerging usage behaviours are measured, reported and valued,” says Charlie Rapple, co-founder of Kudos, who will lead the study, “This wide-ranging, fast-track project will provide data and recommendations to support editorial, product, technical and marketing teams in responding to the threat.”
Kudos has led a number of research studies in collaboration with publisher sponsors, who benefit from comprehensive findings and expert analysis, at fraction of the cost of conducting such a major piece of research individually. Further sponsors are welcome; interested parties should contact charlie@growkudos.com to learn more about the project scope, deliverables, timelines, and sponsorship options. More information is available by downloading this information pack.