Working smarter, not harder often means trying to keep things as uncomplicated and straightforward as possible. When you’re searching up information, you want the answer as plainly as possible without needing to spend an exorbitant amount of time jumping around sources. However, as a business owner, this user approach isn’t always in your best interest.
A zero-click search means that the user has found the information they need directly on the results page without needing to click any results. This can impact your business’s traffic, engagement and conversion rates. More than 50% of Google searches last year did not result in a click. The good news is that a great search engine optimization (SEO) strategy can account for the zero-click search approach and get people to click through on your site.
How to expand your business’s SEO strategy to consider zero-click searches
Zero-click searches aren’t all bad. They can provide a few benefits to your business, including an increase in brand visibility and authority. However, you still want to do what you can to encourage people to click on your site and complete conversions.
With the right search engine optimization strategy, you can cover all your bases to compensate for zero-click searches. Here are a few examples:
- Improve local SEO through Google Business Profile — If you have a brick-and-mortar location or you serve specific areas, focusing on the needs and concerns of local users can increase the likelihood of click-throughs and traffic. By boosting local SEO, you’re reducing the risk of being buried underneath broad AI summaries from national sources. A good tip is to optimize your Google Business Profile with updated information and high-quality photos. This will help boost local engagement and click-through rates.
- Offer free resources — Zero-click searches might make people feel like they’re able to take a shortcut to get the information they want. Offering free resources on your site can make them feel like they are getting a unique offering without any required payment. With website resources that rank on search engine results pages (SERPs), you’ll be able to draw their attention further by having them click through to your website and boost engagement. Examples of free resources worth creating include walk-through tutorials and recommended source directories.
- Develop thought leadership through blogs — Credibility plays a critical role in SEO. By showing a user that there’s more insight to gain beyond what they see on a SERP, you increase the likelihood that they’ll click through on a source to deepen their knowledge. Create blog posts that showcase your expertise on a targeted keyword; this demonstrates to users that they can gain more value than they would through just a zero-click search.
- Use compelling meta titles and descriptions — The word “attention-grabber” can be a bit overused. However, it’s still an accurate way of thinking about meta titles and descriptions. The right title and description can pique the interest of the user and draw them in to click through on your site. A compelling title and description can include elements like a unique descriptor or a specific call to action.
- Use social media to drive additional traffic — SERPs bring a significant amount of organic traffic. You can also compensate for reduced traffic from zero-click searches by prioritizing social media. No matter what social media platform you’re using, you have the ability to reach thousands of people with a post. If you see a dip in your SEO traffic, be sure that your social media campaigns are being given enough attention and resources.
What’s driving the zero-click searches?
Now that we’ve talked about how you account for zero-click searches in your SEO strategy, it’s important to see what’s causing them in the first place.
While it’s been possible for a while that people are able to find what they need immediately on a Google SERP without clicking anything, it’s become more prevalent due to the new Google features, such as AI Overviews and featured snippets.
- AI Overviews — When a user sees a comprehensive summary of their searched topic, they might think they’ve learned everything they need to and so they don’t need to interact further with the source links.
- Featured snippets — A user may find an exact answer to their question or issue in a box that features text taken directly from a trustworthy source. If they find the exact answer they’re looking for, they may be less likely to click on the source to read the rest of the content.
By optimizing your content for these features, you can take advantage of zero-click searches to increase your brand awareness and credibility.
Want to attract new visitors to your website despite zero-click searches? BURG+CO. can help
Increasing traffic to your website plays a role in increasing conversions and leading to new clients. However, it’s difficult to attract visitors to your site when you don’t know what to do. Fortunately, this is what we specialize in at BURG+CO.
Our team has years of experience in helping businesses improve their digital presence to attract new leads and retain existing ones. If you’re looking to perform better in search engine results and attract more visitors to your site, we’re ready to talk to you to see how we can help. Contact our team today for more information about digital marketing or to schedule a complimentary consultation.
