What are Zero-Click Searches and how do they affect SEO?

Zero-click searches have become more prominent as search engines continually find new ways to make things easier for users to find what they’re looking for, but what are zero-click searches and how do they impact SEO?

What are zero-click searches?

If you’ve spent any time at all searching on Google recently, you will almost certainly have come across zero-click searches in action. They provide answers to your query straight away at the top of your results page (SERP) without having to click on any links to a new page.

This isn’t an entirely new development — search engines have been able to provide zero-click search results for a number of years. However, they would often only appear after very specific searches. Semrush’s zero-clicks study from May 2022 indicated that only 25.6% of desktop searches and 17.3% of mobile searches at the time resulted in zero clicks.

However, as with many digital platforms, AI has changed the game for organic search. Zero-click searches are now far more prevalent across a much wider range of queries. AI can summarise content from sources that search engines identify as being the most relevant, providing results and follow-up questions without the need to click through to any new pages.

Different types of zero-click searches

There are a variety of different zero-click SERP features, including:

• Featured snippets: These are excerpts from a website that concisely address a user’s search query. These appear at the top of the results page in what is sometimes called ‘position zero’.

• Knowledge panels: These are located on the right-hand side of the results page and display further information about a person, place, organisation, or other entity that is the focus of the search. Depending on the subject, knowledge panels can display a detailed bio, links to a website or social media channels, or even product information and pricing. These should not be confused with Google Business cards, which appear in a similar place but is limited only to the information submitted by that particular organisation.

• Rich snippets: These provide extra information about your brand and can be found directly below where you appear in the Google search results. Rich results are typically pulled from a webpage’s HTML code and can include ratings, pricing and product information, which enables users to be more informed about the website they choose to load.

• Voice search: Voice assistants are becoming increasingly popular and search engines are able to provide direct answers from conversational language.

• AI Overviews: Using generative AI, search engines can collect information from multiple sources and answer queries without any need to click. If the subject is more complex, a summary will be provided along with other links for further reading.

Why is this important?

SEO best practices are always evolving. Google evaluates a number of factors in order to determine your ranking, including relevance, load times, or accessibility. Ultimately, it’s trying to make the user experience quicker and simpler when it comes to finding the content they want.

This is why zero-click searches, with their ability to efficiently provide users with the answers they’re looking for, have risen sharply.

This will likely lead to some apprehension among digital marketers. As users obtain more information directly from SERPs, some websites may experience a decline in organic traffic. Traditional SEO tactics focused solely on driving clicks may need to adapt to prioritise brand visibility and authority within the SERPs.

How can I benefit from zero-click searches?

While zero-click searches present some new challenges, they bring fresh opportunities too. It just means pivoting SEO strategies to cater to changing user behaviour.

If you’re able to position yourself in these featured snippets or knowledge panels, you can greatly enhance your brand visibility. If your brand is referenced and concise, valuable information is provided, this will build recognition, trust, and credibility to position you as the authority.

How can I capitalise on zero-click SEO?

Optimise for featured snippets: Create content that briefly answers common queries increases your chances of being featured directly on search engine results pages.

Implement structured data: Utilising schema markup helps search engines understand and display your content effectively.

Focus on local SEO: Depending on the audience, ensuring accurate and comprehensive local listings can enhance visibility in local packs. This will help some businesses capture attention without requiring a click.

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