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How To Succeed in Zero-Click Search SEO

First of all, what exactly do we mean by Zero-click searches? Zero-clicks means that when people do a Google Search for information,  they get the information right on the search results page.  They never have to click on any of the organic or paid search results, which means less direct web traffic for your site. As you can imagine, Google realizes that keeping visitors on their SEO results page is of great value (versus having visitors click out to 3rd party web sites), so they are doing everything they can to provide the information people are looking for  right there within the search results page. A prime example of this is the expansion of their Google My Business listings over the past couple of years.  Visitors searching for your business first see your Google My Business listing which includes your business description, hours of operation, location, phone #, products and services, pricing,  and more.  For many businesses, such as hotels and attractions, you can also book their offerings right from the Google Search Results page.  You get the idea, right?  Google is going to keep adding more and more features that keep searchers on their search engine results page.  This may eventually make your organic search listing irrelevant.

Last year, about 50% of organic Google searches generated zero clicks. Zero-click searches are on the rise and are causing businesses to receive less impressions, CTRs, and organic web traffic.

According to Spark Toro:

• 34.4% of desktop searches in 2018 resulted in no clicks
• 62.5% of mobile searches produced no clicks in 2018

To stay competitive on the coveted first page, Hawaii businesses must adapt their SEO (Search Engine Optimization) marketing to include optimizing their websites for the Zero-Click Google Rich Features, which are effective for spreading brand awareness and positioning your site as a hub of information. In this article, we will share tips on how you can optimize your website to be featured in Rich Features and take back your top SERP glory!

What are Zero-Click Search Rich Features?

Rich Features are blocks of information that help Google users find the answers they are searching for effortlessly. Zero-click search Rich Features provide the answers to a search query, so users don’t have to click through a bunch of websites to find the desired information—hence the name zero click search.

You may have noticed these Rich Features pop up on the SERP in various formats for key phrases, like “Aloha meaning” (see example below). Voice searches using Siri, Alexa, or the Google Assistant read off of these Rich Features when you ask for specific inquiries, like recipes or trivia questions.

Does That Mean That Zero-Click Rich Features Are Bad For Businesses?

No, zero-click Rich Features can be instrumental in spreading brand awareness and sharing useful information. Rand Fishkin, the founder of SparkToro, said in a Search Engine Land interview that zero-click Rich Features are similar to billboards. Both types of media are hard to collect measurable data but are very useful in building brand familiarity and sharing information.

When Do Zero-Click Searches Or Rich Features Appear On The SERP?

Zero-click searches usually occur for the following types of searches:

• Database Searches
• Dictionary or Encyclopedia Searches
• Map Directions
• Longer tail keyword searches
• Searching for notable people, companies, places, news articles, and more.
• Recipes or “How To” searches
• Asking an FAQ

However, it’s hard to determine which search phrases trigger a Rich Feature to show up. It depends on the search query, the algorithm, and if the other websites on the SERP have optimized their pages for Rich Features. Ahrefs’s report found that only 12.3% of searches produce a Rich Feature. To see the full list of Google Rich Feature formats and where they might appear, click on our previous blog post here.

How Do You Optimize for  Zero-Click Rich Features?

First things first….

• Research and list the keywords that show zero-click Rich Features that you currently use in your SEO strategy.
  • • Ahrefs has provided a useful graph of common keywords that are more likely to meet a Rich Feature, see below.

• Identify and optimize the web pages that would work best as a zero-click Rich Feature. You can start by asking yourself:
  • • Can my content define any keywords?
    • Do we have a top ten list that’s relevant to a keyword search?
    • Do we have any material discussing an in-depth comparison?
    • Do we have a step-by-step video tutorial?
• Target question-based keywords. Zero-click searches usually appear on question queries. Revise your content so that keyword terms are incorporated in the sub headlines and the precise answer is listed right below it.
  • • You can find inspiration and examples on how to word your questions from existing Rich Features, “People Also Asked” boxes and related searches located at the bottom of the SERP.
• Create quality content. Of course, the quality and relevancy of your content will help determine if it will be featured as a Rich Feature.
• Make your content more attractive for Rich Features with schema markups.
  • • Schema markups are microdata that create enhanced descriptions of your content. It helps Google understand your content.
    • However, using structured data does not guarantee that your content will show up on the SERP.