The clicks: Google has stressed the centrality of user experience (UX) in the way it operates its search engine, Google Search. Like any good product, Search wants you to find the information you're looking for immediately, satisfying your search intent with just a few clicks. This efficiency has recently developed and evolved with the rise of click-free search.

What is a zero click search? A no-click or no-click search is a search result that does not send you to a non-search engine or third-party website.

Suppose you write What is a featured snippet ? Typically, search engine results pages (SERPs) will show you links to different web pages, ranked according to their relevance and quality of response to your query. You would click on a link or more until you reach the correct information. With no-click searches, the required information already appears at the top or most prominent of the SERPs, which can lead to a no-click search.

That's where the problem lies for some search engine optimization (SEO) experts. Citing a SparkToro report that states that only 35 percent of organic search results end in clicks, they noted that clickless searches cause Google to send less traffic to non-search engine sites. Meanwhile, Google is getting the majority of web traffic as people stay on the SERPs to get the answers to their queries.

Google, however, has refuted the claim, saying that web pages are receiving more clicks than ever, with billions of visits recorded daily.

How do we process these contradictory statements?

Like you, we're most concerned about how zero-click searches affect your SEO efforts. So we set out to understand how they are affected in this matter. Next, we'll lay out a plan on how you can achieve those desired clicks and conversions with this Google search intent feature on image.

Why did Google launch clickless searches?

Before summarizing the reasons, we should mention that the term “zero-click searches” is not coined by Google itself but by digital marketing and SEO professionals. So to rephrase the question, let's ask: What are clickless searches, anyway ?

You may have noticed how various types of Google searches, such as weather forecasts, sports scores, and currency conversions, display the details you are looking for in the search results. According to Google, this type of “quick, factual information” is delivered in a way that aligns with changing consumer behaviors.

Additionally, position zero is useful for the types of information that impact businesses beyond the reach of traditional clicks. For example, when your store's name, address, and phone number (NAP) are displayed to potential customers, this search appearance can generate a visit to the site or a visit to the physical store or both (and this nuance This is why brick-and-mortar brands should pay attention to local SEO (more on that later).

Drive traffic to apps instead of websites

Speaking of traditional clicks, a search result that directs users to an app can also count as a non-click search. Examples would be searches for movies and TV shows that lead to streaming apps and searches for brands and products that lead you to social media apps or online marketplace apps.

Clickless searches present a unique challenge for SEOs. While these changes improve the user experience of Google Search, they directly impact websites that rely on organic traffic to grow, such as brands and businesses.

Clickless searches can be counterproductive to your current digital marketing strategy. Your keyword strategy may also be affected if you are implementing search engine marketing tactics, such as pay-per-click ads, to increase your web presence and funnel qualified leads to your website.

An increasing amount of traffic is filtered through featured snippets and other SERP features, so it's no longer enough to simply push for the highest possible rankings. “It is important that any SEO strategy includes dedicated bandwidth to optimize and earn these featured snippets.”

Two main types of clickless searches

We'll look at alternative solutions soon, but first let's see exactly what we're dealing with. Whether you're doing it alone or working with an SEO agency, you need to know the types of Google searches your target audience sees. Look at them as information formats that satisfy different Google search intent use cases.

1. Featured Snippets

What is a featured snippet? A featured snippet refers to the selected text that provides the most relevant answer to a query. It can be a block of text, a list, a table, or a video. Shown in 24 percent of search results, at the coveted zero position, the featured snippet includes information pulled from a Google website. The snippet also comes before the link, so there is a chance that a user may not notice or click on the link after reading the text.

2. Google Knowledge Panel

The Google Knowledge Panel presents database entries about entities, curated by the Google Knowledge Graph. Think of it as a preview chart about people, places, organizations and things. Appears on the right side in desktop search results and prominently/above organic SERPs on mobile devices.

This is a purely no-click search because it does not direct you to a link other than a search engine.

Here is an example of the knowledge panel that Google presents in the SERPs when you type the TV show Friends :

Other Google search tools, features, formats and types include Definition , Calculator y Map results , which you can easily identify because they stand out from the typical link and description format of organic search results.

What are the alternative zero-click search solutions you can adopt in 2022?

If we can't beat Google, let's join Google! Obviously, there are significant benefits to features like the Knowledge Panel that Google adds to Search from time to time. So why not try improving your clicks by applying Google search intent marketing tactics to your SEO?

1. Own Featured Snippets/Position Zero

Did you know that you have the option to inform Google to exclude your content from SERP featured snippets? This means you can also choose to participate. Between the two options, which is better?

When you consider that opting out of featured snippets could result in a 12 percent loss of traffic, you'd rather stay in the game and shoot for the stars, right? However, you can earn featured snippets if you are already in the top 10 of SERP for a target keyword.

Any SEO company worth their salt would say it's a challenge, but that doesn't mean it can't be done. Here are some tips and tricks on how to get a featured snippet and satisfy Google search intent for a relevant keyword:

• Perform a technical SEO audit and check for featured snippets you already own.
• If you have some results, then you have an idea of ​​how to do search intent marketing. However, you may want to check if the snippet makes sense, that is, if it actually answers the query. You can adjust the content as needed.
• Regarding your keyword research, look for long-tail keywords with a high click-through-per-search (CPS).
• Create engaging, value-added content to rank in the top 10 for your target keyword.
• What is zero-click search if not another way to get an impression of your brand? Here is an example of how to get a featured snippet to get clicks for your site:

Let's say you get the featured snippet for the long-tail keyword, "What is the stock market?" When writing your content or producing a video, provide a clear and concise definition of the stock market. At the same time, expand the topic to cover how the stock market works. This is to pave the opportunity for clicks from those who want to learn more about the stock market.

2. Take advantage of your Google My Business listing

We mention how Google presents business information in prominent areas of the SERPs. You must have claimed your Google My Business (GMB) profile if you have been working on your local SEO with an in-house team or as part of the SEO services of an SEO agency you are using.

If not, take advantage of this free local listing tool from the search giant. Claim and optimize your GMB listing to establish your credibility and rank on Google Maps Local 3-Pack. Increase your visibility and conversion by updating your name, address, phone number, store hours, website, reviews, and even images – details that appear in special boxes in SERPs, similar to Google's Knowledge Panel.

3. Use schema markup

Schema markup allows you to structure your data so that Google can pull it and display it with more context in the SERPs. It's one of those nice elements in your suite of SEO services. When combined with your optimized GMB profile, it provides search engines and users with valuable information about your business, which can boost your clicks and conversions.

But it doesn't end there. Your flagged data can be fetched, sorted and displayed in the “People Also Ask” box.

4. Apply technical SEO thoroughly

While it's not a guarantee that you'll know how to get a featured snippet, it's great for covering your bases when it comes to technical SEO. Initially, you need to make sure that Google can crawl and index your web pages. But as you add more pages and increase your SEO efforts, you need to monitor a few things to maintain or improve your search visibility:

• Site structure

• Site loading speed
• Structured data
• Thin and duplicate content

What's a featured snippet tactic you can implement ASAP? Consider the Knowledge Panel that Google offers and whether your web pages can rank for it. You may have some questions that can only be answered once you start developing your search intent marketing strategy. Remember that you can do it on your own. But if you're not sure, you can also partner with an SEO company that has extensive experience optimizing your web pages for Google Search.

This topic is complex and nuanced. We hope this article has helped clarify how you can make the no-click search situation work for you. One SEO company may side with Google, while another may think the search engine is hoarding web traffic.

Still, most SEO professionals agree with Google's pronouncements about sending more traffic to websites, not less. And he does it more and more every year.

Here at Indianwebs, we prioritize what is best for our clients. Our Services Custom SEO solutions allow brands and businesses to address click-free searches head-on. We treat each case uniquely and determine the best course of action individually. And we have strong technical and local SEO that you can capitalize on.