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When you’re searching online, the last thing you want to do is scroll through dozens of pages to find what you’re looking for. Impatient consumers want the right results right now. Enter: the zero-click search. Google has learned how the average consumer behaves and has adapted their search results to produce zero-click results in the form of featured snippets, Google Business Profile (formerly Google My Business) listings and answer boxes.
With less consumers actuallyclicking through to a local business’ website, are zero-click searches killing SEO? Well, no! It’s a matter of optimizing your strategy to help more local businesses get found online. As marketers working in the fast-paced digital era, we know we have to adapt – as soon as possible – to the newest trends. That means zero-click searches.
Keep Your Friends Close and Zero-Click Searches Closer
To help a local business stand out in a zero-click world, first we have to understand what zero-click searches are. Like the name indicates, a zero-click SERP is an answer that Google displays at the top of the page, giving you a quick answer to your query.
Zero-click searches can have different forms, from straightforward answers like measurement conversions to featured snippets that answer a particular question. This almost completely eliminates the need for a searcher to click through a website to learn more information. Why read the entire article to find an answer to your question when Google is doing it for you?
For example, if you’re doing a measurement search on mobile, chances are you don’t have the time (or interest) to read an entire novel on the metric system. You probably just want to know how many grams of sugar are in a cup before you start baking a cake. Statistics agree with that theory and indicate that 61.5 of every 100 mobile searches were zero-click.
Meanwhile, desktop users have displayed different wants and needs. With zero-click searches accounting for only 34.3 percent of every 100 desktop searches, it’s clear that a searcher is likely to use their computer when they want to go more in depth in a particular topic.
Taking Zero-Click Searches Head-On
Long Story Short…
Here are some actions that could help local businesses stand out from the competition and earn the coveted zero-click SERPs:
- Have an optimized Google Business Profile (GBP) listing. A GBP listing is the zero-click SERP par excellence. Any local business with an optimized listing on GBP is already one step ahead from the competition.
- Take numbers into consideration. Content strategy should always revolve around facts. Not what the business thinks mightconvert, but what actuallyconverts. Click metrics are essential to target the right keywords.
- Use on-SERP SEO tactics to dominate page one of search engines. If a local business earns a featured snippet, has an optimized GBP listing, runs pay-per-click ads and places in the first position for organic SERPs and Map, they have higher chances of getting found online.
- Tailor content to get featured snippets. Straightforward answers can be a way of snagging the featured snippet. FAQ pages can also work wonders.
- Write exclusive content on third-party websites. Whether it be an online magazine for people in the same industry or a thought leadership blog, a business can be featured in a zero-click search position if they’re mentioned in an authoritative blog in the field.
Now that you know how to help local businesses succeed, it’s time to act. Start by sharing this infographic on social media. If you would like to embed it on your blog, make sure to scroll to the bottom for the embed code.
What’s Next to Win Zero-Click Searches?
The online world is constantly changing and although not everyone is ready to follow suit, we are. From listing management to the zero-click SERPs, our team of experts at Advice Local knows what it takes to help local businesses get found online. Request a demo today to find out how we can help you help your clients stand out in a zero-click world!