Automotive SEO

Tactics to win visibility when clicks drop. Optimize for featured snippets, FAQs, and GBP to win the zero-click SERP battle.

Getting clicks on landing pages is a big deal for most companies and websites, but sometimes those clicks don’t come your way. Many users are getting answers directly on the results page, which means they don’t need to click on a link to learn more. Thankfully, marketers and SEOS can optimize for visibility, not just clicks, which makes it much easier to stay engaged with users, ensuring your website can survive in a zero-click SERP environment.

What is a zero-click search?

Google has evolved to provide simple and direct answers to some users’ questions without the need to take a deeper dive into the various websites on the SERP. A zero-click search is when the user has the answer they need and doesn’t click on any of the resulting websites that appear from their search. These immediate answers make it difficult for websites to rely on clicks based on keywords, but that simply means it’s time to make changes. These searches include feature snippets, AI Overviews, direct answers, and People Also Ask boxes, which can give the answers needed without further information.

How can marketers compete in a zero-click world?

Instead of relying on traditional results, you can optimize your website landing pages for zero-click SERP results. These searches account for 65% of all Google queries and are as much as 75% for mobile searches. This means you need to rethink your content visibility strategies to ensure your answers to various questions appear and give users the desired results when they search for answers.

These results might seem bad for most marketers, but if you build authority through visibility, you’ll stay at the front of many users’ minds when searching for a respectable and trustworthy source of information for the future.

How can you win the zero-click SERP battle?

Target featured snippets

The answer boxes in featured snippets are goldmines of authority, allowing you to answer common questions and become a trusted source. In order to do this, you must:

• Write clear, concise answers to common questions. FAQs are good for this
• Use numbered or bulleted lists where applicable
• Include statistics, definitions, and “how-to” elements in content

The type of content used matters, especially when considering that final point, because those items are referenced and cited often.

Structured data matters

When your data is structured, using Schema markup, search engines can understand your content better. If you want to win the zero-click SERP battle, you have to optimize for:

• FAQs
• How-to results
• Reviews and ratings

As you can easily see, this point matches well with the first point. If you were trying to provide better visibility, these are likely the two most important ways to make that happen.

Answer the questions

Modern users are asking complex questions, not simply searching based on keywords. If you’re going to be more visible and capture attention even when users don’t click on your content, you’ve got to answer the questions. This means asking the “how,” “what,” and “why” questions yourself and providing the answers to them.

While answering these questions, conduct your keyword research using long-tail, conversational searches, which should uncover opportunities to answer these questions. This is a great way to connect with users, even when they don’t click on your landing page links.

Value-based micro-content is important

Creating short, impactful snippets of information is called micro-content. This content should be at the heart of your zero-click strategy, making it easier for users to get the answer they want from your links without clicking on them. This means you need to create:

• Short, informative videos
• Quick definitions
• 100-200 word solutions that can fit within SERP results

These pieces of micro-content help answer questions directly in the search results while showing your authority on the subject matter.

Visuals matter

Much of your strategy to win the zero-click SERP battle involves short, written content, but you can’t ignore the visuals. Using rich media images and videos will help increase your visibility in SERPs. Adding compelling thumbnails, infographics, and short-form videos can grab the attention of users.

Maximize your traditional strategies

Your landing pages might not have as many clicks as before, but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t continue with your normal strategies. These still need to be strong to optimize the attention you’re getting. There’s nothing worse than ignoring your current audience to build a new audience. It’s like when cell phone companies only offer deals to new customers without providing the same benefits to current customers.

Continue to focus on your traditional SEO and marketing strategies to maximize the traffic that is coming to your landing pages from your content and marketing efforts.

Zero-click matters, but it’s not everything

The latest change in search results is the zero-click SERP challenges that every company faces. This significant shift in the world of online searches means you’ve got to build strategies that you don’t expect to receive clicks for.

The right approach to this new challenge can bring you forward in the market, bring your content to the top of search pages, and increase your online reach. Which tips will you use to increase your zero-click SERP approach?