Your Website Is Getting Less Traffic From Google Searches Than It Used to

As marketing tactics continue to evolve across search and social, marketers are always on the lookout for new ways to reach their audience and tap into new ones. The rise of the zero-click search, where users perform searches but don’t click on links that take them outside of the Google ecosystem, is one recent phenomenon which has already had significant implications for marketers and businesses.

Making up 57% of searches on mobile and 53% of searches on desktop according to new Semrush data, the frequency of the zero-click search means that marketers have less opportunity to make a splash on the search engine results page (SERP). This makes it imperative for them to capture consumer attention quickly. Challenging though it may be, this offers businesses the opportunity to rethink their approach to online visibility. In the first instance, though, marketers need to understand the functions and implications of zero-click. 

The reasons for zero-click searches are twofold, some of which are the result of user behavior while others are part of Google’s business strategy. In the former, a zero-click search can occur due to a change in the search query, a translation request or a misspelling, or when the SERP can provide a simple answer to the query, such as a business address or a phone number. As Google has evolved, the introduction of new features like rich snippets and instant answers has effectively trained users that they can often find quick answers on the results page, without clicking further, decreasing the amount of time users spend looking for information.

Zero-click searches are also part of Google’s broader strategy of keeping a user within its product ecosystem. This can take the form of instant answers, featured snippets and knowledge panels, local results in Google Maps or features offered by Google News, Shopping, Video and Jobs. Simply put, zero-click searches are a result of the search engine’s quest to be the one-stop shop for digital information, to own the resulting conversion and simultaneously generate more revenue. 

What this means for marketers, then, is that the rise in zero-click also marks a period of shifting strategy in digital marketing and reaching your target audiences. In order to build lasting customer connections and boost online visibility, it’s time to shake things up and make strategic choices that will capture customer attention on the SERP and earn clicks while building brand recognition and community on alternate properties.

A good starting point for marketers is to know their audience. In light of the surge of zero-click, Google’s digital dominance and the diminishing results of paid digital marketing, marketers will need to find the sweet spot through organic clicks (which still enjoy a significant amount of traction on desktop and mobile) by offering unique content which educates and engages both their customers and their prospects. Effectively, as Google tries to own the user more frequently toward the bottom of the funnel, brands need to invest more toward the top. 

To achieve this, marketers can take practical steps, such as incorporating the E.A.T. method—bringing Expertise, Authoritativeness and Trustworthiness—to all of their owned, earned and shared media. In such a saturated multimedia marketplace, marketers would be well-advised to incorporate videos, high-quality images and strong technical SEO as part of their strategy to increase the chances of SERP visibility and drive consumer engagement with specific content. 

The same goes for owned media and social channels, where more and more users are turning for information, particularly tech-savvy younger generations. To cover all demographic bases, rather than focus on broad generic search terms, instead use long-tail keywords specific to your niche and offer information to customers that only you can provide. Another tactic is to create content designed to provide quick snippets of information that don’t direct users to your website, to ensure they don’t move on to your competitors. 

It’s likely that the zero-click search will continue to proliferate across the Google ecosystem in the coming months and years. This in turn offers Google the opportunity to seize control of the user journey, particularly in ecommerce. This will push brands to revitalize their strategy or otherwise risk losing control of the customer experience and user data to the search engine.

That said, it’s not all doom and gloom. Now is the time for marketers to dust off their toolkits and devise innovative ways to reach their target audience and key prospects both on SERP and alternate platforms and properties. Keeping abreast of marketing shifts will prove key, and knowing the concerns, behaviors and needs of your market has never been more vital. Businesses that focus on using data to understand their customers’ desires and providing rich content to fulfill these across all channels will be best positioned to navigate the zero-click era and beyond.