A zero-click search happens when you look for something on a search engine such as Google or Bing and then the answer appears near the top of the first page of results without having to click further.
Understandably, some SEO and web development experts are nervous.
One of the main goals for making your website SEO-friendly is to show up in search results and get people to your site (to then influence them to take action).
Some sources say that half of Google queries end with zero clicks. Makes sense—people want information faster and with less work.
But if people no longer need to actually visit your website to find what they are looking for, won’t you be losing web traffic and therefore money?
Not necessarily.
Some results—such as Wiki answers, definitions, calculators and maps—typically don’t need a click to find an answer.
And when the results pull up a zero-click answer, the description and website name appear larger than the rest, giving the impression this site is an authority on this topic. If people want more answers (or better ones), they will look through the search results and click on websites links to learn more, just as they had before.
Don’t be afraid of the zero-click search. Technologies change and we adapt. Instead, keep this in mind as you build and refine your SEO and website strategy. It may even help you create rich snippets and zero-click content worthy of Page 1 results.
