Google Searches Continue to End Without a Click – The Rise of Zero-Click Search

By Matt Insley

A properly optimized Google My Business (GMB) account has long been a key part of the search success for your business. As we continue to see an increase in zero-click search activity increasing, GMB will be a MUCH more important part of your digital footprint.

What’s a zero-click search you ask? One way that Google is trying to improve their platform’s user experience is to create enhanced search results that a user doesn’t need to click on to get the answer they need, which leads to a zero-click search result. According to Search Engine Land, this type of zero-click activity rose nearly 65 percent in 2020.

What Does This Mean?

If you ask me, I don’t see this kind of thing slowing down any time soon. Why? After spending the past dozen or so years working in digital marketing and SEO strategy, if there is one thing I have learned, Google loves money! If Google can answer a user’s question while also keeping them on Google, they can continue to search for other things and maybe click a few ads! *Cash Register Noise!* This also means that at some point in the future, we might see a traffic drop on your website from organic search traffic via Google.

This doesn’t appear to be happening just yet. We crunched some numbers across several GMB profiles from various markets and industries. According to our data, from November 2020 through March 2021, our GMB listings have appeared in 35% more searches while our traffic from these listings has also increased 35%. However, our Search Views – the number of times our listings have been clicked on and viewed on search – is up 85% over the same period. This seems to be a leading indicator that users are engaging more with listings.

Utilizing Google My Business to Its Fullest Extent

Zero-click searches may mean that users’ queries are resolved right on the results page, but Google sending less traffic to your website isn’t necessarily a bad thing. A GMB listing can keep your brand in front of your audience. After all, your profile is chock-full of information that can end in this zero-click search activity!

Here are a few things you can do to make sure you are taking full advantage of what Google is offering you.

Consistent Google Posting

Google posts allow you to display content and images to your customers. You can post about your products, services, and any current events happening with your business or highlight anything you think your audience might find useful. This is a great way to tie relevant keywords to your business that can further send signals to Google what your business is all about! These posts appear for around seven days with your listing before being archived, so making consistent use of these can help increase user experience and engagement.

Reviews

Perhaps one of the most important things you can do as a business owner is generating positive reviews for your business. Your GMB listing is appearing in searches alongside other businesses offering precisely what you offer. If you have more reviews than your competition in these results, it is highly likely that the user will give you a look. Once they see all of those positive reviews, it should be a no-brainer as to who they should do business with! It also is very important that you respond to every review and thank the customer for their review. If by chance it is a poor review, acknowledge it and ask if there is a way to make it right. That gives potential customers peace of mind that if an issue does arise, someone will be there to resolve it.

Photos

Take pictures of your space and team and upload them to your GMB profile. Not only does this help give Google an idea of your location, but it can also show a potential customer your storefront and the staff they might interact with.  Are you a flooring company? Take pictures of that recent carpet install you did. A hairstylist? Snap a pic of the latest hairstyle. Photos can be highly engaging.

Stay Current

Make sure all of your information is up to date! Store hours, your business description, your products and services – these should all change as your business does. Make sure you check this every so often and check what else Google is offering. Over the past year, Google has opened up new information around health and safety to let customers know how a business is reacting to the pandemic. Providing this information tells Google you are staying on top of things and in turn, they might reward you with increased exposure in the search results.

Times, they are a changing – MAYBE. But you don’t need to sweat it because by just taking a few minutes each month, you can have a Google My Business profile that stands out from your competition and is a beacon of information for your customers!

Interested in Learning More?

At Choicelocal, we are more than happy to help your business thrive. Our team stays up to the most current trends in the search engine optimization world and offers a wide range of services and effective strategies for local and national businesses. To learn more about how we can make your business achieve market dominance, contact our team today at (855) 867-5622 or click here to receive your free growth strategy.