A recent study performed by a well-known marketing analytics firm recently revealed that most of Google’s searches are not achieved by clicks. It means that the number of searches that have resulted in a direct answer on Google has increased, and clicks on PPC campaigns and Organic links are falling. These searches are called no-click, or zero-click searches.
No-Click Searches
What does it mean for search results to be zero-click? When you perform an organic search and click on the link in the results pages, Google counts the click. In contrast, when the answer to your query is displayed on the results page, and you don’t need to click further, this is called a Zero-click. According to the study, almost half of Google searches in the US ended without a click, which means that no-click rates have increased dramatically.
What Effect Does This Have?
With no-click rates on the rise, there are some ripple effects. Here are a few things it’s predicted that the industry will see:
- Organic click erosion – organic clicks will continue to decrease, regardless of the estimates that analysts came up a couple of years ago. Online marketers need to implement changes to adapt to how their target markets are searching.
- Ad Clicks – Click-through rates on ads also decreased, and targeting needs to be widened in order to generate the same monthly volume as seen in previous years
- Organic Searches On Mobile – More zero-click results and paid searches occur on mobile than on desktop computers, which isn’t a good thing. That means that organic/paid volume for mobile is also decreasing rapidly.
What Does This Mean For Online Marketers?
To keep these changes from negatively impacting their efforts, digital marketers might need to make a few changes in how they do things. Here’s how the increase of zero-clicks affects various parties:
- There Will Be Fewer Big Winners
Google seems to be becoming more like a portal than a search engine. This surge in no-click searches means that smaller companies will suffer, as the bigger fish with more resources, might surpass them.
- There Will Be A Decrease In Traffic
If you rely on search engine site traffic, you’ll likely become increasingly disappointed with traffic volumes generated. If users are searching for a solution to a problem online, and their answer appears on the first search engine results page without them needing to open a website, then your business may suffer as a result.
Google is moving in a direction where there is a more significant focus on user experience, even at the cost of ad revenue. With no-click rates increasing, you might need to take additional steps to ensure that your digital marketing strategies are generating the results needed to grow your business. Sprocket Digital can help you navigate this landscape before it’s too late.
