The rise of zero-click searches and how to make sure that your content gets seen

Andy Cullwick, director of marketing at First4Lawyers (pictured):

Zero-click searches are on the up.

If you’re not already familiar with the term, a zero-click search is when you use the internet to ask a question that is immediately answered by the search engine results page (SERP) that appears.

For simpler queries, it’s unsurprising. For example, asking what the weather will be like, how old the King is or the name of the new Manchester United manager.

As AI continues to evolve, however, the SERPs are getting smarter and, according to a recent SparkToro report, zero-clicks now account for around 60% of Google searches.

For marketers, this will be the biggest ‘one to watch’ in 2025, and those who want to stay in the game should start talking tactics now.

Quality control

Gone are the days when simply filling your written content with keywords would see returns. The bar for content has been raised and significantly so.

If you’re to stand any chance of a coveted spot at the top of the SERPs, you must first understand the questions your audience is asking and then provide answers so comprehensive, clear and easy to read that they have no need to look elsewhere.

Crack this and you may also achieve the holy grail of a ‘featured snippet’ or ‘people also ask’ box – short web page excerpts, typically two to three sentences, which Google scours the internet for and deems best meets users’ search intent, in other words, the reason they searched for that information in the first place.

You can help identify the searches your audience are most likely to make by using the AIDA marketing model, which plots the different stages consumers go through – awareness, interest, desire, action – before making a purchase.

You can also use something called ‘schema markup’ which basically tags your content so that it can be more easily understood by search engines. Schema markup can help you get rich results, like review ratings or opening times that appear in the SERPs, which in turn can help boost your click-through rate.

It is worth noting that SERPs are becoming more congested with other features as well and you will often see an ‘AI Overview’ at the top of the page, often populated with excerpts from various sources. If you appear in these then it is a really positive sign from Google that your content is seen as authoritative or knowledgeable.

One to watch

Consumers’ appetite continues to grow for video, which now accounts for an incredible 80% of all internet traffic. It’s no surprise then that when competing for space at the top of the SERPs, visual content is much more likely to attract users’ attention. It allows even complex topics to be distilled into easily digestible chunks and people are not only more likely to watch it but to share it with others as well.

Don’t worry if you haven’t got the cash for a big budget production – there are a multitude of online tools which can help you get started and, thanks to AI, it has never been easier. Short form content, lasting 60 seconds or less, is particularly popular, but something as simple as an infographic is also likely to generate greater engagement than just words alone.

Mixing it up

Although Google still has the monopoly when it comes to search with a market share of more than 80%, other platforms are gradually growing in popularity. TikTok, for example, which is still seen as the new-ish kid on the block, is increasingly used as a search engine and particularly by younger people.

Whilst there has been an explosion in digital marketing in recent years, you also shouldn’t discount the more traditional routes to market to help you reach consumers.

Depending on your budget, TV, radio, PR and social media activity can all help elevate your brand and drive traffic to your website.

There is such a thing as good zero clicks. If your content appears at the top of the SERPs and answers the question so the user has no need to look elsewhere then it has done its job, satisfying their intent and supporting your brand positioning.

However, I’ve worked in marketing for many years and the one thing that has remained constant is the importance of having a marketing mix. Put simply, don’t put all your eggs in one basket with any particular platform or channel without looking where your target audience is first – I guarantee they won’t all be in one place.

Image: Canva

Guest Post This post was created just for Claims Media by a guest contributor.