We all can agree the best source of traffic is organic search. We provide search engines with quality content and in return, we get clicks – and those clicks drive our businesses. The biggest search engine is Google with over 90% market share, and an unparalleled dominance in search.
Google became the industry leader because in its early days, it provided better search results, and content creators with good content were able to get themselves ranked easily. Both the content creators and the people who were searching were happy – it was a simple system that worked well. But lately, with the updates in the Google search engine results page (SERP), content creators are not delighted – and they have good reason.
There was a time when you could search anything on Google and the SERP would be populated with nothing but blue links.
But now, the Google SERP has changed a lot. It’s getting more difficult to come out on the top of the organic results.
Today, ranking 1st organically doesn’t have the same value that it used to have 5 years ago.
Here’s an example. Here’s a search for social media marketing – and the results.
The fourth screen has the 1st organic search result. Before that, we have:
Paid Ads
Featured Snippet
YouTube videos
People also ask section
All of these are pushing organic results closer to the grave of the 2nd page.
By looking at this example we need to understand that even if you are ranking 1st in the organic result, your position on the page is 6th-8th!
If you notice, Google shows Google images and YouTube videos in results and sometimes, it will show you the Google maps listing in the SERP. All of these are owned by Google. This means Google is trying to keep searchers on their own properties, one way or another.
Why SERP changed ?
But how did Google do that, and why are they keeping at it?
Google is investing heavily in artificial intelligence.They purchased a company specialising in artificial intelligence called DeepMind for more than $500 million in 2014 – and over the course of the next few years, they bought 38 more companies specialising in artificial intelligence.
And they are doing this because they want to become more like Amazon Alexa – an answer for each question you pose. Users don’t want to dig through long blogs to get what they are looking for – and Google wants to satisfy users’ search intent – as a result, they are moving towards zero-click searches.
What Are Zero Click Searches
When any user searches for anything and leaves the search engine without even clicking a link, it’s defined as a zero click search.
In both of these examples, the user doesn’t have to click any link as their search intent is satisfied. In the first example, there is no need to even click the search button to get the answer. As a result, websites will not get any clicks.
Zero click searches are alarming for many industries. These windows appear just after paid ads.
We tried to search top locations in Bangalore, hotels in Bangalore, and a flight after that to Pune – and here’s what we found.
For top locations these were the results
For online hotel booking this is what google will show you
For online flight booking here is what you will see
There was no need for us to visit a website to get our results – all our queries were fulfiulled with information from the SERP.
This is alarming for large as well small businesses in the hospitality and travel industry and this is just an example.
In quarter 2 of 2019, zero click searches had a 50% share out of 150 billion+ searches in that quarter. And this number is rising year on year.
How CTR plays a huge role in these dynamic environment?
When websites won’t get enough organic clicks even when they rank, the important metric to look at is if the user took a look at the website on the SERP, and then clicked on that link and found your website. In this case, click through rates become a crucial part of SEO results. But take a look at the statistics.
As CTR to organic search decreased by 14.6%, CTR on Ads have increased by 105.97%. In the meantime, zero click searches have also increased by 13.32%.
But the statistics are not the same for mobile and desktop. We know that mobile search surpassed desktop search a while ago. And the major changes in SERP are made on mobile devices.
For Mobile
Organic CTR (mobile) declined by 35.11% but zero click (mobile) increased by 11.42% which is 61.94% of all the searches – WOW! In the meantime, paid CTR (mobile) increased by 245.58%.
For Desktop
Organic CTR (desktop) declined by 7.32% but zero click (desktop) increased by 5.8%. In the meantime, paid CTR (desktop) increased by 71.25%.
The data shows SERP in mobile is changing rapidly and this is a point of concern for SEO pros.
If you look at the complete picture:
Zero click search, Google maps, Google images and YouTube videos will keep users on Google properties. If a user goes further down the first few links, they will see paid links and if they pass that, then they will get to the number 1 ranking organic result.
What then, is the solution for websites that want to get clicks?
1)Get On Google Properties
Start making content on Google properties to get on top when somebody searches your targeted keyword. Make YouTube videos, use SEO optimised images on your website to rank on Google images, optimise your Google My Business listing and make Web Stories to rank on Google Discover (Learn how we got 1million+ impressions through Google Web Stories). This will help you to rank higher on SERPs for your targeted keyword.
2) Keyword Research
While doing keyword research, look for keywords which are already ranking in featured snippets and make the headline enticing enough for the user to click on. Focus on long tail keywords as they are less likely to get answers through featured snippets.
3)Make ID And Influence Publishers
Featured snippets are made on the basis of high ranking organic results. So level up your SEO to get that high organic ranking. Along with that, influence the publishers that are already ranking. For example, you are into the hotel business and list your hotel on different platforms. These platforms already rank high and if Google finds you on all major platforms with good ratings and your own website is optimised, there is a very high chance that your hotel will appear in Google featured snippets.
We need to focus more on on-SERP SEO – people who think SEO is dying are wrong. SEO is evolving and we all have to level up our game to get a piece of the pie.
For Curious Minds
Zero-click searches signify a pivotal shift from Google as a search engine to an answer engine, where user queries are resolved directly on the search results page. This change is alarming because it intercepts the user journey before they ever reach your website, making traditional traffic metrics less relevant. According to one report, zero-click searches accounted for over 50% of all searches in Q2 2019, which proves this is not a fringe trend but a dominant user behavior. This strategy keeps users within Google's ecosystem, directly benefiting their own properties like YouTube and Maps. For your business, this means a #1 ranking no longer guarantees a click or a visitor. Your focus must now shift from simply ranking to appearing in on-SERP features that capture attention even without a click. To learn how to adapt, you must first understand the full scope of these SERP changes.
Google's substantial investment in artificial intelligence, exemplified by its $500 million acquisition of DeepMind, is the primary driver behind the SERP's transformation into a dynamic answer provider. AI enables Google to understand user intent with greater precision, allowing it to surface direct answers, featured snippets, and interactive panels that satisfy queries instantly. This shift fundamentally devalues a traditional number one organic ranking because it is often pushed far below the fold. The goal is to provide answers, not just links. As a result, even if you rank first organically, you may appear in the 6th or 8th position on the page, drastically reducing visibility and click-through rates. The new battlefield for SEO is winning placement in these AI-powered SERP features, a challenge that requires a different strategic approach to content.
Ranking first organically today offers significantly diminished value compared to five years ago, as the position no longer guarantees top-of-page visibility. The modern SERP is crowded with elements that push traditional blue links down, effectively making the old 'position one' the new 'position six' or lower. The primary difference is the competition for user attention. Five years ago, your main competitors were other websites. Today, you are competing with Google's own SERP features. These include:
Paid Ads at the very top.
Featured Snippets that provide direct answers.
'People also ask' boxes that expand to answer related queries.
Video carousels, often featuring YouTube content.
This means your click-through rate can be low even with a top ranking. The strategic imperative has shifted from just achieving a high rank to optimizing content for inclusion in these features, which requires a new way of thinking about SEO.
The search for 'social media marketing' provides clear evidence of Google prioritizing its own assets to the detriment of organic results. Before a user even sees the first organic link, the SERP presents paid ads, a Featured Snippet, and a prominent YouTube video carousel. Since YouTube is owned by Google, this placement directly serves Google's business interests by keeping users engaged with its own video platform. The inclusion of these rich media formats pushes the number one organic result several screens down, severely damaging its visibility and potential for clicks. This is a deliberate strategy to control the user experience and retain traffic. It illustrates that achieving a top ranking is only part of the battle; you must also contend with Google's self-preferencing, which actively funnels attention away from standard organic listings and towards its own properties.
Google is directly competing with travel and hospitality businesses by transforming the SERP into an all-in-one booking and information hub. When you search for hotels or flights, Google presents its own interactive modules for booking, complete with pricing, availability, and reviews, eliminating any need to click through to an external website. This creates a closed loop where the user's entire journey, from query to conversion, can happen without leaving Google. The most telling statistic is that over 50% of all Google searches in Q2 2019 were zero-click searches, demonstrating the enormous scale of this user containment strategy. For businesses in these industries, this is an existential threat, as they are no longer just competing with other travel sites but with the search engine itself. Adapting requires finding new ways to provide value that cannot be replicated in a simple SERP module.
A local tour company must shift its focus from traditional link-building to dominating on-SERP real estate to counteract Google's features. A practical plan involves concentrating on a localized, feature-driven strategy to capture user attention before they click away. Here is a stepwise approach to adapt:
Optimize Google Business Profile: Ensure your listing is complete with high-quality photos, positive reviews, accurate hours, and a direct booking link. This is your most valuable SERP asset.
Target Long-Tail Keywords: Focus on highly specific queries that Google is less likely to answer with a generic module, such as 'best family-friendly historical tours in Bangalore'.
Create Snippet-Bait Content: Develop content that directly answers common questions in a concise, structured format (like lists or Q&As) to win Featured Snippets.
This strategy is about gaining visibility within the SERP itself, not just on your website. Since Google's dominance in search is over 90%, ignoring its platform features is no longer an option for sustainable growth.
To win placements in 'People also ask' boxes and Featured Snippets, your content team must reformat articles to provide clear, direct answers to specific questions. This involves moving away from long, narrative introductions and structuring content for machine readability. The key is to anticipate user queries and answer them concisely. Follow this implementation plan: First, use tools to identify the common questions your audience asks. Second, structure your content with these questions as subheadings (H2s or H3s). Third, immediately following each subheading, provide a direct, paragraph-length answer (40-60 words) or a clean bulleted list. This 'inverted pyramid' style, where the answer comes before the explanation, is exactly what Google's algorithms look for. By directly mirroring the Q&A format of these SERP features, you significantly improve your chances of being selected and reclaiming visibility.
The evolution of Google into an answer engine like Amazon Alexa has profound implications for businesses reliant on long-form content for customer acquisition. As users get accustomed to receiving direct answers, their willingness to click through and read detailed articles will decline, disrupting traditional content funnels. The primary long-term challenge is that your website's role as the primary source of information is being usurped by the SERP itself. This will require a strategic pivot. Businesses must now focus on building brand authority and capturing user data through on-SERP interactions or creating content so unique and valuable that it compels a click. With over 90% market share, Google's direction will force companies to diversify their acquisition channels beyond organic search or risk becoming entirely dependent on a platform that no longer prioritizes sending them traffic.
As AI advances, marketers should anticipate a SERP that becomes even more interactive and self-contained, further reducing the necessity of outbound clicks. Future SERPs will likely integrate more transactional features, allowing users to complete purchases, make reservations, or subscribe to services directly within the search results. This transforms the role of a corporate website from a primary point of sale or information to a secondary hub for deep engagement and brand storytelling. Your website may become a destination for loyalists rather than a tool for discovery. With AI like that from DeepMind, Google can better parse unstructured data, meaning it will get even better at extracting information from your site without sending you the traffic. To prepare, businesses must invest in brand building and capturing first-party data, as relying on discovery through traditional organic search will become an increasingly fragile strategy.
The most common mistake is focusing exclusively on achieving a number one organic ranking while ignoring the surrounding SERP context. This 'blue link' obsession is a relic of an older version of Google; today, that top spot can be buried beneath ads, answer boxes, and video carousels, yielding minimal traffic. A superior strategy is to pursue SERP feature dominance instead of just rank. This means optimizing for visibility across multiple on-page formats. For example, rather than just ranking #1 for a term, aim to also win the Featured Snippet, have a video in the carousel, and appear in the 'People also ask' section. This approach recognizes that user attention is now fragmented across the entire results page. By appearing in multiple places, you build brand authority and capture mindshare even if you do not win the click, a far more resilient approach in an era where over 50% of searches are zero-click.
The growth of zero-click searches is the primary culprit behind declining click-through rates for high-ranking pages. Your content is likely being used by Google to populate a Featured Snippet or an answer panel, which satisfies the user's search intent directly on the results page, making a click to your website redundant. The problem is not your ranking; it is that the SERP itself is now fulfilling the need. To measure performance accurately, marketing teams must shift their focus toward metrics that reflect visibility and on-SERP engagement. Key alternative metrics to prioritize include:
SERP Impressions: How often your domain appears on the first page, regardless of clicks.
SERP Feature Ownership: The number of keywords for which you own a Featured Snippet, a 'People also ask' result, or a video result.
Branded Search Volume: An increase here suggests your on-SERP visibility is building brand recall.
These metrics measure influence, not just traffic, providing a truer picture of your SEO success in today's search environment.
Google's integration of Maps listings directly into the SERP for local queries is a prime example of its strategy to create a self-contained ecosystem. When a user searches for a local service, Google presents a map pack with business details, reviews, and directions, often satisfying the query without requiring a click to an external website. This is particularly challenging for small local businesses because it shifts the competitive landscape from their own website to their Google Business Profile. While it offers visibility, it also makes the business more dependent on Google's platform. Your website becomes secondary to Google's curated presentation of your business information. This forces small businesses to play by Google's rules, focusing immense effort on optimizing their profile and gathering reviews within that ecosystem, often at the expense of building their own independent web presence and direct customer relationships.
Chandala Takalkar is a young content marketer and creative with experience in content, copy, corporate communications, and design. A digital native, she has the ability to craft content and copy that suits the medium and connects. Prior to Team upGrowth, she worked as an English trainer. Her experience includes all forms of copy and content writing, from Social Media communication to email marketing.
Growth Strategy and Planning
