{"id":44933,"date":"2023-03-07T12:00:35","date_gmt":"2023-03-07T19:00:35","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.clearvoice.com\/resources\/zero-click-searches-optimize-featured-snippets\/"},"modified":"2025-06-12T14:37:42","modified_gmt":"2025-06-12T21:37:42","slug":"zero-click-searches-optimize-featured-snippets","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.clearvoice.com\/resources\/zero-click-searches-optimize-featured-snippets\/","title":{"rendered":"Zero-Click Searches: How to Optimize for Featured Snippets"},"content":{"rendered":"

Long ago, a Google search yielded 10 links to helpful websites \u2014 that\u2019s it.<\/p>\n

But now, any given search can turn up featured snippets and knowledge graphs answering the query. Additionally, a \u201cpeople also ask\u201d section now provides context and seemingly endless ads.<\/p>\n

As a result, more searchers are finding answers without making a single click.<\/p>\n

But content marketers shouldn\u2019t lose hope!<\/p>\n

Instead of abandoning SEO, embrace the Google algorithm. Keep providing your audience with key insights by optimizing for featured snippets.<\/p>\n

This article will explain zero-click searches. Plus, how to keep earning valuable traffic and conversions while working with Google\u2019s knowledge.<\/p>\n

\"What<\/p>\n

What is a zero-click search?<\/h2>\n

A zero-click search occurs when a user finds their answer without needing to visit any website outside the search engine results page (SERP).<\/p>\n

Zero-click searches are everywhere.<\/p>\n

Analyzing more than 600,000 searches,\u00a0Semrush<\/a>\u00a0found that as many as 57% of users on mobile and 53% on desktop don\u2019t click on an organic or paid result.<\/p>\n

The majority of zero-click searches are a result of Google\u2019s SERP features. This could be the\u00a0Local Pack<\/a>\u00a0for businesses-near-me searches,\u00a0carousels<\/a> for recipes, or Google Shopping<\/a>.<\/p>\n

For e-Commerce businesses, Google\u2019s SERP evolution has caused stress.<\/p>\n

According to Semrush, 83% of all traffic comes from people navigating directly to retailer sites. Meaning the ability to shop directly from the SERP is a major concern. But for businesses\u00a0building a full content strategy<\/a>, zero-click searches are less of a challenge and more of an opportunity.<\/p>\n

\"featured<\/p>\n

How do featured snippets affect web traffic?<\/h2>\n

As mentioned above, zero-click searches are on the rise<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Nearly 60% of searchers found their answers without visiting any results. But that 60% does not mean your top-performing content is going to take a 60% decrease in traffic.<\/p>\n

Many users will find an answer in the featured snippet<\/a> at the top of the SERP.<\/p>\n

A featured snippet, sometimes called \u201cposition zero\u201d is a rich result at the top of the page. It’s often in larger text. Google shows a sentence or two directly answering the search query from an organic result.<\/p>\n

According to an oft-cited\u00a0Ahrefs study<\/a>, prior to the introduction of the featured snippet, almost all organic traffic went to the top three results. Specifically, 30% to the first, 25% to the second, and 15% to the third. After featured snippets started showing up, the SERP-provided link stole 10% away from the top result.<\/p>\n

For websites that now find their first position usurped by a different website\u2019s position zero, that can sting. But for a website optimized for the featured snippet, it\u2019s great news.<\/p>\n

\"How<\/p>\n

How to Optimize for Featured Snippets<\/h2>\n

Google primarily determines indexing and ranking by crawling the web with bots.<\/p>\n

Featured or rich snippets are no different.<\/p>\n

While Google combs your site to index and ranks its content, the algorithm also gauges whether your content might make an ideal featured snippet to highlight for a search query. That means the best way to earn a featured snippet is to keep providing\u00a0high-quality, helpful content<\/a>.<\/p>\n

However, there are some tips and tricks to make your content more likely to be featured:<\/p>\n

Answer frequently asked questions<\/h3>\n

Those \u201cpeople also asked\u201d and \u201crelated searches<\/a>\u201d sections should be giving you ideas for content. Directly answering question-based queries related to your topic could earn you a featured snippet in related searches.<\/p>\n

Focus on question words<\/h3>\n

Even outside of FAQ or related searches, question-based queries are your friend in the game of featured snippets. According to\u00a0Semrush<\/a>, 29% of keywords that triggered a featured snippet start with a question word like \u201cwhy\u201d or \u201ccan.\u201d<\/p>\n

Structure information naturally<\/h3>\n

If you Google \u201chow to do laundry,\u201d the featured snippet is a numbered list of steps (good luck!). If you Google \u201ctypes of cat toys,\u201d it shows a few bullet points. Those queries ask for more than a sentence. If it makes sense to do so, bulleted or numbered lists can help both humans and Google bots understand that you’re answering a question.<\/p>\n

Stay on topic<\/h3>\n

Google pulls 2-3 sentences for a featured snippet. If you\u2019re trying to be\u00a0the\u00a0Google-approved definition, try to have a short and sweet answer without venturing too far into the weeds.<\/p>\n

Include imagery<\/h3>\n

Google, and readers, love visual content. According to Semrush, featured snippet hubs have an average of 8 images breaking up long walls of text. If you want your image to be a part of the snippet, make sure to optimize them for thumbnails in terms of the crop.<\/p>\n

Deploy schema markup<\/h3>\n

Schema markup is a way to tell Google exactly what your content is trying to say. Also called structured data, schema markup uses code to help sort your content into different boxes, such as:<\/p>\n