SEO success used to mean drawing more traffic. With that traffic, click-​throughs and customers would come. In the early days of online advertising that practice worked. But recent changes made by the search engine giants, think Google, means zero-​click content and other SEO errors abound.

Zero-​Click Content

If your clients still equate list position with SEO success, they may be focusing on the wrong aspects of search.

For years, marketers obsessed about their search engine results page (SERP) position. In recent years, they focused on rich snippets, video and optimizing for mobile to improve their position. But the search engine gods continue to tweak their algorithms. And more marketers find themselves in a zero-​click world.

Nearly 60% of searches result in no clicks. Often, that's because the person sees the answer to their question on the SERP screen. They have no need to click into the marketer’s site – 40% consumers stop searching at that point. The other 20% continue a different search.

If consumers never arrive at your client’s site, they likely won’t buy what your client is selling. This is not the result your account is hoping for.

Other SEO Trends

Last year, Gartner Analysts warned that consumers will be shifting their search behavior to AI Agents. In response to those changes, Conductor’s latest study shows that business leaders are incorporating AI into their SEO priorities. They want more efficiency in the process. They can achieve this goal by using AI in their keyword research.

The Right Keywords

One way to help clients improve outcomes is to use AI tools to research keywords. Using the right keywords can yield a big improvement on search outcomes.

The main keyword volume should measure about 100 searches or more a month. Pay attention to keyword difficulty as well. If you select a competitive keyword, it will be more challenging for your client’s content to rank.

You can increase impact by searching for related keywords and including them in the client's content.

Long-​Tail Keywords

And a long-​tail keyword — one with four or five words – can deliver big gains. These phrases can target a narrow audience. AI can help you determine a long-​tail keyword the competition has overlooked.

Salesforce analysts say “keywords with informational or mixed intent” should appear in content. Those types of keywords can drive your client to a favorable position in an AI search. And they may avoid the trap of the zero-​click content.

SEO Errors – Focusing on the Wrong Metrics

Conductor research reveals that marketers may be undervaluing their return on investment. Organizations with low SEO maturity focus on only three metrics to measure results, according to Conductor analysis.

These organizations tend to track site sessions and visits. They also measure user engagement details such as the time spent on a page. And keyword rankings maintain prominence.

This style of measurement links to the idea that enough traffic and engagement will result in some conversion. But as more content is made available online, it becomes more difficult to attract attention in the first place.

Organizations with a higher SEO maturity measure nine different metrics. In addition to the metrics other companies use, they also look at conversion rates, revenue, and leads generated, among others.

Analysts point to the need for tracking multiple metrics as AI continues to impact search.

At Seer Interactive, Wil Reynolds encourages marketers to learn whether same volume of leads is coming in from the website. If so, the current SEO tactics are working. If a survey of new clients indicates that they first heard about the company from a blog post, there’s another indication of SEO success.

Expanding Competitive Analysis

You might be spending time improving the quality of your account’s zero-​click content. While that strategy should increase brand visibility, you should extend your SEO efforts. Help your accounts improve their outcomes with respect to the competition.

Collecting competitive intelligence can be a difficult and time-​consuming process. But when you track what your clients’ competitors are doing, you can also devise ways to surpass them.

To help with this process, check out the Digital Audit from AdMall. The competitive analysis feature of this tool allows you to show an account how they compare to a competitor. The audit shows details regarding social media presence, reviews and Google ads. It’s easy to review top competitor keywords and top category keywords with this report as well.

The Digital Audit tool also reveals which media formats drive the target audience to take action such as purchasing a product. If the target consumers are influenced by social media ads, your clients might need to change their media mix. A solid social campaign could help them reach their audience.

SEO is more complex than ever before. With the right focus on zero-​click content, keywords and competitive analysis, you can help accounts achieve their goals.

Photo by Cottonbro Studios on Pexel.