“Zero-click” refers to a search engine result where the user gets the information they need directly on the search results page without having to click on any links. This type of search result has become increasingly common with the use of features like featured snippets, knowledge graphs, and other types of rich results.
While zero-click results can be convenient for users who want to quickly find the information they need, they can also be limiting in terms of providing context. For example, a user might see a featured snippet that provides a definition of a term, but without clicking through to the source, they may not see any additional information about how the term is used in context or any related concepts.
To provide more context for users who encounter zero-click results, search engines can incorporate additional information in the form of related concepts, suggested search queries, or links to related articles or resources. This can help users better understand the information presented and make more informed decisions about how to use it.
In addition, content creators can optimize their content to provide more context even in zero-click scenarios. For example, they can include more information in their headlines and descriptions to provide additional context for featured snippets, or they can use schema markup to provide more structured data that search engines can use to present additional information in rich results.
A Semrush study found that 25.6% of desktop and 17.3% of mobile clickthrough rates are zero clicks
However, as misleadingly interpreted in recent years, Google is not stealing the clicks. Many of them are, in fact, search query refinements.