Zero-Click Searches: How Pharma Brands Can Improve Their Chances To Rank

Google and other search engines have been enhancing their results to offer better user experiences. Zero-click (also called enhanced or no-click) search results have been appearing for a while, but pharma and medical device brands have been slow to target these coveted spots.

Let’s take a look at what zero-click searches are and how you can adapt your SEO strategy to rank for them.

What are Zero-click Searches?

A zero-click search refers to a search engine result page (SERP) that displays a direct answer to a user’s query at the top of a Google search result. They typically satisfy a user’s need without having to click on any search result links.

Types of Zero-click Search Results

Zero-click search results have historically been returned for short, specific queries such as:

• “weather in New York”
• “pizza near me”
• “Abraham Lincoln”

Now, search engines have extended these quick answers to many other topics – including healthcare.

Certain query types are answered through different formats, widgets, and features. Zero-click results can take many forms including:

• Knowledge Panel
• Calculators
• Instant Answers
• Definitions
• Maps/Local Packs
• Featured Snippets

How to Adapt Your SEO Strategy for Zero-click Searches

Healthcare brands that use search engine optimization (SEO) as a marketing practice are often focused on driving website traffic, and zero-click searches almost eliminate the opportunity to get traffic for specific queries. But marketers can use two approaches to improve their chances at earning zero-click impressions while gaining traffic.

1. Answer Search Queries on Your Website

To improve the chances your content will get a valuable zero-click position, you should answer health-related search queries directly on your web properties – “how do I treat eczema?”, for example. It’s important to use these queries in headings, and it’s helpful (but not necessary) if the answer is closely positioned to the query.

While you may want to fight for an existing zero-click SERP to answer user needs, it also makes sense to target pages with no enhanced results. Find relevant SERPs by using various features such as:

• Autofill suggestions
• “People also ask” box
• “Searches Related To” list
• Third-party apps/sites such as Answer the Public

2. Adopt a Holistic SEO Strategy

For most brands, exclusively adopting a zero-click strategy won’t support traditional SEO goals nor broader business goals. However, a holistic strategy that addresses multiple objectives will better satisfy overall brand goals. A holistic SEO strategy that includes a zero-click focus can accomplish the following objectives:

• Increase brand awareness/promote subject matter expertise. Have a zero-click strategy makes sense because you’re providing a trustworthy, rapid response to a question, which helps gain trust and creates a better mobile or voice-assisted experience.
• Drive traffic to your site. Here you’ll want to create content to get clicks. This content should be intended to answer a more nuanced query and provide a broader exploration of a topic. While still relevant to the query, searchers will be more likely to click and learn more than a zero-click result.

So avoid a one-size-fits-all strategy by having a mix of content aimed at position 0 or other zero-click formats and content targeting click-through.   

Focus on best practices

The bottom line for any SEO strategy is to meet the shifting nature of search engines. While their ultimate objective is to create great user experiences, how they accomplish it shifts from time to time. Marketers familiar with SEO know that search engines – especially Google – are continuously updating their algorithms, so if your search strategy prioritizes ranking best practices, compliance, and site performance, then your strategy may only need to shift moderately to accommodate the latest updates.

Looking for more insights and tips? Elsevier’s Trends in Pharma Marketing Research Report assessed pharma customers interest and investments in various promotional channels, educational tools, and content strategies from 2020-2024. Download a copy now.

Article Written by: Alex Brown