How Zero-Click Content Benefits B2B Brand Perception
In competitive B2B markets, it can be challenging to distribute content that differentiates your brand from competitors. When many brands offer similar products or services, it can be tempting to replicate the B2B content marketing efforts of other organizations in your sector.
By showcasing unique perspectives, providing valuable insights, demonstrating expertise, and suggesting innovative ideas, B2B companies can create a competitive advantage by becoming thought leaders. Zero-click content is essential to establishing your brand’s expertise with the right customers.
What is Zero-Click Content?
Zero-Click Content is a term coined by Amanda Natividad of SparkToro that refers to content created by brands that is seen in search results but doesn’t result in a visit to the brand’s website.
It sounds counterintuitive; you spend valuable resources creating and pushing out content with an intricately-strategized distribution plan and you’re happy because that content reached its intended audience, but then sad because the intended audience didn’t click to your website.
Why didn’t they click?
The search engine results page (SERP) often displays information that satisfies a user’s search query without having to scroll through a website. Zero-click content provides instant answers directly on the SERP, eliminating the need for users to click on a site for more information.
Examples of zero-click content include:
- Featured snippets
- Knowledge graphs
- Answer boxes
- Featured videos
Oftentimes the details that answer the user’s question are highlighted, and videos are set to play on the section with the relevant information.
Zero-click content is so convenient for users, but it does change the way brands need to think about their content program’s key performance indicators (KPIs), as it might result in a reduction of potential organic traffic and click-through rates for featured websites.
So, How Is Zero-Click Content Good for B2B Brands?
We get it, zero-click content doesn’t sound great for business.
We constantly aim to create content that is optimized for the evolving search landscape, and B2B businesses should be doing the same. Content that provides valuable information both within search results and on your website or other channels will help to attract and retain users.
The Benefits of Zero-Click Content Marketing
- Increased visibility: Content that appears as a featured snippet or knowledge panel in search results has the potential to increase your brand’s visibility on the SERP. Featured content is located at the top of search results, above advertisements and organic results, and this prominent placement enhances brand exposure and captures user attention.
- Boosted brand authority: Authority and trustworthiness are two important qualities for brands to embody in their online presence, both for user satisfaction and Google’s ranking. By providing accurate answers to user queries that are relevant to your industry or services, brands can establish credibility and foster trust among potential customers, positively impacting brand perception and loyalty.
- Competitive Advantage: Move ahead of your competitors in search results by providing content that appears as a featured snippet. Standing out from other search results attracts increased user impressions and provides a competitive advantage by presenting your brand’s information upfront and potentially deterring users from exploring other options.
- Improved User Experience: Zero-click content saves users time and satisfies their desire for immediate answers and a seamless search experience. Enhance the user experience and create positive brand associations with content that could result in repeat visits or future engagements with your brand.
- New Exposure Opportunities: Zero-click content provides brands with an alternative form of exposure, separate from their usual branded channels. Featured snippets and other forms of zero-click content should be thought of as a jumping-off point for brands to strategically guide users toward further engagement with their brand, whether it’s through social media marketing, email marketing, advertising, or remarketing efforts.
Zero-Click Content Isn’t Just for Google Search
When crafting this content strategy, Amanda Natividad didn’t restrict zero-click to search engine results alone. She says zero-click content also refers to content that is:
Native to any platform – a Twitter thread, a LinkedIn post, a 60-second TikTok that immediately jumps into the “how to” demonstration. It’s easily consumed by anyone scrolling their feed, yet still provides value to the creator.
Though the results may be less straightforward than we like, there is a clear “brand lift” that can be assumed from content that doesn’t result in clicks. Content that is engaging and actually provides value to an audience will be rewarded by the algorithm and might result in a brand interaction that transcends vanity metrics.
Social media algorithms are doing whatever it takes to keep users on their apps as long as possible. That’s why they’re constantly introducing new features that remove the need for third-party middleman applications, and prioritizing engaging content in people’s organic feeds.
How to Create B2B Zero-Click Content
Creating a B2B content marketing strategy that incorporates zero-click strategies requires having an in-depth understanding of your target audience, their needs, and their pain points. This understanding will guide the content you create by providing topics relevant to your target customer.
Let’s dive into the best ways to distribute B2B zero-click content for some of the most effective channels.
Zero-Click Blog Content for Google Snippets
Creating content for your B2B brand’s blog that results in zero-click impressions on the SERP will require not only understanding your audience but also researching their search intentions. If you know what your customers are searching for and how it relates to the services or products your company offers, you can provide users with answers to their queries and differentiate your brand from competitors.
Our agency is a business that provides digital marketing services to other businesses. Understanding how people interact with digital channels is an essential part of marketing to the right people and something many in-house marketers struggle with.
We wrote an article exploring how different generations use search in different ways and provided valuable insights into the results. We created a first-of-its-kind chart outlining each generation and their audience breakdown by digital channel. This unique piece of information established our expertise on the subject and is earning our brand visibility on Google each day.
Zero-Click Content on Instagram
Instagram, in particular, is eager for users to stay on the app as long as possible. It benefits their advertising revenue, user engagement, and data collection. When Instagram thinks the content your brand distributes is valuable and keeps users scrolling longer, they will prioritize it in the content feed and might even feature it on the Explore page.
One example of zero-click content on Instagram is a carousel that addresses a topic of interest by answering it in full – no link in bio or read more required.
View this post on Instagram
In this post, we pull anyone interested in how AI is incorporated into PPC marketing into the post, and then keep them there by giving them 5 benefits. Yes, we direct them to the full blog post on our website, but they don’t have to click there to get the information.
Zero-click Instagram carousels like this reinforce our expertise related to current trends and one of the services we offer.
Zero-Click Content for TikTok
Creating a zero-click TikTok video means engaging with your audience immediately. Don’t bury the lead. Don’t tell them to find more information at the link in your profile. B2B zero-click TikTok videos should feature your brand in some way, be clear and concise, and provide value to potential customers, thus increasing your brand’s thought leadership.
Asana is a project management platform (and one of our preferred tools!) distributing zero-click content on TikTok related to productivity. The brand presents a question: Have you ever ‘eaten the frog’? And then dives right into explaining the concept and how it related to their platform. Zero clicks are needed, and we gain insight and intrigue into the services Asana provides.
TikTok might seem like an unapproachable platform for B2B organizations, but that’s what makes it such a great opportunity for content distribution. Stay ahead of your competitors by integrating TikTok content into your content marketing strategy.
Where to Distribute Zero-Click Content
Choosing the right channels to distribute zero-click content will depend on your brand, industry, goals, and target audience. Content should be optimized for either zero-click and click-through engagements to perform well on each platform. Understanding your target audience’s pain points and search intent will help guide your distribution strategy.
How to Measure the Success of Zero-Click Content
Measuring the success of zero-click content can be challenging, but there are a few key metrics you can use to assess its effectiveness.
- Impressions and Search Traffic: Organic impressions found on Google Search Console and in social media results can indicate the visibility and reach of zero-click content to your audience.
- Changes in brand sentiment: Though less quantifiable, the impact of zero-click content can be discerned by monitoring social media mentions, customer reviews, and direct feedback.
- Conversion metrics: Zero-click content should be just one part of a comprehensive marketing strategy built from different digital touchpoints. The more positive interactions a potential customer has with your brand, the more likely they are to eventually convert. Evaluate conversion metrics such as lead generation, form submissions, purchases, trials, demos, and phone calls to gauge changes in user behavior as more zero-click content is distributed.
Elevating B2B Brand Perception with Zero-Click Content
In the competitive B2B landscape, differentiation is crucial for brands to establish themselves as thought leaders and industry experts. Zero-click content can be what allows you to showcase your expertise directly in search engine results, social media feeds, and other platforms.
Become a go-to source of information without clicks to elevate your brand’s perception and ultimately drive leads to your website…even if they aren’t directly attributable to the content.
Frequently Asked Questions
How is zero-click content different from traditional content marketing?
Zero-click content differs from traditional content in that it provides instant answers to user queries directly on the search engine results page (SERP) or other channels (i.e. TikTok, Instagram) that it is distributed on. This eliminates the need for users to click through to a website, whereas with traditional content marketing the goal is usually to drive traffic to the website by distributing content that encourages users to click through and engage further.
What are some examples of zero-click content?
An example of zero-click content is when you search for a celebrity or well-known figure on Google. The result is usually their name, a photo, and some quick facts such as their date of birth, current title, and relevant articles. This information is displayed in info boxes above ads and other search results. Another example is when you search “how to” and the first result is a YouTube video featuring the answer to your query. First results such as these examples are called “Featured Snippets” on Google. On Social media, zero-click content is content that satisfies a user’s query without needing to “read more” on their website, for example, a Reel with 5 tips that details all 5 tips without withholding any information.
Should zero click be part of a B2B content marketing strategy?
Zero-click content should be part of a B2B content marketing strategy because it increases brand visibility, establishes authority, improves the user experience, and can lead to more exposure on various platforms. Though it’s not easy to quantify the results of zero-click content, it is an important inclusion that lends directly to evolving search trends.