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Long before the Internet, analyzing what the competition does and trying to copy it, or do something similar, or even with your own face, was always a common practice. And when it comes to website content? Does the rule also apply?
Basing the content of your site on the sites of competitors, is it good or indicated? What’s the problem behind doing what everyone else does on the Web?
That could be the reason why your content – and that of your competitors – doesn’t generate any clicks!
Answering these questions has to do with our conversation today, which is based on some thoughts on recent research and how its data can be interpreted in determining content and SEO strategy.
What is Semrush “zero-click” research?
Our starting point is a study/research conducted by Semrush and published in October 2022 called “zero-click study”, which has a series of developments and possible conclusions.
Summarizing as much as possible, since the text accessible in the previous link is reasonably extensive, among other things, the people from Semrush wanted to investigate the reasons that currently make 25% of the searches made on Google, do not receive any clicks and therefore the name of the study.
We will not go into depth on this, such as, for example, the issue related to the improvement of the algorithm that produces a search result page (SERP) and which has Google BERT as part of this evolution, but which seems to be failing to understand the intention of the user and give him what he was looking for.
Or even that in some cases, the user has found what he wanted without having to access some of the results, a hypothesis that is discarded when a second search is carried out keeping part of the keywords, indicating a refinement of the search.
What can be said is that for different reasons, Google is not succeeding in including something satisfactory in the SERP.
For our purpose today, let’s consider that a portion of these users, including those who clicked, but returned to the SERP and refined the search, putting a long tail keyword or adding synonyms to broaden the range of results, are not being satisfied with what are you seeing.
But why?
Understanding the SEO and SEM Landscape and Content Producers
Once our reservation regarding other possible interpretations of the “zero-clicks study” has become clear, we will establish the scenario that explains why no clicks occur, the cases in which the producers of that content present in the first instance are “fault”. Google page.
And here we are returned to our first paragraph, that is, is everyone “copying” or doing what their competitors do?
If we do several searches for different keywords, using what is most common, like up to 4 words and evaluate the results, we are inclined to answer yes. Lots of similar stuff, some even identical!
Common sense and a little reasoning about it will quickly lead us to think that it is natural, after all if everyone is doing their “homework” and adopting the main SEO and SEM tips, it is natural that the results are similar to each other. certain terms.
So what’s the solution?
Let’s just forget about Content Marketing and the application of SEO and SEM concepts for a few minutes and consider something that even the most lay people know about – lunch on a working day.
You are at lunchtime, on a typical day at work and you have gone to a street where there are several restaurant options by the kilo, in which the variety of options allows you to choose what to eat, after all you are a vegetarian.
It is likely that, if not all, at least the vast majority will offer a wide range of roasted meats in the form of barbecue, something not so common two decades ago for this type of restaurant. It was just a steakhouse thing. But it was enough for someone to start, for the others to do the same.
Today it is difficult for those considered to be the best of their kind not to do so.
For diners, the choice between one and the other is now based on the price per kilo, on how quickly you can get a table, or on details other than the food itself. Everything is the same, sometimes even in these other factors.
However, it is estimated that by 2025, lacto-ovo vegetarians, vegetarians and vegans will be 3 out of 10 people. They are already between 1 and 2, out of 10. Note that we are halfway to the 25% of the zero-clicks study, with the difference that the subject is now food preference!
Going straight to the point, you were looking for something to eat, but you wanted more than an immense variety of meats of all kinds or other dishes in which some protein of animal origin was present.
In the end, he had to settle for a few options that are in the minds of those who are not vegan / vegetarian, the “only things these people eat” – green leaves, tomatoes and some cooked vegetables.
This is where our real-world example meets our user who clicked none on the SERP!
Anyone who thinks that way about those who opt for a diet without animal protein is completely wrong. And this lack of knowledge on the subject leads to a series of mistakes and mistaken presumptions.
Among the many possible causes, one justification – the one that had the most crowded restaurant, was only imitated, or the one that appeared in the top positions of the SERP, was also imitated.
To what extent is the rigorous application of SEO and, above all, SEM, by content producers, not producing pasteurized content, always with the same face, with the same style, or at most with a little detail here and another there?
Or even, the true obsession with appearing well positioned is not “forcing” to put techniques and tips in the first place and if possible or if there is time left, remember that that content should be consumed by someone who thinks.
We already wrote about the issue, in the post “Who do you create content for? Robots or people?”
That alone is not enough. You have to go further…
Doing it differently, not forgetting Digital Marketing
It is not our goal to tear up all the Digital Marketing manuals, to disregard SEO and SEM, or to make a revolution in Content Marketing.
You can still offer 10 different cuts of meat prepared on a huge barbecue, but how about informing on the banner at the door of the restaurant that you also have 10 delicious vegan dishes every day?
When thinking like this, when trying to break the paradigm of restaurants by the kilo, in addition to keeping those who come for the barbecue, you also bring those who want a vegetable quiche, eggplant lasagna, or spaghetti funghi.
Even in the zero-clicks study, the change in the user himself was also considered, who intends to reach his searches more directly and quickly. It is a behavioral change of the Internet user, just like the change in eating behavior.
Seen from the perspective of the producers, the change must start in the planning of the content. You can and even should keep an eye on what your competitors are doing, but for example, to identify gaps in content, which has everything to do with our gastronomic example.
However, there is much more that can be done with the same objective:
- Content originality – it’s not just about creating content that no one else has ever made. We created an article dedicated to content originality, in which we present 10 tips to be authentic;
- Creativity – by keeping an eye on the competition, you stop creating, to just copy, even if in an improved way. We also have 15 tips on how to develop creativity focused on content production;
- Titles – It’s not enough to put 10 or more vegan dishes on the buffet, if you don’t disclose, as well as if your content titles look like those of competitors’ sites, there’s no reason why yours deserves a click;
- Position zero – some say that Google’s zero position, or featured snippet, discourages clicks, because it often responds to what the user was already looking for in the SERP. It is not easy to position content in the zero position, but in addition to being possible, it is also possible to get a click;
- Dummies content – the approaches that many sites take to various topics, it seems that we live in a world of experts in everything. It cannot be forgotten that those who research, it is because they want to inform themselves, to know more and often the content is not made for laymen;
- “Fresh” content – fresh content or fresh content, is a second opportunity to do it well and expand the reach, contemplating vegans / vegetarians this time;
- Develop webwriting – developing webwriting will not produce the clicks that your site did not receive, but it will help you focus on people and not on robots and with that, maybe that meta description that appears next to the title, will be more seductive and inviting;
- Clickbait – don’t allow your content to have face, style, or be clickbait. The user already knows how to distinguish when content looks like something it really isn’t.
Deep down, when you think about who really matters, the website visitor and who is the reason for it to exist, the content comes first, just like the flavor and presentation of the dishes in the restaurant. After all, there’s no point in getting the customer to come in if, after the experience he’s been given, he doesn’t want to come back.
You can and should keep “battling” with all your competitors for the 75% that eat meat and click on SERP links, but when you remember that there is another 25% that want different things than everyone else does, in Instead of imitating, you become a reason for imitation by your competitors!
Conclusion
One out of four potential visitors are not interested in your content or that of your competitors. It’s time to change and attract this audience.
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