{"id":4874,"date":"2019-04-25T20:28:50","date_gmt":"2019-04-26T03:28:50","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.adprosmarketing.com\/?p=4874"},"modified":"2019-09-09T10:03:28","modified_gmt":"2019-09-09T17:03:28","slug":"the-zero-result-serp-algorithm-update","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.adprosmarketing.com\/the-zero-result-serp-algorithm-update\/","title":{"rendered":"The Zero-Result SERP Algorithm Update"},"content":{"rendered":"

What Is The Zero-Result SERP Algorithm Update?<\/strong><\/h1>\n

The Zero-Result SERP Algorithm Update was first released by Google on March 13, 2018. This new update for Google removed organic search results for some search queries and replaced them with a single knowledge card.<\/p>\n

At the time, this most recent Google update caused quite an uproar among web developers, but it only lasted a week. On March 20th<\/sup>, 2018, organic search results were added back to all SERPs. In November, though, Google brought Zero-Search SERPs back, but this time, it was only for mobile search results.<\/p>\n

The Initial Zero-Results SERPs Experiment: What Was Google Thinking?<\/strong><\/h2>\n

In March, the search engine decided that for a limited number of search queries, there is only one correct or relevant response, so it decided to do away with other results that may distract the user or increase page load time. If you know anything at all about Google, you know the whole purpose of the search giant is to return quality search results for its users.<\/p>\n

Zero-Results SERPs for Weather, Time, Conversions, Etc.<\/strong><\/h2>\n

It really wasn\u2019t as dramatic as it sounds. The search queries affected by the Zero-Results SERPS update were only those related to time, weather, conversions, and calculations<\/strong>, for instance.<\/strong> Still, as far as search updates go, this was a big one.<\/p>\n

Even so, Google didn\u2019t even acknowledge the update initially (at least not on any formal level), but search analyst Danny Sullivan eventually addressed Zero-Results SERPs on Twitter. His tweet implied that the decision to experiment with the removal of organic search results in a limited number of very specific search queries was quite simple: no one used them.<\/p>\n

Impact of Zero-Results SERPs<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Plus, removing them would save users the hassle of having to wait for a page of (probably irrelevant) search results to load. It seemed like a win for Google and for users, but what about website owners? More on that later.\"\"<\/p>\n

How Did Zero-Results SERPS Work?<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Upon first roll out, the Zero-Results SERPs worked like this: when a user typed in a certain search query such as those related to time, calculations, conversions, or weather, for instance, Google would return a single search result in the form of a Knowledge Card on both desktop and mobile. This result would look similar to the images below:\"\"<\/p>\n

\"\"In addition to the Knowledge Card, Google presented a link that users could click on to see more results.<\/p>\n

The Problem with Zero-Results SERPs (At First)<\/strong><\/h2>\n

After confirming that the Zero-Results SERPs update was really not an official algorithm update at all, but just an experiment, Google invited feedback on the change from the SEO community.<\/p>\n

The result was a parable for being careful what you wish for. Yeah, let\u2019s just say no one in the community was happy about the fact that their websites had disappeared from search results pages, no matter how few or narrow these particular SERPs were.<\/p>\n

The Ringing of the Death Knell for SEO<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Aside from throwing fits that would impress any toddler and shouting \u201cSEO is dead!\u201d from the rooftops, some web developers and SEO experts managed to pull themselves together and make some fairly good points about the fallibility of zero-results SERPs.<\/p>\n

For instance, Google wasn\u2019t getting it right with the Knowledge Cards 100% of the time, and in some cases, the search engine was getting it very, very wrong.<\/p>\n

For instance, when users typed \u201cdate in New York\u201d looking for fun things to do with their significant other in the Big Apple, they\u2019d get a single boring Knowledge Card on their SERP, telling them what day it was (e.g. March 15, 2018). Sure, they could click on the \u201cSee more results\u201d button, but what a pain in the neck, am I right?<\/p>\n

Similar issues occurred when users searched for \u201cTime\u201d (the magazine) and got the current time (on the clock) instead. For once, Google updated their algorithm and ended up less<\/em>relevant than before. Oops!<\/p>\n

Zero-Result SERPs for Mobile Search<\/strong><\/h2>\n

But despite this dismal outcome of the quote unquote experiment, the Zero-Results SERP story wasn\u2019t over. In November of 2018, Google brought it back, but this time, it was limited to mobile searches. Here\u2019s an example of a query that triggered a simple knowledge card on a mobile device:\"\"<\/p>\n

Thankfully by the time Google brought back Zero-Results SERPs for mobile, the search engine giant had worked out a lot of the kinks that triggered the initial backlash. Specifically, the search queries triggering a single Knowledge Card result became even more limited.<\/p>\n

Now, a search for a date in New York still triggers the calendar knowledge card, but it also presents organic search results (including fun outing ideas in the big city) on the same page. No more having to click the pesky \u201cmore results\u201d button to get to the result you\u2019re looking for. Whew!\"\"<\/p>\n

The Future of Zero-Result SERPs<\/strong><\/h2>\n

So are Zero-Result SERPs here to stay, on mobile anyway? It appears so. While you\u2019ll hear a lot of webmasters and others in the SEO community warning about the \u201cslippery slope\u201d nature of these kinds of algorithm updates, we recommend you stay calm and implement best practices for making your site mobile friendly.<\/p>\n

Keep Calm and Optimize for Mobile<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Although the roll out wasn\u2019t a smooth one by any stretch of the imagination, ultimately, the zero-results SERP update reflects Google\u2019s desire to make the web a fast and convenient source of information, especially for their mobile users. And that\u2019s not news to anyone who knows anything about Google.<\/p>\n

While the update caused a ripple, that\u2019s really all it was, so our advice is to stay the course and continue optimizing your site for mobile search. Oh, and keep coming here to check for Google updates and changes to its algorithms!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

What Is The Zero-Result SERP Algorithm Update? The Zero-Result SERP Algorithm Update was first released by Google on March 13, 2018. This new update for Google [\u2026]<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":4880,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"inline_featured_image":false,"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","enabled":false}}},"categories":[17],"tags":[],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"yoast_head":"\nThe Zero-Result SERP Algorithm Update | AdPros Marketing<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Learn about The Zero-Result SERP Algorithm Update and how it changed the SERP's related to time, 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