SEO Adjustments to Get More Visits in a Zero-Click World

cathtidd
2 hours ago
3 min read

Key Takeaways

Topic clusters signal authority and help you own an entire problem space, increasing your chances of being cited in AI-driven search results.
Internal linking hubs keep visitors engaged, improving navigation, time on site, and the engagement metrics Google now prioritizes.
User experience is a ranking factor, with page speed, mobile optimization, and scroll depth playing a major role in modern search performance.

If the past year has taught us anything, it’s this: SEO isn’t dead, but the game board has definitely changed. AI Overviews, rich snippets, and Google’s expanding in-SERP answers mean fewer people are clicking through - even when you’re ranking well. So what do you do when the rules shift?

You get tactical. You make smarter, more intentional moves. And you build an SEO world that can withstand the zero-click era.

Here’s how to claw back the traffic that’s slipping through the cracks.

Build Topic Clusters That Dominate an Entire Problem Space

Google (and now AI systems) reward depth, not random scattershot blogging. That’s where topic clusters come in.

A topic cluster is a structured content ecosystem: one strong “pillar” page supported by tightly related blog posts, FAQs, tools, and resources. Together, they tell search engines, "This site fully understands this problem."

For financial advisors and planning firms, that means grouping your content around the questions your clients keep asking, such as:

Sandwich Generation Planning (caregiving, college planning, eldercare legal issues, budgeting under pressure)
RSUs + Retirement Taxes (vesting schedules, AMT rules, distribution timing, tax-efficient withdrawal strategies)
Women in Their 40s & 50s (career pivots, caregiving, mid-career retirement planning, divorce and remarriage)
Small-Business Owner Retirement Planning
Social Security Optimization Strategies
Investment Basics for New Clients

When your blog, guides, calculators, and case studies all interlink around one major topic, you do two big things:

You build authority. Google sees a deep library instead of a single post, which increases your ranking potential.

You create an AI-quotable hub. AI Overviews pull structured, comprehensive content. A strong cluster gives you multiple entry points to be cited.

The goal? Own a problem space - not just a keyword.

Strengthen Internal Linking Hubs

Internal linking used to be a “nice-to-have.” In 2026, it’s non-negotiable.

Internal links help search engines understand your expertise and help readers stay engaged longer—two things AI-driven ranking systems now rely on heavily.

Create:

Hub pages for major topics
Contextual internal links within each article
Sections that link to tools, calculators, or lead magnets
Breadcrumb navigation for easier movement

For example, I've written several blogs about this zero-click issue...

...and they're all linked to each other throughout each blog.

Think of your site as a neighborhood. Internal links are the sidewalks and street signs that keep visitors exploring instead of bouncing.

Improve UX to Boost Engagement (Your New Ranking Engine)

Google’s AI-supported ranking systems are leaning more heavily than ever on user satisfaction and behavior. Translation: If visitors stay, scroll, click, and explore… you rise. If they bounce, disappear, or get frustrated… you fall.

Here’s where to focus:

Page Speed: Slow pages kill rankings—and conversions. Compress images, streamline code, and check Core Web Vitals regularly.
Mobile Experience: Over half of traffic is mobile. If your mobile layout is awkward, cramped, or slow, expect your SEO to drop with it.
Clean Navigation: Clear menus, intuitive categories, quick links, and a visible search bar keep users moving through your content.
Scroll Depth: Use subheadings, graphics, quotes, and short paragraphs to keep readers moving. The more they scroll, the stronger your engagement signals.
Clear CTAs: Internal CTAs guide users toward next steps: “Read next,” “Download the guide,” “Calculate your RMD,” “Join the newsletter,” etc.

Every interaction is an engagement signal - and those signals now matter as much as keywords.

Treat SEO as a Full-Funnel Strategy Again

Search is no longer where the conversion happens. It’s where the relationship starts.

Once someone lands on your page, your job is to:

Capture their email
Offer a resource
Guide them to another page
Invite them to a webinar
Lead them to a tool or quiz

In a zero-click world, Google owns the first impression. You own what happens next.

The Bottom Line: Small Moves Make a Big Difference

You don’t need to rebuild your entire marketing engine to stay visible. A few thoughtful tweaks - cleaner UX, stronger clusters, more purposeful linking - can lift your search performance more than you expect. Focus on the visitor experience, show your expertise clearly, and let your website do what it’s designed to do: attract the right people and guide them deeper into your world.