5 ms·

I don't think I understand this concept. If I search for something using Google, and don't click on a link, doesn't that mean my search was fruitless? What els

I don't think I understand this concept. If I search for something using Google, and don't click on a link, doesn't that mean my search was fruitless? What else do we mean by 'zero-click searches'? Edit: Unless it's the simple '6 x 10' or 'What is the time in London', in which case, are we surprised these queries are handled by $SearchEngine? DDG does the same thing (albeit, uses a third party website and gives credit)

cstejerean 7y ago
I mean that’s could be one explanation for no clicks. But if that would be the primary cause it would imply google’s results are getting worse, which would lead to someone else increasing market share. The primary reason is that google shows you information scraped from other sites directly on the results page so you never have to click on any links for a lot of queries.
ialyos 7y ago
Google can preview results for clicks by exposing a site's content in the search results. E.g if you google Obama you will see a wiki blurb about him on the right
mdszy 7y ago
If you're searching for a quick piece of information, that might be included in the description text, or one of the cards that google might generate for your query (like when doing a calculation, unit conversion, weather query, stock ticker query...)
Majromax 7y ago
> If I search for something using Google, and don't click on a link, doesn't that mean my search was fruitless? No, it could mean that Google itself provided an acceptable answer for you in an infobox. For example, if you search for "San Francisco temperature," the top-of-the-page result is an interactive box showing the current conditions and 24-hour forecast for the city. That's reasonably likely to answer the implied question without redirecting you to another site, so it is an example of a successful "zero-click search."
roflc0ptic 7y ago
Google scrapes the info and then displays it on the search page, meaning you get your question answered without needing to click through. So basically denying anyone else traffic, while still being useful to end users.
8ytecoder 7y ago
Example query - “Leonardo DiCaprio‘s net worth”. While previously this would have resulted in a click to the top website that put in the effort to compile this information, now google would highlight that exact sentence with the answer right there. The site loses a click through and any potential revenue.
- avocado4 7y ago
  Consumers win in this scenario.
  - ocdtrekkie 7y ago
    Do they really though? See my comments on: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=20688022 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=20688022 Essentially, if Google's data source isn't getting paid, the data source is not going to remain accurate, and hence, neither will Google.
    - Nasrudith 7y ago
      I don't see the relationship either way between payment and accuracy. Paying people is no guarantee of accuracy in either direction. Heck paying people for it encourages putting any ole bullshit there to farm it.
      - ocdtrekkie 7y ago
        Websites which have gone out of business cannot provide Google updated data.
  - blacksmith_tb 7y ago
    We do, though the counterargument is that sites that currently publish content like that will have no incentive to keep doing it. If that proves true, presumably in long run you won't be able to get good answers to similar questions, which I suppose could force Google to create their own content, a sort of search-engine version of Netflix and Amazon's move into film-making.
rabidrat 7y ago
How many times does your first search query result in a page you want to click on? It usually takes me a couple of tries for anything interesting I'm looking for.
- C1sc0cat 7y ago
  Even more with mobile as mobile search with auto complete tends to generate partial queries you then refine to the query you really wanted
WhoBeI 7y ago
sidebar wikipedia entries and such I suppose, those little collapse thingies that gives you a short answer, AMP cached stuff..

cstejerean 7y ago

I mean that’s could be one explanation for no clicks. But if that would be the primary cause it would imply google’s results are getting worse, which would lead to someone else increasing market share. The primary reason is that google shows you information scraped from other sites directly on the results page so you never have to click on any links for a lot of queries.

ialyos 7y ago

Google can preview results for clicks by exposing a site's content in the search results. E.g if you google Obama you will see a wiki blurb about him on the right

mdszy 7y ago

If you're searching for a quick piece of information, that might be included in the description text, or one of the cards that google might generate for your query (like when doing a calculation, unit conversion, weather query, stock ticker query...)

Majromax 7y ago

> If I search for something using Google, and don't click on a link, doesn't that mean my search was fruitless? No, it could mean that Google itself provided an acceptable answer for you in an infobox. For example, if you search for "San Francisco temperature," the top-of-the-page result is an interactive box showing the current conditions and 24-hour forecast for the city. That's reasonably likely to answer the implied question without redirecting you to another site, so it is an example of a successful "zero-click search."

roflc0ptic 7y ago

Google scrapes the info and then displays it on the search page, meaning you get your question answered without needing to click through. So basically denying anyone else traffic, while still being useful to end users.

8ytecoder 7y ago

Example query - “Leonardo DiCaprio‘s net worth”. While previously this would have resulted in a click to the top website that put in the effort to compile this information, now google would highlight that exact sentence with the answer right there. The site loses a click through and any potential revenue.

avocado4 7y ago
Consumers win in this scenario.
- ocdtrekkie 7y ago
  Do they really though? See my comments on: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=20688022 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=20688022 Essentially, if Google's data source isn't getting paid, the data source is not going to remain accurate, and hence, neither will Google.
  - Nasrudith 7y ago
    I don't see the relationship either way between payment and accuracy. Paying people is no guarantee of accuracy in either direction. Heck paying people for it encourages putting any ole bullshit there to farm it.
    - ocdtrekkie 7y ago
      Websites which have gone out of business cannot provide Google updated data.
- blacksmith_tb 7y ago
  We do, though the counterargument is that sites that currently publish content like that will have no incentive to keep doing it. If that proves true, presumably in long run you won't be able to get good answers to similar questions, which I suppose could force Google to create their own content, a sort of search-engine version of Netflix and Amazon's move into film-making.

rabidrat 7y ago

How many times does your first search query result in a page you want to click on? It usually takes me a couple of tries for anything interesting I'm looking for.

C1sc0cat 7y ago
Even more with mobile as mobile search with auto complete tends to generate partial queries you then refine to the query you really wanted

WhoBeI 7y ago

sidebar wikipedia entries and such I suppose, those little collapse thingies that gives you a short answer, AMP cached stuff..