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What is the impact of Google`s Direct Answers on SEO?

by HCFGrizzly
7 replies
  • SEO
    • |


If you don`t know what Google`s Direct Answers is, please check the image above.
Basically what it does, it responds to certain queries right in the SERPs (providing bits of text) so that people won`t feel the need to visit the source website (it happened to me a few times just in the past month)

My question is: How will this feature affect the website`s traffic? Will a visit still be counted if one person reads the text but doesn`t visit the website?
If not then basically Google is stealing your traffic. Do we have any option to opt out of it?
#answers #direct #google`s #impact #seo
  • Profile picture of the author yukon
    Banned
    Most Google answers are incomplete which means it's a teaser for increasing CTR.

    Example, you're not building a shed with the Google answer below.






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  • Profile picture of the author HCFGrizzly
    Yes, I see your point. But what about the simpler questions? If you ask "what is SEO?" for example (I know...not many people ask Google...they prefer to open threads here).
    You will get what you need and you won`t need to visit the website. This way you can lose traffic, and by losing traffic you lose money.
    Wasn`t the meta description supposed to be a teaser used to increase CTR?
    I know, it`s a cool feature, and I like it as a visitor surfing the web, but as a content creator I don`t like it that much.
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    • Profile picture of the author yukon
      Banned
      Originally Posted by HCFGrizzly View Post

      Yes, I see your point. But what about the simpler questions? If you ask "what is SEO?" for example (I know...not many people ask Google...they prefer to open threads here).
      You will get what you need and you won`t need to visit the website. This way you can lose traffic, and by losing traffic you lose money.
      Wasn`t the meta description supposed to be a teaser used to increase CTR?
      I know, it`s a cool feature, and I like it as a visitor surfing the web, but as a content creator I don`t like it that much.


      That could end one of two ways.

      If you're searching for the definition of a word (ex: SEO) then you don't care about the details . Google has been serving up definitions directly on the SERPs for years (ex: define search engine optimization).

      If you're searching for more info. than a definition you'll have to click a link out of Google SERPs. Nobody is learning SEO from one paragraph of text (Google Answer).

      Like I said, Google Answers is usually incomplete which forces traffic to click a link on the SERPs.

      It looks like you're looking for every possible way to say Google Answers is a problem when it's not a problem at all.




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  • Profile picture of the author Tim3
    Originally Posted by HCFGrizzly View Post


    My question is: How will this feature affect the website`s traffic? Will a visit still be counted if one person reads the text but doesn`t visit the website?
    If not then basically Google is stealing your traffic. Do we have any option to opt out of it?
    My question is: How will this feature affect the website`s traffic?

    My gut feeling without testing, is that if you were lucky enough to be top of the SERP with that big text block and large clickable image your CTR would increase a considerable amount.

    The Big G stealing your traffic theory is daft, it's their traffic anyway, and where is it going to go if it doesn't click a link? I see GDA as a benefit not a threat.

    I would imagine they are using GDA for some form of testing for their 'bigger picture' hence the feedback link.
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  • Profile picture of the author Synnuh
    It's your job as an SEO to optimize for the query.

    If they're showing direct answers, get the markup so yours is shown. Then optimize it so you get the clickthrough.

    If anything, it's going to give the site with the markup being displayed a higher CTR, because Google is vouching for them as the authority, in a big way.

    Like Yukon said, you're not going to build a shed from the SERPs. If that direct answer was relevant enough to the searcher, and you kept their attention, they are going to click through and buy whatever it is you're offering up.
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  • Profile picture of the author HCFGrizzly
    Thanks for your opinions, I guess you are right.
    As for the bigger picture, I suppose they will use more and more GDA in the future for voice searches.
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