Zero-Click Searches

What They Mean for HVAC, Plumbing, and Electrical Contractors

If you feel like your website traffic, calls, or form fills don’t match your Google visibility the way they used to, you’re not imagining things. Search behavior has fundamentally changed and one of the biggest drivers is zero-click searches.

Zero-click searches are not the “death of SEO,” but they are the end of SEO as contractors used to understand it.

For home service companies, this shift changes how customers discover you, how Google decides who gets the lead, and where trust is built, often before someone ever clicks a website.

This guide explains what zero-click searches really are, why they matter to contractors, how Google’s search results pages (SERPs) are evolving, and most importantly what HVAC, plumbing, and electrical companies should be doing right now to stay competitive.

What Is a Zero-Click Search?

A zero-click search happens when someone searches on Google and gets their answer without clicking any website.

Instead of sending the user to a blog post or service page, Google now frequently answers questions directly using:

• AI Overviews

• Featured snippets

• Local packs and map results

• Google Business Profile (GBP) details

• “People Also Ask” expansions

• Instant answers (definitions, steps, pricing ranges)

The user still searched, but Google captured the interaction.

For example:

• “Why is my AC blowing warm air?”

• “Best electrician near me”

• “Average cost to replace a water heater”

• “Is a buzzing breaker panel dangerous?”

In many cases, Google now answers these questions directly or surfaces just a few businesses before the user ever clicks.

Why Zero-Click Searches Matter More for Home Service Contractors Than Most Industries

Zero-click searches affect every industry, but home services feel the impact faster and harder for three reasons:

1. Local Intent Dominates Contractor Searches

Most contractor searches are:

• Urgent

• Location-based

• Problem-focused

Google prioritizes local results, map listings, and instant answers, not long-form blog clicks.

2. Google Is Acting Like the Middleman

For years, contractors used SEO to “own” informational searches and move users into service pages.

Now Google often:

• Answers the question

• Shows a local pack

• Pushes LSAs above organic results

• Uses AI to summarize contractor expertise

That means visibility ≠ traffic anymore.

3. The SERP Is Now the First Sales Call

For many homeowners, the decision happens directly on the results page:

• Which company looks most trustworthy?

• Who has the best reviews?

• Who appears knowledgeable?

• Who shows up consistently?

Your website still matters but it’s no longer the only (or first) conversion point.

How Google SERPs Are Changing (And Why Clicks Are Down)

Here’s what contractors are seeing in real-world SERPs today:

AI Overviews Take the Top Spot

Google increasingly summarizes answers at the very top of the page, pulling content from multiple sources. Your brand may be used or cited without being clicked.

Local Services Ads and Map Packs Look Like Organic Results

LSAs and GBPs blend visually with organic listings, siphoning off calls before users ever scroll.

Informational Queries Don’t Behave Like They Used To

Blog posts can rank well but still generate fewer visits because:

• The snippet answers the question

• The user doesn’t need to click

• The next action is calling someone from the map

This doesn’t mean SEO is broken. It means SEO goals must evolve.

Common Contractor Questions About Zero-Click Searches (Answered)

If People Aren’t Clicking, Is Blogging Still Worth It?

Yes, but not for the same reason it used to be.

Blogs now:

• Train Google’s AI how to understand your expertise

• Feed featured snippets and AI Overviews

• Support topical authority and trust

• Influence local rankings indirectly

Think of content less as traffic bait and more as visibility infrastructure.

How Do We Get Leads if Google Keeps the Click?

By optimizing for presence and visibility, not just clicks.

That includes:

• Owning your Google Business Profile and making sure it’s optimized

• Appearing in AI-generated answers

• Showing expertise consistently across the web

• Making it easy to call, text, or book directly from the SERP

Can Small Local Contractors Compete With Big Brands?

Yes and in many cases, local contractors have an advantage, if they have a brand that people know.

Google prefers:

• Real-world experience

• Local relevance

• Authentic reviews

• Clear service-area signals

National brands may have content volume, but local companies win on proximity, trust, and specificity.

Zero-Click SEO Is Really “Decision-Stage SEO”

Most articles frame zero-click searches as a traffic problem. For contractors, it’s actually a decision-stage problem.

Homeowners now make choices based on:

• What Google shows before the click

• Who appears knowledgeable

• Who feels safe and established

• Who answers their exact question clearly

This means your SEO strategy should focus on:

• Being the answer for the quesions current and potentially new customers have

• Being visible everywhere Google looks and where you clients are searching for information

• Being trusted before the click

Clicks are no longer the primary KPI. Calls and booked jobs are.

What Contractors Should Do Instead of Chasing Clicks

It’s no longer ranking for “AC repair near me”. Google now ranks IDEAS, not keywords.

1. Optimize for SERP Real Estate, Not Just Rankings

Your goal is to appear in:

• Featured snippets

• AI Overviews

• Local packs

• “People Also Ask”

• GBP Q&A

• Other places your customers are searching for information.

Even partial visibility increases brand recognition and trust.

2. Turn Your Google Business Profile Into a Conversion Asset

Your GBP is often the last and only stop before a call.

That means:

• Regular posts

• Detailed service descriptions

• Strong photos and videos

• Consistent review responses

• Accurate categories and attributes

For many contractors, GBP now converts better than the website.

3. Write Content That Answers Real Homeowner Questions

Generic SEO blogs no longer work.

Effective zero-click-era content:

• Uses real job scenarios

• Explains risks, costs, and timelines

• Answers follow-up questions clearly

• Is written in plain language homeowners understand

This improves both AI inclusion and customer trust.

4. Measure Visibility, Not Just Traffic

Traditional SEO reports miss the full picture.

Contractors should track:

• Impression growth

• Local pack visibility

• Calls from GBP and LSAs

• Brand searches over time

• Assisted conversions

If people recognize your name before clicking, SEO is working.

Get the Best Local SEO Services from LeadsNearby

Zero-click searches are not taking business away from contractors. They are changing where the decision happens.

The companies that win in this environment:

• Educate instead of chasing clicks

• Focus on trust, not just rankings

• Treat Google’s SERP as a storefront

• Understand that SEO now supports the entire customer journey

SEO isn’t dead. Website traffic isn’t the only goal. And the contractors who adapt now will be far ahead of those still optimizing for a 2003 version of Google.

Call LeadsNearby at 919-758-8420 if you are frustrated with your current resutls or contact us online for a free evaluation.