How To Get A Featured Snippet

Getting attention from search engine users has become more challenging in recent years due to the amount of content being produced daily. To stand out and be seen, businesses must implement SEO best practices correctly. 

One of the most visible advantages of an effective SEO strategy is securing a featured snippet, otherwise known as position 0. Achieving placement in this coveted space can provide invaluable visibility, drives click-throughs, and brings authoritative credibility for your website.

In this blog post, we will explore what a featured snippet is and how you can optimize your content to get one.

What Is A Featured Snippet?

A featured snippet is a highlighted summary of information that appears at the top of search engine results pages (SERPs). It aims to provide a quick and concise answer to a user’s query without requiring them to click through to a specific website. 

Common Types Of Featured Snippets

Paragraphs: Paragraph-featured snippets provide concise answers to user questions in a single paragraph of text. 

Bulleted/Numbered Lists: Bulleted and numbered list featured snippets present information in an easily-digestible format for quick understanding.

Tables: Table-featured snippets visually represent data, allowing users to understand relationships between facts better.

Videos: Video-featured snippets provide visual context and offer detailed explanations of topics using a combination of audio and visuals.

Importance Of Google Featured Snippets In SEO

Below are different ways how featured snippets impact SEO:

Boosted Rankings

Featured snippets can positively affect your overall rankings on search engine results page, as Google uses them to prioritize certain pages for specific topics. This means that if you are able to provide content that is conducive to being featured in a snippet, it may lead to higher visibility and more people finding your content through organic search.

Plus, having your content featured in a snippet gives you an extra “trust signal” from Google, rewarding your page for high-quality content. 

Increased Click Through Rates (Sometimes)

Featured snippets can significantly affect click-through rates, depending on the type of snippet used. For example, a list-type snippet can encourage more people to click on your page because it provides a clear visual look at the content.

On the other hand, if you are using a paragraph-type snippet, users may be less likely to click through as they have already seen part of the answer they were looking for in the search engine result pages (SERPs). 

Improved Brand Awareness

Being featured in a featured snippet also helps boost your brand’s visibility. As more people see your content come up when they search for a specific topic, it will help to build recognition and trust amongst potential customers.

If you can consistently produce featured snippets relevant to what customers are looking for, this can help build a positive reputation for your brand. 

How To Rank In Google’s Featured Snippets

Summarize The Answer Of A Question (Or Query) In One Paragraph

When creating your content, you should aim to craft a single paragraph summarising the answer to a question or query. Ensure it is clear and concise, as this will be displayed in the featured snippet box. 

Achieve The First-Page Ranking

To achieve first-page ranking, you must optimize your page for on-page SEO elements such as title tags, meta descriptions, and keyword usage. This is essential for getting the attention of Google’s search engine crawlers and helping your page rank higher on the SERPs. 

Optimize Your Page Structure And Headings

Good page structure and use of headings will help Google understand the content on your page. Include relevant keywords in your headings so that it is clear to Google what your page is about and which featured snippet should be chosen. Ensure you use HTML structure tags like H1 for the main heading, H2 for subheadings, and so on.

Include Images With A Relevant Alt Text

Including images in your content is a great way to engage readers and make the content more attractive. When using images, make sure they are relevant to your topic and that you use alt text with keywords that convey the same meaning as the image.

This will help Google understand the context of your content and make it easier to select the relevant featured snippet.

Answer Questions That ‘People Also Ask’

People also ask boxes are sections of related questions displayed at the bottom of the SERPs for certain queries. Take advantage of this by including answers to questions in these boxes in your content. You can increase the chances of being featured in a snippet on a related query by answering these questions.

Featured Snippet Optimization

Optimize For Long-Tail And Question-Like Keywords

When optimizing for Google featured snippet, focus on long-tail and question-like keywords. These are the terms that people typically use when searching for answers to their questions online, so targeting these types of keywords will help you show up in more featured snippets.

Find “Low-Hanging” Opportunities

Low-hanging opportunities are keywords and phrases with fewer competitors and can be more easily optimized for featured snippets. Look at your website analytics data to see which keyword research may give you an edge in the SERPs (Search Engine Results Pages).

Use The Inverted Pyramid Style

When writing your content for featured snippets, try using the inverted pyramid style. This means beginning with the most important information and then elaborating on it in subsequent paragraphs.

Format Your Content

Since featured snippets are often pulled from text-based web pages, make sure to format your content properly so that it can be easily read. This includes using appropriate headings, bullet points, and lists to break up long blocks of text.

Use “Trigger” Words

When writing your content for featured snippets, use words that will trigger featured snippets on search engine to identify your article as an answer to a user’s query. These include words like “how-to,” “tutorial,” and “guide.”

Keep An Optimal Word Count

Make sure that your content is the right length for a featured snippet. Generally speaking, it should be between 40-55 words for best results. Too few words may not contain enough information to satisfy a user’s query, while too many words may make the snippet cluttered. 

Key Points To Remember About Feature Snippet

• Feature snippets are a summary of the content on a page that appears in SERPs (Search Engine Results Pages). 
• Featured snippets can appear as answer boxes, numbered or bulleted lists, and tables.
• Google shows feature snippets from webpages that have content related to the user’s query.
• To optimize your content for a featured snippet spot, you need to make sure that the content on your page is structured, well-written, and relevant to the search query.
• To maximize the chances of appearing in a featured snippet, you should use schema markup and target keywords related to questions or answers. 
• You can also increase your chances of appearing in feature snippets by ensuring that your page has an up-to-date design, is mobile-friendly, and loads quickly.

FAQs

Do I Have To Pay For A Featured Snippet To Rank In Search Results?

No, you do not have to pay for a featured snippet to rank in search results. The Google algorithm automatically selects the most relevant content from web pages that have been indexed by its system and displays it as a featured snippet at the top of the search results. Google does not accept payments for winning featured snippets, so you cannot directly influence its selection process.

What Is The Difference Between Structured Data And A Featured Snippet?

Structured data is a type of code added to web pages with information about its content, such as the title, description, author name, etc. Structured data helps search engines better understand the content on a given web page and can be used to enable certain features like rich snippets or featured snippets. A featured snippet is a specific type of rich snippet that appears at the top of Google’s search results and provides an answer to the query entered by a user. 

Why Is A Featured Snippet Important In SEO

Featured snippets are important for SEO because they can give websites an edge in rankings. Studies have shown that being featured in a snippet can boost click-through rates by up to 8.6%, and since the snippets appear at the very top of most SERPs, they are often seen as authoritative sources of information and can draw valuable organic traffic from users looking for an answer to their query.

How Do You Find Out Your Website Ranks For Featured Snippets

You can use two methods to determine if your website ranks for featured snippets. First, utilize Google Search Console to identify search queries where your website appears in featured snippets. SEMrush tool also offer specific features that allow tracking featured snippets and monitoring of your website’s performance, providing valuable insights into your ranking position and opportunities for optimization

Boost Your SERP Visibility With Featured Snippet

Featured snippet opportunities can lead to an uptick in search engine visibility and are a great way to have your website noticed. Quality content targeted appropriately can give your site the boost it needs to stand out. 

Although the criteria for getting a featured snippet can seem elusive, the key steps discussed will get you closer to earning a featured snippet for your website. 

Plus, regularly monitoring SERPS is an important practice that will help you measure your online presence more accurately and respond faster when changes occur. As the world of digital marketing continues to evolve, strategies that leverage Google’s algorithmic intelligence may be your best bet for maintaining high rankings in SERPs. In this context, it’s important to work with an SEO agency or SEO Specialist that can help you navigate the ever-changing landscape of search engine optimization and implement effective techniques to stay ahead of the competition.