The featured snippet is a unique search result at the top of Google’s results page, providing a summary answer to the search query. Google obtains this data from one of the pages with the highest rankings, which promotes it to the top of the organic search results.
Every SEO expert applies this strategy to promote featured snippets for their content. This article introduces the definition, the four types, the guideline on how to optimize featured snippets, and their influences on SEO and search queries.
What Are Featured Snippets?
A featured snippet summarizes the content on top of the Google search engine results pages (SERPs). This strategy aims to immediately address the user’s query in the search results. Searchers who want to read the full article can click on the featured snippet’s link, which helps the website to generate more traffic.
Several websites got two results on the first page of the SERPs when Google introduced featured snippets in 2014, which at first led to dramatically increased organic visibility and traffic.
4 Types Of Featured Snippets You Can Target
Depending on the search query, Google may automatically select any part of the content from the top-ranking websites and showcase it as a featured snippet in one of these types. The four different kinds of feature snippets are as follows:
- Paragraphs
- Bulleted or Numbered lists
- Tables
- Videos
Paragraphs
The paragraph is the most preferred type of featured snippet in the SERP. It consists of a short form of text that offers a brief response to questions like “How,” “Who,” “Why,” “When,” and “What.”. This type of feature snippet usually comes with an average of two or three sentences, 40 to 60 words, and 250 characters.
Feature snippets are a special component since Google occasionally integrates People Also Ask (PAA) boxes. It is where you may find more queries relevant to your search and click on them to view more details.
Bulleted or Numbered lists
Listicle-featured snippets are responses showcased through numbers or bullet listings.
These typically display in response to “How” or “What” question inquiries requiring detailed instructions or a list of things.
The featured snippets from a listicle are:
- Ordered lists often display a sequence of steps or a list of rated things.
- Unordered lists are collections of information that do not require sorting in any specific order.
Tables
The table featured snippets that included data collected from a specific website and presented as an answer in the form of a table. It typically has 40 to 45 words, with an average of five rows and two columns, to express values like costs, rates, years, or other numerical data.
Use the HTML table elements to mark up essential records in a table format to optimize this featured snippet. Some people prefer to replace images for tables, but doing so would mean missing out on the benefits table-type featured snippets provide.
Videos
A video type of featured snippet is your ticket to success if your audience highly prefers video content. Most of the time, Google offers featured snippets from multiple video channels or displays a specific video clip, especially on YouTube.
Thus, optimizing a video channel is necessary. Moreover, you should review your titles and descriptions and search for keywords with low search volume.
How To Optimize Feature Snippets?
The quick response to answer the question of how to optimize feature snippets is: It is complex.
First, businesses must realize they cannot request that Google utilize your content for a featured snippet. In addition, the search engine decides whether a page qualifies for featured snippets.
Second, because of the various and dynamic ranking signals and algorithms, featured snippets frequently change, remove, and return over time.
Fortunately, there are a few things on how to optimize featured snippets to improve your possibilities:
- Focus on long-tail and keyword variations that ask questions.
- Enhance your ranks.
- Look for “low-hanging” chances.
- Using the inverted pyramid structure.
- Formatting your content.
- Applying “trigger” phrases.
- Maintain an optimal word count.
Focus on long-tail keywords
In Google Search, featured snippets often present lengthy terms or direct queries. Because of this, the search engine may utilize your sites as potential answers and show them as featured snippets for such inquiries if you optimize them for long-tail keywords.
Several tools are available to determine which keywords are genuinely causing featured snippets in the SERPs.
Make a list of long-tail and keyword variations, then immediately use those keywords as headers on your pages with brief responses.
It allows Google to notice your clear responses for those questioning or long-tail search inquiries for it to show your content regarding how to optimize featured snippets.
Enhance your ranks
For your page to achieve a featured snippet, it must rank in the top 10 results for the particular search.
Google only allows top-ranking websites on the first SERP page to be available for Google’s featured snippets.
It may seem very unpleasant, but remember that Google continuously works to give its consumers the most trustworthy and credible answers. Therefore, it is reasonable to use top-ranking pages with high authority and informative content.
Fortunately, there are various strategies to enhance and optimize your content to raise your Google search rank. One of the most effective techniques is on-page SEO, including:
- Identify SEO issues and remove any penalties.
- Make your website simple to crawl and explore.
- Link to reliable internal and external sources.
- Optimize your website for mobile devices and speed.
- Switch to SSL if you are still using the HTTP protocol.
- Take advantage of accessible URLs.
- Keep your content relevant and target it for search engines.
- Improve your image.
- Make sure your page is easy to read and navigate.
Related post: What is SEO on-page?
Look for “low-hanging” chances
During the process on how to optimize featured snippets, you can accomplish featured snippets for keywords in which you already rank in the top ten search results.
These keywords are easy to achieve since all you need to do is create content that can optimize for those searches in the form of a short and informative answer. Optimizing keyword density in your content can increase the chances of your webpage being selected as a featured snippet, providing valuable exposure and attracting organic traffic.
Moreover, you can positively impact the possibility that your content will show up for those queries as a featured snippet by including these keywords in the headlines of your content and providing brief responses below them.
Using the inverted pyramid structure
The Inverted (or Inverse) Pyramid is a definition that indicates how to organize material. In addition, it applies to the answers shown in the featured snippets.
Answer “the most requested part” first, then move on to the supporting information for the remainder of your content. The inverted pyramid is a good and effective writing approach that can improve content optimization for featured snippets.
Formatting your content
In addition to writing style, a key component in the process of how to optimize featured snippets is to have a successful content structure.
For instance, if a table is presented as the featured snippet for a specific query, you must construct a response as a table. On the other hand, if it is a listicle, make sure to organize your content as a list with items or logical headers.
For featured snippets, prepare your blog article as follows:
- Using header tags like H1, H2, H3, etc., create informative headers with long-tail and question-like keywords and direct responses underneath.
- Implement short, accurate statements that address the question.
- Utilize bulleted lists, tables, graphs, or lists with numbers.
- Add images to the sample inquiry you’re addressing.
Standard markups like these simplify the search engine’s comprehension of the content structure, even if Google does not need to require them. The common belief is Google prefers pages with structured data content that mark up for its featured snippets.
Applying “trigger” phrases
Some “trigger” words may produce featured snippets more frequently than others. When optimizing featured snippets, you may think about avoiding or using fewer terms that were less likely to rank in the snippets.
Maintain an optimal word count
The majority of featured snippets are 40–50 words long. However, Hubspot allows up to 58 words per mention. As a result, you should limit your responses to 58 words or less and keep them precise and straightforward to the point.
Although there is no set word limit for the featured snippet, there are numerous other factors that the search engines consider in addition to the text length.
How Featured Snippets Influence Search and SEO?
One of the most significant developments to SERPs in the last ten years was the introduction of featured snippets by Google. This technique impacts quite a few things for both users and SEOs:
- Direct route to the top organic position.
- Accept fewer clicks.
- Prominent snippets offer excellent branding opportunities.
- Opt out featured snippets.
Direct route to the top organic position
You may achieve the featured snippet and quickly reach the top position if your content appears on the first SERP for search queries. Most researchers state the top-ten pages are where featured snippets locate. Also, most pages with featured snippets are within the top five.
In short, your content’s chance of being featured snippet increases with its position in the search results. During the process on how to optimize featured snippets, being on the first SERP is a more attainable objective than being in the top position for a term. Yet the top place becomes more approachable if that term results in a featured snippet.
Accept fewer clicks
Previous versions of Google’s search engine results pages (SERPs) included a link to the page with the featured snippet somewhere on the first SERP. Nonetheless, Google launched featured snippet deduplication in January 2020.
As a result, featured snippet offers a positive increase in the search result when there is a promotion on your page.
Some individuals believe that featured snippets decrease clicks on the search results in addition to the minor traffic losses from back then. After all, why would you click on a result if the solution to the inquiry is already on the SERP?
Although this is true for specific inquiries, it is only true for some. Whether Google can answer satisfactorily in the snippet depends on its ability.
Prominent snippets offer excellent branding opportunities
Apart from clicks, featured snippets are the first element users notice in how to optimize featured snippets if no advertising displays. They are especially noticeable on mobile devices because they are sometimes the only thing users see at first.
One of the most significant SEO KPIs is raising your share of voice on the SERPs. It is the result of long-term growth primarily driven by brand building. The more prominent your brand is on SERPs for relevant topics, the more you will be identified as an industry leader.
Opt out of featured snippets
Featured snippets are the first element users notice in search results, and Google provides several options to opt out of featured snippets if you decide to take action. Be cautious that neither snippet robots meta tag techniques prevent your material from showing up in standard “blue link” snippets.
Using the max-snippet robots meta tag is the best strategy to stop your website from appearing in featured snippets. This tag sets the maximum character count that Google will display in the text snippets.
Also, you may adjust the character limit to the typical maximum length of descriptions because those are longer than the standard snippet descriptions, around 160 characters.
Which Search Queries Don’t Trigger Featured Snippets?
As mentioned, the process of how to optimize featured snippets includes three search queries that do not trigger the featured snippers, which are:
- Local Searches: When you submit a local inquiry, Google frequently displays results from Google Maps.
- Basic Facts: Since simple facts are typically accessible in the public domain, Google offers a “rich response”.
- Image Queries: For this search query, Google usually returns information from Google Images.
- Shopping Searches: While Google Shopping offers product information, highlighted snippets for Shopping Searches are typically ignored by Google.
See more: How to write a meta description?
Frequently Asked Questions
What is snippet optimization?
Featured snippets allow users to receive as much information about the subject as rapidly as possible through. It implies the content you are optimizing must attempt to introduce the topic in two to three lines, usually appears on top of Google’s search page, and receives the most attention from users.
Can we optimize for rich snippets?
Yes, we can. Rich snippets are Google Search results with additional information or features. These in-depth results give users extra visual appeal, information, and value. Your overall organic click-through rates may increase when using rich snippets as a target in your SEO approach.
Are rich snippets important for SEO?
In fact, to achieve better search results, we must enhance rich snippets. For years, Google has been experimenting with how search results operate. It can be by displaying photos, videos, or “snippets” of the content to improve the user experience.
How do you find and win featured snippets?
Your page has to rank in the top 10 search results for the provided query to “win” a featured snippet. Moreover, you may review techniques for enhancing your on-page SEO while delivering a great user experience.
How to keep track of your featured snippets?
Use Google Search Console as a base tool to find keywords used in the featured snippets. Examine your top 10 rankings for keywords, then focus on the “snippety” ones, such as question and comparison keywords. During the progress of how to optimize featured snippets, you may examine the SERP in an anonymous browser when you rank for keywords that probably offer featured snippets.
Conclusion
In short, providing a concise and insightful answer to the search query in the most appropriate format is essential when optimizing for featured snippets. The process on how to optimize featured snippets requires the content should apply SEO optimization to rank highly for the target keyword.
As stated above, featured snippets require various SEO components in the article to increase traffic and make it appear on top search results. Therefore, to best optimize this strategy, your business should consider hiring an on-page SEO service. Their expertise will help the business smoothen the process and enhance its reputation by making them win the featured snippets.
Co-Founder & General Manager @ ROI Digitally
3 Common Customer Behaviors & 4 Key Customer Personas