Do you want to rank top on Google by using techniques other than building backlinks or updating and marketing your content? You can do this with the help of featured snippets.
The effectiveness of feature snippets is well known. Every SEO expert strives to control any featured snippets that are offered for their content. You may have noticed that the top search results are no longer limited to links. It is because Google search results now include tons of elements, such as a graph, queries from users, and snippets.
The snippets are convenient and useful because they provide all relevant information to readers directly in the search results. They are very useful for marketers and can help to outrank competitors, increase conversions, and generate tons of targeted traffic.
Feature snippet appears before search results, so they are commonly called “Position 0.”
What are Featured Snippets?
Featured snippets are brief text snippets that are displayed at the top of Google’s search results. These extended search results give consumers a rapid response to their queries. A featured snippet’s content is automatically retrieved from websites that are included in the Google search index. Definitions, graphs, tables, charts, steps, and lists are typical examples of featured snippets.
For informational or lengthy search queries, snippets sometimes take the shape of a list, graphs, or video. These more detailed search results are shown in a specific box that is placed at the top or close to the top of the search results page (SERP).
Featured snippets (FS) assist Google to recognize the best response for a relevant question. It contains a concise response to the query, the title of the linked page, and the page’s URL.
Importance of Featured Snippets in SEO?
Search Engine Results Pages (SERPs) display the response to a user’s search result on Google and other search engines. To discover an answer to a query that isn’t covered by the core Knowledge Graph, Google may look in the index. With data taken from the target page, this produces a unique class of organic results.
Featured snippets can increase the exposure and traffic of your website by placing it at the top of all organic search results. CTRs for snippets are greater than for standard organic results.
1. Boosted rankings
Featured snippets are important for web pages that are among the top 10 searches. Since you don’t have to directly compete with competitors, they are a faster approach to overtake competitors in the SERP. You can easily outrank your rivals with the use of a featured snippet, which will place you at the top of SERP.
2. Improved CTR
Pages listed as snippets receive more clicks than standard search results, however, this is not always the case.
In the past, Google displayed snippets pages in standard search results anywhere inside the top ten ranking pages in the SERP. As a result, any website that was raised to the prominent slot (also known as “position 0”) received a massive traffic boost because it was displayed twice in the first SERP.
However, Google introduced a “SERP deduplication” upgrade which change this practice.
The quantity of clicks that may be attained from the featured snippet relies on both the initial position of the page and the purpose of the search query. Featured snippets typically have low CTR for “no-click search,” in which the user is merely looking for a quick response to his inquiry and has no intention of actually clicking on any search result.
However, the featured snippet might “take” some clicks from a top page that ranks first in the SERP. Most of the traffic that would normally go to the top search result often goes to featured snippets. This can significantly boost the traffic of any page that was previously ranked at the bottom of the first SERP.
3. Improved Brand Awareness
The featured snippet is an amazing opportunity for brand promotion because people notice the website in the SERP. Users will become much more familiar with your brand and regard you as an expert in your field. This is particularly important for mobile device searches.
4. Optimized for Voice Search
Voice-controlled personal assistants like Alexa, Siri, or Google Assistant use featured snippets. Optimized featured snippets for Voice Search will boost the brand’s visibility and authority. Google assistants can use them as answers for a large number of search queries.
Types of Featured Snippets
Google and other search engines use featured snippets to guide users to relevant webpage information. There are no one-size fits for all featured snippets. It depends on what the user wants to search for.
Your chances of having a featured snippet appear on Google and other search engines can be improved by knowing which form of snippet would best reflect your topic. For example, if you search for the simple question “Why brew coffee”, the search engines show you a paragraph snippet explaining the importance of brewing coffee but if you search for “How to brew coffee”, the search engines provide a numbered list snippet outlining the steps.
There are four major types of featured snippets which are mentioned below:
1. Paragraph Snippets
Paragraph snippets are the most used among all snippets. These snippets usually answer the question or query of a user in the form of a paragraph or provide a link to the webpage for more detail. It contains the extracted part of web content that best describes the user’s query.
Paragraph snippets resolve queries like “What is”, “Why is “, and “Who is”. Including FAQs in your content can increase the chances that Google will use them for a featured snippet.
2. Bulleted/Numbered Snippets
List snippets are used to show the procedures, instructions, and ranked items. They can be used for ordered or unordered things. The list snippet is of two types:
· Numbered Snippets:
Numbered snippets are used for the information where the order of the items is important such as “how to do”, “DIY tasks”, and “recipes”.
· Bulleted Snippets:
Bulleted snippets are used for both ordered and unordered items such as best-of lists and features.
3. Table Snippets
Surprisingly, table snippets make up 29% of all types of snippets, which is a remarkable amount. It enables users to visualize information like list items, prices, rates, and percentages for comparisons. Google enjoys using table snippets to flaunt its capabilities.
4. Video Snippets
Video snippets are best for detailed questions. Google can also extract video segments if it offers the most comprehensive response to a user’s queries. Therefore, be sure to optimize your videos to get them ranked.
How to Optimize your Website for Featured Snippets?
Although, there is no way to ensure that Google may use your work as a featured snippet. Google uses algorithms that continuously assess snippets to determine which offers the best answer to a particular question. Based on any algorithmic change that affects the SERP, what would have been addressed in a list can be replaced with a video.
You can provide engaging material that is well-targeted and has a high probability of being approved. We’ll discuss various strategies for giving you an advantage over competitors.
1. Optimize for Long Tail keywords
Long-tail keywords are lengthier search terms with a highly focused search objective (usually three words or more). These keywords have lower search volumes and greater conversion rates.
More Featured Snippets appear in long-tail keyword searches than in short-tail ones. Instead of using the short subheading “Optimizing Featured Snippets”, use the lengthier keyphrase such as “How to Optimize for Featured Snippets” for optimizing the snippets.
The foundation of effective SEO strategies will always depend on keywords. To improve your ranking, do some research on the keyword that frequently appear in snippets.
2. Improve Your Rankings
It will be challenging to rank a snippet if you aren’t currently on page one of the SERPs. 97% of snippets come from pages that are already on page one. If you are not among the top, collaborate with a qualified marketing company to develop a plan that will get you on top of search results.
3. Find Quick Wins and Low-Hanging Opportunities
For keywords that are already ranked and appear in the top ten search results, you can easily win featured snippets. These keywords might be viewed as “easy wins” because all you need to do is to optimize your content by providing precise and brief responses.
By using these keywords in your headings with brief answers under them, you can significantly increase the chances that your content will appear in the form of a featured snippet for those queries.
4. Use the Inverted Pyramid Style in Content
The Inverted Pyramid style is a journalism concept that shows how to present information in a structured way. Content should start with “the most wanted section”, and then move on to the details that will support the rest of the topic. The inverted pyramid is a reputable and clever writing strategy that can improve content optimization for featured snippets.
5. Use “Trigger” Words
Certain “trigger” words may produce snippets more frequently than others. Queries with high featured snippet occurrence are definition, when, often, age, dose, cause, was, last, etc.
Some words have low featured snippet occurrence so try to avoid or reduce their usage, especially when optimizing for snippets. These words are template, free, review, good, rankings, comparison, best, etc.
6. Keep an Optimal Word Count
Create the response to the questions you wish to address. Especially for voice search engine results, Google favors long-form answers—those that are more detailed. The featured sample text should be between 40 and 50 words in length. Therefore, before you get into more detail, write a highly focused introduction that includes the solution.
Final Thoughts
Featured snippets are the perfect solution if you want to increase conversions, draw more traffic to your website, or want to beat your competitors. They are typically the first result in SERPs and provide more information than simple links. Snippet places your webpage in ‘Position zero’- which is the highest ranking spot available without advertising.
So it’s time to increase your SERP performance by optimizing your content for featured snippets.
