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Google has been known to frequently reinvent its algorithm changing the search dynamics for users, marketers, and SEO experts. The block of answer that appears right on top of the search page has been one such gamechanger. Known as Google’s Featured Snippets, it is the most immediate and crisp result that Google shares, especially to question-based searches.
The featured snippet is the block of a search result that comes out on top of Google’s search page. Their objective is to share the exact answer to a user’s query. It usually appears below the ads but right above the first organic search result.
Also referred to as ‘position zero’, these are designed to be more informative than standard organic search results. Google simply picks the best answer from a relevant website and features it in a snippet for the user to read at a glance. For example, when a user searches for ‘how to start a business’, this result is featured.
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While this has increased the overall search-experience for the user, it has also given a magnanimous exposure to the websites who get featured here. Eric Enge’s report highlights that traffic for ConfluentForms.com increased by 20–30% while they held the featured snippet for the query.
A study done with over 5000 keywords concluded that HubSpot.com ranked on the first page of search results with its content appearing on the Featured Snippet. That alone increased their average click-through rate by over 114%.
While featured snippets are extremely helpful to the user, they also give marketers an upper hand in reaching a more valuable audience. Here are some more benefits of being featured in the snippet:
As of 2023, Google has been placing increased emphasis on E-E-A-T (Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness) signals when determining which content to feature in snippets. Ensuring your content demonstrates strong E-E-A-T is critical for capturing featured snippets.
There are several ways to find featured snippet opportunities.
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Image Source: SEMRush
SEMrush is famously known for its ability to uncover information about site analytics. The tool makes it incredibly easy to find opportunities for featured snippets. Its Position Tracking feature gives you all the necessary data that a keyword tool would give, except it also gives you a featured snippet report that shows you keywords you should pay more attention to for better results.
Answer The Public is a great tool to find questions that people are searching for. Put in a keyword and the tool will give you multiple questions around it. Answer The Public gives you a good base to form a structure for your content in such a way that it stands a good chance to show up in the featured snippet.
Since featured snippets respond to queries, user-generated content becomes the first and best source to find ‘how to’ content. Follow the trends and popular hashtags on Twitter to see what kind of conversations people are having. You can even check the hashtags that are popular or related to your industry and get an idea of the questions that keep coming up.
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It is highly recommended to think from the user’s perspective. Featured snippets mostly answer to query-based searches – how, when, what, where, etc. So, look for questions that the user might have. An easy way is to Google the topic and look for the ‘People also ask’ section. Google specifies what people are interested in when they search for the topic.
Doing so can help you identify existing featured snippets that you may be able to win. If a featured snippet is already showing for the keyword, that’s a strong signal there is opportunity there.
Your users are looking for answers on Google. By writing your headlines in a question format, you’re directly addressing the user’s query. It is also an indication for Google about the relevancy of the content with the search.
So, instead of ‘Learn to cook pasta in 5 easy steps,’ you could go with a question-based headline such as ‘How to cook pasta in 10 minutes?’ The results of these queries get featured in the position zero spot faster than non-question headings.
Google loves quality content, especially the one that has enough and more juice for the reader. While quality is of utmost importance, formatting your content properly can give you a place in the featured snippets.
a. Place your important keywords in the headings
Your target search keyword or seed keyword should be present in one or more headings of your content such as H1, H2, etc.
b. Answer the question below the header
You must answer the question directly beneath the header preferably in bullet points. It’s advisable to keep the length of the answer between 55-60 words.
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Often the text displayed in the featured snippet is shown in the form of steps (step 1, step 2, …). Your approach should be to add “Start by…”, or “The first step is…” or “Step 1, Step 2, etc.” at the start of each heading within the content. Google sometimes highlights only the steps in the Featured Snippet, and this happens often for searches that start with ‘how-to’.
For shorter, non-question-oriented searches, Google normally pulls a paragraph of text instead of the step-by-step section. For example, check the results for “Content Strategy”. In such cases, it is best to study the pages that are showing up on featured snippets and adjust the structure of your page accordingly.
There is no exact formula for earning a featured snippet except to produce quality content and format it in a Google-friendly way.
Ensure your content is factually accurate, comprehensive, well-written, and demonstrates strong E-E-A-T. Google wants to feature the most helpful, trustworthy information for users.
Once you have discovered the opportunities, re-evaluate your existing content, and update it to match the suggestions mentioned above. This should help you see some improvements over the coming few weeks.
By focusing on question-based content, clear formatting, and demonstrating strong E-E-A-T signals, you’ll maximize your chances of capturing valuable featured snippets. Monitor the SERPs regularly to identify new opportunities as they arise.
For more expert tips and advice, visit the Namesilo blog today.
