SEO GLOSSARY

What are Featured Snippets?

Featured Snippets are special search results that Google displays at the top of search results pages to highlight the most relevant information for a user’s query.

They provide a concise, direct answer in a box above the normal search results, allowing users to quickly find the information they need without having to click through to other websites.

Benefits of Featured Snippets

There are several benefits to having your content featured in a Featured Snippet:

• Increased click-through rate – Featured Snippets stand out on search results pages, so they tend to get more clicks than regular results.
• Improved brand visibility – Having your brand/site show up in the featured snippet gives you top visibility in the SERPs.
• Establishes authority – Google selects sites it sees as trustworthy experts on a topic to feature, so being in a snippet signals authority.
• Higher conversion potential – By answering the user’s question quickly, you’re more likely to provide them with the info they need to convert.

How to Optimize for Featured Snippets

Here are some tips to improve your chances of ranking in Featured Snippets:

• Focus on creating content that answers specific questions or provides step-by-step instructions.
• Use concise language – Featured Snippets are limited to a few short sentences or a paragraph of text.
• Match your content structure to the types of snippets – lists for “how to” queries, tables for comparison-based queries, etc.
• Optimize content for featured snippet triggers like “what is,” “how to,” or “why.”
• Include structured data like FAQs, tables, images.
• Create high-quality, in-depth content that establishes your expertise.

Types of Featured Snippets

Google displays Featured Snippets in a few different formats depending on the query:

• Paragraph snippets – A short paragraph of text answering a “what is” or “why” question.
• List snippets – A bullet point list answering a “how to” or “steps” question.
• Table snippets – A comparison table answering a “vs” or comparison question.
• Video snippets – A video thumbnail and description answering a video-related query.

Optimizing for the specific snippet type that fits your content and keywords is key. For example, a “how to” article should be formatted as a list snippet.

Conclusion

Featured Snippets represent a huge opportunity to increase your visibility, clicks, and conversions by ranking at the top of Google’s search results. By focusing on creating high-quality, in-depth content optimized specifically for featured snippets, you can establish your brand as an authority in your space and leapfrog your competitors in the SERPs.

With the right strategy tailored to your business, featured snippets can become a significant driver of qualified traffic and customers.