Modern-day search has come a long way from the days of 10 blue links. Google has not shied away from blue links, but SERPs are now populated by a myriad of other SERP Features, which are key additions that make the results stand out based on the user’s search query.
Presenting an opportunity for websites to obtain an additional, highly prominent ranking in the search results, there is one SERP feature that has a higher CTR than regular organic results, and uplifts your SEO efforts. These are Featured Snippets.
A sweet spot in SERP referred to as “position zero” or “Rank #0”, Featured Snippets can significantly impact your SEO efforts. Analysis of your SEO results will enable you to understand the relationship between the clicks and impressions with the keywords that appear in the Featured Snippets.
In this blog post, we will deep dive into the features, types and ways to optimize for Featured Snippets.
What Is A Google Featured Snippet?
Featured Snippet or #Rank 0 is a piece of content that is generated from the page of the website that is more relevant to the search query. Google always puts the user in front, so Featured Snippets or optimising for the Featured Snippet should be a part of your strategy as Google believes that Featured Snippets make it easier for the users to find exactly what they are searching for.
How Do Featured Snippets Impact Your Results?
Especially when it comes to mobile, where you have a scaled viewing space, you will not miss out on the result that is at the top of SERP. Statistics show that more than 80% of the users click on the Featured Snippets before scrolling down. This means that Featured Snippets increase the click-through rate of the website which will have an impact on the rankings.
Types Of Featured Snippets
Currently, there are a few types of Featured Snippets like paragraphs, tables, videos and listings. Considering the fact that architecture is subjected to constant change to give the users the best experience, there will be new additions moving forward. But let us look at some of the most important types of snippets that are well established on the search engine.
- Paragraph Snippets
Paragraph Snippets are one of the simplest types of Featured Snippets. These types of snippets usually generate a paragraph from the web page based on the relevant query. These snippets may show with an image or just as a simple text paragraph.
2. List Snippets
The best way to structure the content and make it easy for the readers to consume the content is by listing it. This type of Featured Snippet contains information that is in a bulleted list or numbered format.
Google’s algorithm clearly understands the type of query that we are looking for. For example, if you search for “best books to read for beginners” there is a high chance you will get a snippet result with the list of books to read as a beginner.
3. Table Snippet
This is a snippet that shares the information in a structured format which makes it easy for the users to consume data directly from the SERP.
How To Get Featured Snippets In Google
There is no textbook rule to gain Featured Snippets from the SERP, and of course, that is what makes it more interesting. However, you can focus on optimising your content to increase your chances of getting there. Here are some tips you can consider:
Identify The Search Query
The first thing here is to identify the search query that would generate the Featured Snippet. Once you have identified the search query, it is important that you provide a detailed answer.
You can use the manual search method or tools like SEMrush and Ahrefs to find the queries that target the Featured Snippet. You must also identify the type of snippet that the search query is ranking for. This will help you target the type of Featured Snippet and optimise the content based on the same.
Content Optimisation
Once you have found out the queries, you can create a new set of content or optimise the existing content based on the type of snippet to increase your chances of featuring in the Featured Snippet. Make sure to match with the existing competitor who is already featuring at #Rank0 and enhance your content in the best possible way in comparison.
- Structure your content with more bullet points and numbers.
- Structure the headers and subheaders in Q & A format to make sure you give users the relevant information they are searching for
Keyword Research
Researching keywords is one of the most important steps in featuring as a Featured Snippet. Focus on creating evergreen content that targets the long-tail keywords that starts with:
- What Is
- How To
- Why Is
Don’t Ignore The SEO
The results that usually feature on the Featured Snippets are generated from pages that have the ability to rank high organically. So it is important to do proper on-page optimisation by adopting the best SEO practices to uplift your page’s ranking organically.
Acquire Strong Backlinks
When we discuss on-page SEO, we definitely cannot ignore off-page SEO. Getting high-quality relevant backlinks plays an important role in improving your ranking in SERP. Getting backlinks from high authority websites send signals that the page is highly relevant to the search query.
Featured Snippets vs Rich Results: The Difference
- Featured Snippets are results that are featured at the top of the SERP also called #Rank0. Displayed within the organic search results, they are more detailed than the regular snippet, added with more interactive features based on the result.
- In Featured Snippets, content is generated from a page that is relevant to the query. In Rich Results, the listings are enhanced by features like breadcrumbs, reviews and more to make it more appealing.
- Featured Snippets are seen above the first organic result and is usually known as #Rank0. Rich Results do not have such rules that it should show above the search results. The only prerequisite for the Rich Result is that it has to be located within SERP’s.
- For Featured Snippets, it is not industry-specific. With more relevant user intended queries, websites will be able to feature in snippets. For Rich Results, it is more industry-specific or content-specific websites in which we can add the structured data based on the same.
- Featured Snippets may or may not have an impact on the CTR as the results are displayed to the user based on the relevant search query. Rich Results definitely have an impact on the CTR because of the improved visibility based on the purpose of the page or website.
- Featured Snippets are generated by content analysis based on the search query. In the case of Rich Results, they are generated based on the page’s structured data implemented.
Should Featured Snippets Be A Part Of Your Seo Strategy?
Driving more qualified traffic to your website is the ultimate goal of any SEO campaign. There is no better way to do that than featuring in the Featured Snippets. Featuring in Featured Snippets can tremendously improve your CTR and share the major chunk of traffic for the particular keyword compared to the competitors. So prior to building a strategy, segment your priority keywords, study the variations, find the opportunities and create the best content compared to the competitors. There is no need to worry even if you don’t land in one of the top spots. The time you invest in SEO will definitely benefit you in the long run.
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