What are featured snippets? How to Get Them

You may have noticed that the top search results don't include just links anymore.

This is because Google search results now include many features such as the knowledge graph, people ask questions and, of course, my favorite feature — the featured snippet.

Why are featured snippets so great? Because they offer valuable information directly in search results. This makes them useful and convenient.

These snippets are not just useful for the average person. Marketers can use featured snippets to rank higher than their competitors, increase conversions and drive lots of targeted traffic.

Because it appears before traditional search results, the featured snippet can sometimes be called "Position 0".

Another reason I love them is that featured snippets account 35.1 per cent of total clicks span style="font weight: 400 ;">, so you must optimize for them to get traffic.

Do you want to be featured in a snippet? Here are the details.

What's a Google Featured Shortcut?

Featured Snippets are extended search results which appear at the top Google and give users a quick answer to any questions. Featured Snippets can be in the form a chart, list, video, or video. They are often used for long-form or informational search queries.

Instead of the one- or two-line meta description that is standard, users will see more text. Sometimes, this includes bullet points.

Here's a sample:

[TAG1]

Take a look at the space that a featured snippet takes up.

The SERPs are dominated by featured snippets. In some cases, they occupy almost all of the space above and beyond the fold.

These will also increase your company's visibility.

The best thing? To rank for them, you don't need to pay any additional advertising fees.

Being number one in your field doesn't mean you have to.

According Getstat, 70% snippets are from sites that aren’t in the top-ranking organic positions

No matter how big or small your company is, any company can achieve position zero if it does the right thing.

What are the Different Types Of Featured Snippets?

Nearly 15% of U.S. desktop searches result in a featured search snippet. Not all of them are a complete list.

Featured Snippets can answer questions using an extended paragraph.

[TAG2]

You can also find snippets that feature chart and table features.

Table snippets are a way to find answers through tables. These usually look like this:

[TAG3]

Note There are also structuredspan-style="font weight: 400 ;">, that can change the appearance of your site within the SERPs. These aren't snippets though they are closely related.

Tip #1 – Use Google to Find Featured Snippet Opportunities

Snippet opportunities can be found by thinking like your audience.

So what are your audience's questions?

Try to imagine yourself as someone who is new to marketing and doesn't understand acronyms or common terms.

I searched for What's a CTA in Marketing?

[TAG4]

A featured snippet is a paragraph.

You might also be interested in Terms.

[TAG5]

These questions are related to the search that you have already done. Click the arrows to the right to expand the search phrase and view the answers.

Next, update or create new content to answer the main question.

Be clear and to the point when creating content. You will get the snippet faster if you can provide the information users need.

Tip #2 – Find Content Ideas on Answer the Public

Because questions are more likely to lead to featured snippets being mentioned, you should focus on the how, what, where, why and who.

Find out what questions people are asking about a topic by visiting Answer The Public.

[TAG6]

Let's suppose you are interested in learning more about crisis management.

Simply type your query and you'll get tons of questions suggestions related to that topic. You can then answer a few of these questions in your content.

First, choose the angle you wish to pursue. This example would have me choosing "what" as there are many basic questions I could answer. I also likely grabbed the featured snippet.

[TAG7]

You may need to do keyword research before searching for keywords to ensure they are SEO-friendly.

Tip #3 – Do Keyword Research

It is important to do keyword research in order to land featured snippets.

To determine if a search query will return featured results, it's a good idea use a keyword analysis tool.

I love Serpstat because I can easily see which keywords bring up featured shortcodes on the results page.

Enter a domain name, keyword or link and hover over each result for featured snippets.

[TAG8]

This is a great way to find out which featured snippets are currently ranked for by your comp .

Plus: If you rank highly for a keyword, you can check if Google is currently showing featured snippets.

If they do not, rank them by answering the questions people have about the topic.

Next, format your content so that it includes tags that are related to questions.

Tip #4 Answer Multiple Questions

My experience has shown that if a page ranks high for one featured snippet it is more likely to be featured on other related searches.

This is huge as it creates a snowball effect that allows you to earn more snippets.

Instead of optimizing dozens upon dozens articles to provide snippets, focus on updating a few and digging deep to find the answer.

Define the main terms and explore the steps, if necessary, before answering as many "people also ask" questions that you can.

This makes it a valuable piece of content that users and search engines alike will love.

Tip #5 – Stay within the Optimal Word Count

Although featured snippets can be longer than standard search results, they aim to answer as many users' questions as possible.

Keep your sections short and simple so Google can quickly feature your content.

Separate your paragraphs and steps from each other.

Take a look at this list. It's only 52 words!

[TAG9]

This is the average length of a featured snippet, according to Semrush. According to their analysis, the most common content length in featured snippets was between 40-50 words.

This is why you should limit the length of each content section to 50 words and not more than 40 words.

Tip #6 – Use Headers

Headers are often a larger font that is used to separate sections of content. They use HTML on the back to inform Google about the importance of each heading.

Click "normal text" in Google Docs to select headings from the dropdown. H1 is your title. H2s refer to main points. H3s refer to supporting points.

[TAG10]

Google will order them chronologically if you grab a list snippet if you add "Step 1, step 2" or "Rule 1, rule 2" to each heading.

Tip #7 – Add a "How-To" section to your website

A how-to section on your website is another way to get featured snippets. You have a better chance of landing that coveted spot because so many feature snippets include detailed information.

Websites are creating whole sections of their websites that answer readers' questions.

This is how Lowe's does it using their " Projects & Ideas" Section:

[TAG11]

It makes it easier to locate specific content on your website by creating a section.

A Q&A section or frequently asked questions section can be a good alternative to a how-to section. Keep the content concise and respond to questions quickly.

Tip #8 – Add high-quality images and video

People learn visual information, so it is important to include photos and images in featured snippets. Google also features images in featured Snippets which take up more space on the SERPs.

Canva makes it easy to add images to each step. You can quickly create professional-looking images by using their library of stock photos, templates and many icons.

You can even use it to make videos. Here's an example taken from the video template section.

[TAG12]

According to Video Explainers sites with video are 53 per cent more likely to appear on the first page Google.

Video marketing is worth it. It's easy to do with Canva and your smartphone.

Voice transcripts can be a simple way to increase video performance. Google may choose to feature the text in a featured snippet if it recognizes the text.

It is important to ensure that your video content has high quality.

I try and add transcripts to almost all my videos, such as this one:

The full transcript is then added to the description below the video.

FAQs

Conclusion

It can be exhausting trying to keep pace with Google .

However, featured snippets won't be going away. They're actually on the rise and pages with featured snippets dominate search queries.

These are the first things that show up in most SERPs. But they're much more than links.

A featured snippet is a ranking for position zero , which is the highest possible ranking spot without advertising.

To increase conversions , drive traffic to your website and easily beat your competitors, ranking for featuredsnippets is the way to go.

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By: Neil Patel
Title: What are Featured Snippets? How to Get Them
Sourced From: neilpatel.com/blog/rank-google-featured-snippets/
Published Date: Thu, 18 Aug 2022 19:00:00 +0000