Featured Snippets are a great feature from Google that helps the audience find ready-made answers to their queries. In this article, we will discuss everything you need to know about featured snippets – what they are, the different types of featured snippets, and how to optimize for them. Let’s start exploring!
What is Featured Snippet?
If you know anything about digital marketing, then you would have heard the term “Featured Snippets”. But, have you ever wondered what is Featured Snippets?
“Featured Snippets” is a Google feature. They are short snippets of text that appear on top of the Search Engine Results Page on Google when something is looked up on the site. They provide concise information about the topic they have searched for. Featured snippets are chosen from Google’s indexed pages, and it is Google’s automated systems that determine whether a page would make a good quality featured snippet for the query searched.
Featured Snippets are great for people to understand the gist of what they are looking for. There are not one but many types of featured snippets.
Featured Snippets – Stats and Facts!
Before we go on and discuss what is featured snippets in further detail, let us look at some stats we have on featured snippets, courtesy, a study conducted by SEMRush and Brado
- 19% of Search results involve featured snippets.
- Of the types of featured snippets, paragraphs take up 70% of featured snippets on SERPs, followed by lists, tables, and videos.
- Travel, Computers & Electronics, Science, and Arts & Entertainment are the industries with the most number of featured snippets.
- SERPs display featured snippets for queries with a string of words, with richer search intent. For example, a query with 10 words has more chances of getting a featured snippet, than a query with lesser than 10 words.
Google’s featured snippets are helpful as they provide readymade information on a query. This provides the audience with easy access to the information they are seeking.
How does a featured snippet work?
Featured snippets, as we discussed before, are short texts that appear before the actual results do. They briefly answer the query requested at the moment. They also include the information of the page the snippet features, including its URL, publication date, and its title. There are different types of featured snippets that vary in terms of format, which we will discuss later in this article.
Now that we know what is featured snippets, how do featured snippets work on Google? Featured snippets are chosen from a web page that ranks 0, the highest website rank on Google! Therefore, if Google features your website in the featured snippet section, it can also drive organic traffic for your site, provided there is a hook in the content you have provided that will make them want to click and read. This is because, in most cases, people looking up something on Google find their answers in the featured snippets section and leaves before they can click through and learn more. For this reason, it is recommended to have a hook in your content for viewers to click through to your site.
You might find featured snippets on their own within overall search results, within the “People also ask” section, or along with Knowledge Graph information.
The Featured Snippets section can be found within overall search results or within the “People also ask” section.
They come bearing a string of advantages for your website, including:
– Increased credibility: If Google features your website as a featured snippet, your site is what the audience would see first on the SERP. This increases credibility for your site as they are most likely to click through to your site.
– Improved click-through rate: The higher your credibility rate, the higher your click-through rate is likely to be.
– Capitalize on voice technology: Up to 40% of the people on the internet voice search every day, and if your website is a featured snippet on the SERP, then you are a winner for most voice search assistants use featured snippets to source their answer.
In this article, we will discuss the types of featured snippets and discuss how to optimise for featured snippets.
Types of Featured Snippets
Featured snippets are a fantastic feature by Google, and the section can take different forms, based on what we search for. There are five main types of featured snippets.
- Paragraph
- Table
- Listicle
- Videos
- Double featured
1. Paragraph Snippets
Paragraphs are those types of featured snippets that appear for definitions, question and answer-based queries on google. Anything that needs a descriptive explanation takes paragraph form.
You’ll see paragraph snippets for questions like:
– How to do/get…
– Who is…
– Why is…
– What is…
2. Table Snippets
This type of featured snippets appears when the query is data or result-based. These types of featured snippets help users understand and visualise data and their comparisons and analysis.
You’ll see table featured snippets for:
– Lists
– Pricing
– Rates
– Data
3. Listicle/Lists Snippets
Lists are those types of featured snippets that display a process, types of products, steps to something, and more. They help organise and present data in an orderly manner.
You’ll see numbered list snippets for:
– Recipes.
– DIY tasks.
– How to…
– How do I…
4. Videos Snippets
Videos are the type of featured snippets that Google sources from video search engines like YouTube. If a video answers a query best, then it is featured in the featured snippet section. Again, the type of content that can be video featured snippets include tutorials, processes, how-tos, and more.
You’ll see YouTube featured snippets for:
Any type of query that merits a featured snippet, with the exception of tables (which are hard to illustrate via video).
5. Double Featured Snippets
Sometimes, Google features two types of featured snippets together. For example, a featured snippet can have a listicle-based display, along with a video tutorial on the side. This can be considered a double featured snippet type of featured snippets.
While working on the content for your site, keep in mind the formant, especially if you are looking to optimise for featured snippets. Choose the suitable format that will help o put across your content on the site with precision and make it easily understandable for the audience.
Are you wondering how to optimize for featured snippets? Read on to find out how.
Optimising Content For Featured Snippets
Optimising your website for featured snippets involves consistent efforts. It is no different from optimising for rank #1 on Google. The only difference here is, you will aim to rank at 0, which is greater than rank 1, on Google. While optimising for featured snippets, you need to consider your content, keywords, structure, and more and look at things from a featured snippet point of view. Here are a few ways you can optimise for featured snippets:
1. Keep your content high quality
Remember, Google chooses sites for its featured snippets section based on the quality of content. If you are wondering how to optimise for featured snippets, you must start with revamping your existing content. Look to provide your readers with the knowledge-rich content that necessarily answers direct, search-able questions.
Readers always look for straightforward answers, and so does Google, for its featured snippets section.
2. Choose the right format to present your content
While the quality of content is key to getting featured in the featured snippets section is essential, the format you present your content in is necessary just as much. Earlier in this article, we discussed the types of featured snippets – these are the styles of content Google considers for its featured snippets section. So, while creating content, make sure you present it in the paragraph, table, lists, and video formats.
The format of your content also plays a crucial role when you look to optimise for featured snippets.
3. Focus on keywords
It is no news that keywords play an essential role in ranking a website on any search engine. So, focus on using keywords – make sure to use a rich mix of keywords to keep your content search engine-friendly —Target question-based keywords. Ensure you use keywords that contain words like what, when, where, how, why, and more. These are standard terms readers use while they search for something online.
4. Structure your content well
When you optimise for featured snippets, make sure your content is well-structured. Hap-hazard content will not get you anywhere. Organise the content you will put on your site, have relevant tiles, sub-headings, tags, and present it as clean as possible. This helps crawlers index and rank your site effectively.
5. Have an FAQ section
Consider having an FAQ section as they will inevitably involve the right question-based keywords in the questions. FAQ section is one of the best ways to optimise for featured snippets and helps group the content you have well. This also helps answer questions to the point, which is what Google looks for while sourcing sites to display in the featured snippets section.
6. Use relevant images and videos
Use relevant and high-quality images and videos in your content, apart from the text. This increases your chances of getting featured in a double featured-featured snippet. Also, media breaks the monotony in the content and helps keep the readers engaged.
7. Build quality links
Quality link building increases the organic traffic to your site and also improves your site’s credibility. Both of which are pivotal when it comes to getting chosen to be displayed in the featured snippets section on Google. Therefore, link building is one of the most effective ways to optimise for featured snippets.
Getting featured in the featured snippets section on Google is the ultimate rank one can ask for. It simply means people who look up for something on Google will first go through your content. If your snippet in the section can build intrigue in the audience’s minds, they will most likely visit your website.
The featured snippets section increases visibility and click-through rate for your site and, as a result, increases its organic traffic too. We hope this article helped you understand what is ‘featured snippets’, the types of featured snippets, and how to optimise for featured snippets. Now get your content optimised wisely and grab that rank 0 on Google’s SERP!
Have you spotted any keywords you use on featured snippets? Let us know in the comments below!
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FAQs – What is Featured Snippets and How to Optimize Featured Snippets
What is a featured snippet in SEO?
Featured snippets are information that appear before the organic search results. This feature allows consumers to get a brief idea about the topic they have searched for and answer them as concisely and precisely as possible. The different types of featured snippets include paragraphs, tables, listicles, videos, and double features.
How do you get featured snippets on SERP?
To have your website on the featured snippet, your website will have to rank #0, which is before #1. There is no official and proven method to get yourself featured. Still, you can make conscious efforts to stay higher on Google’s ranking list. Answer the question you’re addressing in your blog to the point – pick the right question, and answer it better than anyone.
How does Google choose featured snippets?
It’s easy – Google sits like a hawk to search for a website that answers the question precisely and perfectly. That website is then displayed in the featured snippets to allow people to get what they want. You will have to choose how to answer best the question among the different types of featured snippets.
How many types of featured snippets exist currently?
There are five types of featured snippets – paragraph, table, listicle, videos, and double features. Explanatory answers and definitions are often written in a paragraph, and table-driven snippets are mostly for showing data. Listicles are helpful while explaining processes or steps, types of products, etc. Videos are generally displayed for tutorials, and double featured snippets are those that show videos and texts.
Which type of featured snippet is most common in SERPs?
The search results that are shown on a page which are not organic is called a SERP result. The type of featured snippet in SERPs that are most common are those pieces of content that are clubbed with visual elements. Among the other types of featured snippets, this is the most common.
How do you optimize Google’s featured snippets in 2021?
The most important and first step to optimize Google’s featured snippet is to do your keyword research. Do not ignore the questions under the “People also ask” column. Once you have picked your questions, try to rank higher on the search results and select one of the types of featured snippets. Remember to write content that is clear and easy to understand without using jargon.
How do you get featured in featured snippets?
No rule book can ensure your place at Google’s #0. However, to attempt to get featured in featured snippets, you must first try to rank your website in the top 10 spots. Then, choose the right question and answer it based on which type of featured snippet will work the best. Answer it better than any other website, and you can land yourself the featured snippet spot.
1 Comments
I have read many articles about featured snippets but couldn’t find a complete explanation and then I found your article. Surely, you must have done great research for this article. Thanks for sharing this article.