Search Engine Optimization (SEO) has numerous elements to be considered for the organic ranking of the business. One of the essential elements is the featured snippet. It is the clipping of text that provides the user with a direct answer to their question. It is an expanded organic search result that appears on the top termed as “position zero.” Feature snippet increases traffic and CTR. Let’s dive deeper into a featured snippet and understand it to utilize the SEO technique to the fullest.
Features snippet is of three types
- Paragraph – box with text & image
- List – list form is used to answer questions
- Video – Preview of the video is displayed
- Table – Answer is presented in table format
It is necessary to understand that examples or definitions are not featured snippets that Google displays. Those are answer boxes.
Why is featured snippet important for your business?
Featured snippets are a crucial element of SEO
- They make your business rank at the top
- Being prominent, the content gets more visibility
- Improves brand recognition with voice search
- Increases clicks and traffic to the webpage
How to get your business a featured snippet?
- Keyword magic
Long-tail keywords trigger chances of having featured snippets. So, search for relevant keywords and start with query-based questions. Snippet intends to answer the question immediately.
- Collect questions
Research what questions people ask from Google. When you search a question or type a keyword, similar questions appear in the search result, giving you better insights. Once you click these questions, more queries open up.
- Identify your high-rank keywords
Check keywords on which you rank high and work on them to get featured. Here, Google Search Console can help you. Further, you can optimize the answer/content that can appear as a snippet.
- What do people ask?
In addition to the traditional way of identifying the keywords, take a step ahead, and talk to people. From survey or forums, identify what people ask for, what terms they use, or prefer to see for a connection. Here, Twitter questions can do wonder for you to identify keyword or topic; you need to write next.
How to Optimize for Featured Snippets?
- On-page content optimization
To get featured, it is necessary to your website rank higher, i.e., at first five positions at least. SEO guide by Moz can help you create the checklist for on-page activities you need to work upon and improve ranking.
- Frame content around the topic
Do rigorous research on what your customer searches on Google and have a page with a specific response. Your content should follow a trend and answer who, what, why, or how of the topic. Also, in addition to targeting the specific, you need to maintain the context throughout the content piece from H1 to a conclusion. You can use multi-level keyword strategy, for instance
- Specific keyword can make the title of the blog
- Generic keyword can make one section of the blog
- Very specific keywords can make the subheads in the blog
- Content modified for similar questions
Try to have topics and headings that answer similar questions and get featured for family questions. This kind of content builds trust and convert them into returning customers. Even try to make headings that answer a question. Here, if a customer posts a search that is somewhere in your content piece, you have chances of getting featured.
- No space for complex content
Google prefers to feature snippets with concise and straightforward replies. This parameter is used to identify if the customer query will be answered or not. In around 50 – 80 words, the content should offer the answer; a person is searching on Google. Also, while creating content, remember the formats of the featured snippet and put together your blog or article in that format, for instance, list or table format.
- Images are a must
Every marketer from SEO to content knows the importance of images in organic search, but to get featured, it is advised to have an eye-grabbing and relevant image. Google can pick any image from the blog, so try having the best possible pictures throughout. This helps searchers feel associated with the content.
- Schema markup
To get the relevant or desired content featured, make sure to add schema markup. There are multiple specifications for the search engine to understand your content better. This simple coding will make Google display the content of your choice in snippet instead of picking anything of its preference for display. FAQ schema markup can be of help also. Google will show other relevant question added by you under the search result
Work & rework
Keep a note of the pages ranking high for topics with a featured snippet in organic search. Revisit the pages and see how you can further improve content or SEO strategies following the one featured so that Google picks your content and display it in the snippet.
Conclusion
SEO is a mystery; you need to keep planning, optimizing, and researching to achieve the result. Magic with content and SEO can get you a place as a featured snippet, which a significant achievement in itself. This lengthy process will help you identify some amazing keywords, topics, customer’s intent, and more that will help you build a great brand.
