Featured Snippets

If you use it with any regularity, you'll have noticed that Google nowadays offers a new box on their search results page that provides the answer to questions put to it immediately, making it unnecessary for researchers to click on any of the listed results. What does this mean for you and your online visibility?

Google’s new initiative to go for featured snippets can be seen in two ways; it presents a challenge but it can also be an incredible opportunity. Having your page featured in a search result snippet can transform your visibility figures overnight. Let’s take a look at how to get ourselves featured in snippets.

What Exactly Are Featured Snippets?

A featured snippet is the highlighted box that presents an answer to whichever question you will have typed into Google. The fact that this box appears above the regular search results, everyone searching for something is sure to notice it. The impact of this on-site traffic can be massive, as you may well imagine. To have information from your site as a featured snippet cannot only supercharge traffic to your site, the very fact that Google chose your site, in particular, to answer the question automatically elevates your authority status in the searcher’s eyes. 

Example:

Featured snippets will usually take the form of paragraphs or bulleted lists, accompanied by an image where possible. It is actually quite possible to create your online content in such a way that Google is attracted to it and becomes more likely to put it up as a featured snippet if you know how. By giving excellent advice and structuring your information in a format that is very easily understood, you can convince Google that you are providing will be of the most use to searchers. It is simpler to do than you might think. 

Featured Snippets Can Take You Straight To The Top

To get a better understanding of just how important featured snippets can be, one must have a basic understanding of the role they play and the position they fill in the results page. The results page Google brings up once your search is completed is divided into several distinct parts. You will have your organic search results (the usual list of links to relevant sites), advertisements, and a dynamic search block or two. The trend at Google has been to try and have as many clicks as they can direct searchers to their own resources or those of advertising partners, hence the increase in Ads, answer boxes, knowledge graphs, featured snippets and more, which leave little room for you to get noticed in the organic search result portion of the page. One of the best ways to beat them at their own game is to get your content selected for a featured snippet.

How To Write Featured Snippet-Worthy Content

Here’s a short list of some of the things you can do to maximize your chances of appearing as featured content:

· Research your keyword thoroughly to find out what people want to know most about it

· Take a look at the “people also ask” sections to get ideas

· Use the “Answer the Public” function to identify questions you could answer

· Check out current answers to figure out how it works

· Work out how you could improve on what’s available

· Work out how your content would best be structured

· Ensure your content is easily understood and helpful

· Don’t let your answers exceed 50 words

· Use subheadings, lists, and so on to make your content and out for Google to pick up

· Ensure your content has a natural feel to it

Now, don’t give away everything immediately, but have just enough information to lure searchers to your site for more information. Additionally, you could make use of structured data (additional information about your website that makes it easier for search engines to understand), though this may not be essential. 

You Can Make It Work For You!

Sure, Google will make the final decision as to what is presented in its search results; there’s no magic formula to force Google into featuring your content. You do have a chance, though, if you can just create content that delivers. That’s the bottom line all those complex algorithms at Google are designed to look for.

Targeting feature snippets can be a fun challenge, and is an exhilarating experience to achieve. Keep these pointers in mind when creating new content, although revamping old posts in line with these tips isn’t a bad idea. You have everything to gain here, so go for it!