Have you ever scrolled through Google’s search results and seen a box at the top with a summary of an answer to your query?
That box is called a “featured snippet,” and it’s there because Google thinks that the information contained therein is particularly relevant and useful to what you’re looking for. In other words, featured snippets are Google’s way of saying “this is the best answer to your question.”
Getting your website’s content featured in a featured snippet can be a game-changer for your business. After all, appearing at the very top of the search results—above even the number one organic result!—is an incredibly effective way to get more clicks and traffic to your site.
Not to mention, it can also help boost your brand awareness and credibility. So, how do you go about getting your content featured in a featured snippet? Keep reading to find out.
What are Featured Snippets?
Featured snippets are short answers to questions that appear at the top of the search results page. They are designed to give users the information they need as quickly and easily as possible. Google pulls the information for featured snippets from websites that it deems to be trustworthy and authoritative sources.
Featured snippets can take one of three forms: a paragraph, a list, or a table. If your website ranks high enough to earn a featured snippet, Google will pull content from your website and format it in one of these three ways.
Do Your Research
The first step in getting your content featured in a featured snippet is to understand what kinds of questions people are actually asking in relation to your business.
To do this, you’ll need to conduct some keyword research. Start by brainstorming a list of potential keywords and then use a tool like Google AdWords Keyword Planner or Moz Keyword Explorer to further refine that list.
Once you have a solid list of keywords, you can begin creating content that directly addresses those queries.
Keep It Concise & Succinct
When it comes to featured snippets, size does matter—the shorter, the better. That’s because people want quick answers to their questions, and Google knows this. As such, they tend to favor featured snippets that are concise and direct in their approach. So, when writing your content, make sure that it gets straight to the point without beating around the bush. Answer the question as directly and clearly as possible.
Optimize Your Content for Rankings
Just because you’re aiming for brevity doesn’t mean that you should sacrifice quality or thoroughness in your answer. On the contrary; your goal should be to provide the most comprehensive answer possible while still keeping it short and sweet.
After all, if your answer isn’t good enough, it won’t matter how short it is because people will simply move on to something else. So, make sure that your content is well-researched, thoroughly explained, and free of errors before hitting publish.
Use Schema Markup
Schema markup is code that you can add to your website in order to help search engines understand your content better.
Using schema markup on your site can give you a serious advantage when trying to get ranked in Google’s featured snippet box because it allows you to specifically target certain questions with your content.
If you’re not familiar with schema markup or don’t feel comfortable implementing it yourself, consider hiring an experienced SEO professional who can do it for you.
Types of Featured Snippets
There are three types of featured snippets: paragraphs, lists, and tables.
Paragraph featured snippets usually appear when someone asks a direct question like “What is SEO?” or “How do I start a blog?” This type of featured snippet pulls its information directly from a paragraph on the web page.
The list featured snippets usually appear when someone asks for a list of items, like “What are the best SEO tools?” or “What are the steps to starting a blog?” This type of featured snippet pulls its information directly from a list on the web page.
The table featured snippets usually appear when someone asks for specific data from a table, like “How many hours of sleep do I need?” or “What is the average life expectancy in the United States?” This type of featured snippet pulls its information directly from a table on the web page.
How to Get Featured Snippets
By now, you’re probably wondering how you can get featured snippets for your website. The answer is fairly simple: create great content. Google’s algorithm is designed to identify content that is both relevant and trustworthy, so if you want your website to be considered for a featured snippet, those are the two qualities you need to focus on.
To make sure your content is relevant, do your research. Find out what questions people are asking about topics related to your business or website, and then create content that directly addresses those questions.
To make sure your content is trustworthy, cite your sources! Any time you make a claim or use statistics in your content, be sure to include links to the sources where you found that information.
Not only will this help Google understand that your content is trustworthy, but it will also help increase traffic to your website by giving readers an easy way to find more information about the topics you’re discussing.
Also, Read:
- How to Change the Default Excerpt Length in WordPress?
- How to Use Page Builder to Boost WordPress SEO
- Important Image SEO Optimization Tips You Need To Know
- Internal Linking Strategy: Types, Tips & Tactics to Improve Your SEO
Conclusion: Get Ahead of Your Competition with Featured Snippets
Featured snippets are definitely worth going after because they can help increase traffic to your site while also boosting your brand awareness and credibility—not too shabby!
By following the tips laid out above, you’ll be well on your way toward getting your content featured in one of these coveted boxes. Do some keyword research, create concise yet thorough answers, optimize for rankings, and use schema markup on your site for the best results. Good luck!
