Your Best Featured Snippet Tips to guide you in optimizing your website traffic and ranking for Google search.
The best impact your website can get, adopting these Featured Snippet Tips.
One important thing we focus on when performing search engine optimization services for our clients, is featured snippet optimization. This article compiles the best featured snippet tips describing how Google displays featured search results in a special description box that turns information inside out of the usual format for a regular listing of a Website. A featured snippet is a powerful indication that your content is highly-optimized, informative, and relevant for both SEO and organic search results.
These featured snippets are also known as “Answer Boxes,” appear at the top of your search results with a text description above the link. It is the position zero search results that you can earn in the SERPs. It is even more useful and might even be read aloud using a voice search with the Google Assistant.
This guide provides you with the most widely used and best Featured Snippet tips. Comprises best practices on how a featured snippet works and contains a descriptive listing or informational representation of your content. They include – information quoted from a third-party domain, a link to the page, the page title, and the page URL for Google search engine results pages.
This guide includes tips on the use of a paragraph featured snippet, a list or set of steps, or a table within a set of a featured snippet. Start making your pages easy for indexing, better accuracy, and metadata to generate indirect SEO benefits.
Importance of a Featured Snippet
We are providing you with this comprehensive compilation of the best featured snippet tips from most SEO experts.
These tips that even beginners can use, serve as a brief and simple guide to ease you up monitoring and earning more featured snippets or position zero search results in the SERPs. It can positively impact your Website’s traffic.
It can give your Website content a better way to optimize for a responsive answer box and have head-turning excerpts of information for Google and human searches. The kinds of featured snippet tips which are also known as rich snippets tips to drive traffic to your website for Google search engine results pages or SERPs. It is the best way you can have for the website ranking you desire for Google SERPs and Search Engine Optimization (SEO).
Grab this dashboard and use your data from Google Trends, Google Analytics, and Google Search Console. See all of your most essential metrics, side-by-side, with this simplified view of the most widely used best practices for featured results that are user-friendly to website owners, SEO beginners, and professionals.
1. Elaborate further your intended search results in the article
Create a reason to entice your searcher to click through, read more, and stay longer on your featured search results. Make a variation of your featured snippet and elaborate it further in your content. Know the type of featured snippet that Google shows for search queries where you want to own the snippet. You can use a few different forms, including Paragraph, Numbered list, Bullet list, Table, and Video for your featured snippets.
It is also important to know other “snippet-like” results to understand how a featured snippet and its variations can fully work. You need to research people’s search intent types, get familiar with the searcher’s behavior, and understand how to avoid confusion from these SERP features.
Such SERP features include a knowledge panel, knowledge card, search intent data, and entity carousel types of featured snippets. Understand that these SERP features don’t pull answers from just one of the top-ranking search results. They are based on entities in the Knowledge Graph, containing a link to the source of information, like in the case of song lyrics. It is not in any form a clickable title as compared to the usually featured snippet structure.
You have to elaborate on your article about the intended search results you want Google to feature through a significant amount of search intent data.
It can uncover the exact answer to those questions your searchers ask Google when you do it right. It can help you create high-intent content that can reach and impact your searchers whenever they are searching for your featured results.
You need to dig beyond the basic questions. Analyze their structure and search intent to understand better your searchers and the outcomes they want to get from your featured search results.
2. Is schema markup required?
A study by Ahrefs shows that there’s no correlation between featured results and structured markup. But adding a schema markup is one of the most effective ways or featured snippet tips you can have to get the position zero in the search engine results pages.
It will help Google to have a faster and better understanding of your content. In turn, it will lead your website to increase its rankings and earn your best featured snippets in the search results.
Most SEO Experts highly recommend structured data to earn a featured snippet for your web pages. It is part of your onsite optimization strategy via a simple coding technique. Such a coding technique can add value to ease up the search engines to understand your content better.”
Google prefers JSON-LD Markup to ensure your featured snippet displays all of your important content on the website. Google will index, pick, and get what content is available for display. It can understand your website on how to optimize for featured snippets better.
You can also use FAQ schema markup for common questions, and if you use WordPress, try the Yoast SEO plugin.
The use of schema markup can double the size of your search results and make a higher CTR. Also, the exact question people ask will give you a better response in a structured data format. It can give you a better chance to get into the position zero in the SERPs. It can ease up how to optimize for featured snippets.
You can consider adding a FAQ schema using Google Tag Manager if you are not using WordPress. You can also generate structured data using Javascript.
3. Chances of getting a featured snippet
According to a research study by Ahrefs, 99.58% of featured pages already rank in the top 10 of Google. Most snippets came from sites outside of the first organic position.
In 2014, Google introduced featured snippets, and they’ve become one of the most prominent SERP changes in the last ten years. Making those SEO optimized websites to earn their position zero search results in the SERPs.
There are quite a few changes that featured snippets can bring for both users and SEO. These changes include a shortcut to the top position in the organic search results.
When you have these featured snippets tips, you can realize fewer clicks for best branding opportunities. However, we would not recommend you to have featured snippets after SERP deduplication. And how to optimize for a featured snippet can impact your visibility in organic search results.
Rather, try to format your content to fit one of the three different ways to increase your chances of getting a featured snippet. You can use paragraph, list, or table snippets.
You have to check on Google search to identify what featured snippet format is already getting the featured results for particular keywords. When Google pulls a table, you have to make an HTML table in such a case. And if Google pulls a list, then you better create a list on this instance. Always ensure your snippet is flexible enough.
4. Research for question-type search queries
Consider looking at all the who, what, where, why, when, and how questions. Providing an answer to a core question about your site content can be your universal match to question-type search queries. It is one best snippet type or example of the featured snippet tips you can look for.
Think about a question searchers might formulate. Do it by asking who, what, how, or why when you look for question-type search queries to create your content for Google search.
Keep your reader’s intent in mind and spend a few more hours on your keyword research each week. You will find out what questions your readers are asking. Know in what way they express their queries in different words, expressions, or repetition.
Understand how they use a lot of words or expressions based on repetition. You can find these questions on public platforms like Quora and Twitter. It can help you how to optimize for featured snippets that your content can best go around these kinds of question-type search queries. Hence, making your website earn position zero search results in the SERPs.
5. Create descriptive page titles for your content.
Each page title plays a critical role in giving users a quick view of your content. Providing a brief search result and the reason why it is relevant to a searcher’s search query.
Most often, it is the primary information you can use to choose which result to click. Use only high-quality titles on your web pages. Follow these few tips to create descriptive titles for your content:
Ensure to specify every page on your site with a title in the <title> tag.
Avoid keyword stuffing, long titles, and use of repeated or boilerplate titles.
Brand your descriptive titles, but concisely. And avoid vague descriptors like using “Home” for your home page.
Take good care of disallowing search engines from crawling your pages.
Check here for details to effectively manage your titles and how to optimize for featured snippets.
6. Types of search queries that don’t get featured snippets.
You may have to be careful in using images and videos, Local, Shopping, and other types of search queries that don’t get featured snippets most of the time. It can positively or adversely impact your chances to earn a position zero search results in the SERPs.
When you use images as it can naturally draw people to your content, ensure you have optimized your visual material, and use pictures that are better than those used by your competitors. Optimize the image, video material, and textual content should cover the topic comprehensively and add value.
Google needs to understand the content of your website quickly. Never miss using the heading tags like the H2 tag and setting the question or a closely similar variant of the question. Make sure you put your answer directly underneath the H2 tag.
Lots of searchers would see different ways to seek answers to match their search queries. You have to get it direct to the point and prevent search-queries that do not get featured snippets. Avoid making difficulties for search engines when they rank your website.
7. Look for informational intent, not just questions.
Use Questions that would return useful data, and facts are ideal for providing informational intent. Create quality, rich snippets in Google SERPs.
Google generates page titles and descriptions, or also known as “snippets.” It completely automates and takes into account both the content of a page and a reference to it, which appears on the web search results.
The goal of the page title and snippet block is to represent and describe each search result. It also explains how it relates to the user’s search query and not just questions. You can use several different descriptive information sources for each page’s title and meta tags. Use available online information, or create rich snippets based on schema markup on each page.
Make them as relevant as possible to improve the quality of the title and snippet display for your pages. Follow these general guidelines – “there is no exact minimum length that Google specifies to appear as a featured snippet.”
Such minimum length varies based on some factors, including but does not limit the information in the snippet itself, the language, and the platform that can fit a mobile device, app, or desktop, and the chances it can earn a position zero search results in the SERPs.
8. Paragraph featured snippet
A paragraph featured snippet can be a box with a text block inside it. An informational box that contains both text and an image inside it. This paragraph snippet can show conversational or paragraph-type answers to search queries or questions like how, who, why, when, and what. Your paragraph featured snippet can resonate your way to a position zero search results in the SERPs.
It includes an overview, a summary, or a blurb of your content. These snippets can appear when a user has searched for a question and includes information or long-tail phrases to look for an answer to that question.
Paragraph snippets are the most popular and widely used type of featured snippets. It helps your click-through rate, and can promptly answer the search-query question for your searchers. It is one of your best featured snippet tips that can spark the searcher’s interest and encourages them to click through your content.
9. Types of search queries that get featured results most often.
The types of search query information that get featured snippet results most often include DIY processes, Health, Financial, Mathematical, Requirements, Status, and Transitional.
There are specific words that most rich snippets also include such as a recipe, best, vs., versus, make, definition, windows, cost, meaning, price, list, new, top, phone, salary, time, review, reviews, schedule, schedules, and size.
It is one of the best featured snippet tips you need to compel users to click your featured search results. When a user is directly brought to the featured snippet text on the source web page, it automatically clicks a featured snippet.
There’s no need for special markup of the featured snippet by webmasters to enable such a click-through.
Except that when a browser doesn’t support the underlying technology needed. Or if Google’s systems can not confidently determine exactly where within a page to direct a user’s click.
Clicking a featured snippet will take a user to the top of the source web page anyway.
10. How many questions per page
There is no significant point in creating many questions or a separate page that can answer each search query. Creating one solid article that can answer many related questions is a much smarter strategy as part of your primary featured snippet tips.
Ensure that you answer several related questions on one page – the goal of content marketing. That is to provide incredibly valuable content to build trust with potential prospects and earn a position zero search results in the SERPs.
Getting them to come back and become customers can be done by answering related questions. It would not matter how many questions you have on a page. But covering all the queries that people search for relating to a topic is what matters for your content. It is the most effective way on how to optimize your content for the featured snippet.
Google is helping a lot of online platforms in these areas nowadays. It provides questions that are related to a target or focus keyword. If a user clicks on each question, featured snippets appear instantly. It indicates that Google wants snippets for these types of search queries or questions.
What is crucial for your webpage is to have your question or questions in a header format using H2, H3, H4, H5, and so on. Write the corresponding answer directly beneath the question (header). Keep the answer within a maximum of 50-60 words to help you how to optimize for featured snippets as Google favors this kind of content.
11. Pages Should be long-form content.
Pages should cover a topic well and be well organized, including the use of Voice search features. It is used more frequently in 2020 as smartphones and mobile devices, and other digital assistants continue to rise.
These days Google and Users seem to prefer long-form content (also known as “cornerstone content.” A page with long-form content is a better way to describe it.
It’s not just about the length that matters. It is being broken into logical subsections and features, which are attention-grabbing textual content and SEO images.
Regardless if you believe or not, that cornerstone content receives any special treatment in SERPs. Focus on long articles to help you with comprehensive coverage of more related questions within one piece of a content page.
12. Your Best Method
Your best way to get featured snippets is to arrange your content to appear as a better answer for a search query. Organize your content as the “key informational box,” which satisfies search queries as the best answer to the topic at hand.
It has to appear exactly the way a searcher would be thinking or asking it. Your best way to earn position zero search results in the SERPs. Doing it seems simple, but when done correctly, it can become one of the best featured snippet tips to optimize your website visibility.
Competing for position zero or top positions on the first page of the SERPs can be easy when you have your key informational box or a question-answer-type box.
Most often, a question-answer-type box appears as the featured snippet and gets pulled out of the organic search results. You can either use the exact question as an H2 and start a one-paragraph answer box. Or generate a concise answer box with the best target long-tail keywords on it that are relevant to the topic. You have to satisfy what Google needs to understand your content quickly.
Most SEO experts observed that Google picks up the H2 tag. So set the question with the target long-tail or relevant keywords or a close variant of the question as your H2 tag. Then put your answer directly underneath it so Google can identify it and increase your chance to get the position zero in the SERPs.”
Lizzie Dun of Fundera recommends, “the more concise and simple your answer is, the better Google can find and rank your content. It will help decide whether or not your content satisfies the search query.” Though there are many featured snippet tips or best practices on how to keep your answer short, always make it direct to the point.
Ensure to include relevant keywords. Ask the question you want and satisfy the need of how to optimize for featured snippets within a heading or subtitle (i.e., H2). Then answer the question immediately with a brief paragraph of an ordered list or unordered list. Your answer should use 40-50 words and write them within two to three sentences.
Google’s algorithm will favor short sentences that it can pull out of your article to create a 50-word definition. It will display as a featured snippet. It can make your website content highly adaptable for featured snippets that can satisfy both Google search and SEO.
13. Organize your questions properly.
Consider arranging your questions properly with the page title, page heading, and subheadings on it. You can use heading tags, such as H1 (for titles), H2 (sub-titles or introduction), H3, H4, etc. to create a logical structure with all your questions.
In case you already have used H2s for introductory sections, create a new H2 to start the list to make it easier to read and how to optimize for featured snippets. Use an H3 heading for each list item and other headers such as H4, H5, and so on for the subsequent ones.
Better combine all closely related questions in one article to organize your search queries or questions that your searchers need to be answered properly. It will also help you structure your content well for both Google search and SEO. Consider this multi-level keyword organization list as part of your usable featured snippet tips:
- Content with a generic keyword that makes a section or a category of your post
- Format your article title as the answer for specific search queries
- Define the structure of your subheadings or subtitle to answer even more specific queries
- Create multiple search queries that are closely related that all go under a single subheading.
14. Monitor questions people ask on Twitter.
Ensure to monitor what questions most people ask on Twitter. It is a great way to find search queries of people that are likely to have gone unnoticed on Twitter. It is another way to discover untapped opportunities on what search inclination most people tend to look and expect to find on Twitter.
And does its search options support the ‘?’ search operator to filter results to those containing a question. Ensure to put a space between your search term and ‘?’ when you track it on Twitter.
You can use third-party tools like Cyfe to monitor and archive Twitter results. It provides a minimal dashboard that you can use to monitor an unlimited number of Twitter searches.
Simply log in to Cyfe for more topical idea options, and to view the archive. Then you can proceed to the above keyword research tools to expand on any search query idea.
15. Ask the question in your article.
Asking the question in your article can be done on your subheading after the title, a subtitle. Ask the questions your searchers are likely to search for on Google to provide an answer that exactly matches that question.
Your searcher may look for an answer for a search query like “What’s the best time of year to buy a mobile phone.” Having a page that answers that question to help show up for a featured snippet.
Position your questions to represent how your business or website become the must-go source for answers to most people’s search queries. Google rewards your web content with a featured snippet if you can do this.
With voice search and more changes in search result trends, most users shift to voice search-queries in question format. Hence, your content should follow that trend like using the title “How Do You Buy a Tea?’ instead of ‘The Best Way to Buy a Tea.’” It can help you find out what questions to answer with your text, visual, and voice content to guide your users, and further optimize your featured snippets.
Asking the question in your article can make you create and secure content that adds more value for SERP featured snippets. It can offer you greater visibility to your searchers and boost your brand awareness.
16. Table Snippet
One of the practical ways among your best featured snippet tips that you can consider is the use of a table snippet. It provides an answer to a search query in a tabulated format. Most people prefer to use bullet points and numbered lists. It helps Google pull quick answers from your blog post or web article. However, most people also don’t know that using tables gives Google the same ability. It can even integrate your paragraph or list block into your table featured snippets.
Using tables can organize your featured snippet data across several factors. It can allow Google to better understand your content and create a noticeable impact on your content to gain featured snippets.
Google’s John Mueller confirmed that table snippets make it easier for Google to pull information. He stated that “it is a great way to organize content to give it a structure.” Eventually leading towards a position zero search results in the SERPs.
17. Ensure to use head-turning images.
Your paragraph featured snippets with images that can become ridiculously eye-catching and can be head-turning content. Even beyond what a regularly featured snippet on Google search can provide for relevant search queries.
Google highly favors picking up a random image from the page. Make sure all your web images are eye-catching, branded, and well-optimized for Google search.
No matter which one Google chooses to feature, all your images will have a head-turning look. Check this great selection of WordPress plugins that can help you visualize your content much better.
Use these Image SEO Tips to create or optimize irresistible web images. You can create and display a clean and responsive image gallery with this WordPress Image SEO tool and other WordPress Plugins for image editing functionality.
Ensure that you source and optimize your free stock images, videos, and graphics to organize all your compelling creatives in one folder.
18. Identify search queries where you already rank well.
Google Search Console (GSC) does not show any information about how it generates featured snippets. Ensure this is one basis in making your priority list to identify answers that can match to search queries – whether its informational, navigational, or transactional – as part of your primary featured snippet tips.
When you identify search queries, make sure to check those search results with high-intent keywords that you already ranked well or have high-potentials to rank. These keywords have a strong possibility of leading to a lead conversion or later sale. It can lead your website content to earn a position zero search results in the SERPs.
Figure out the niches where you may already be capable of displaying featured snippets. Look for pages that rank in the top 10 results for Google search queries that have featured snippets. Check the information at your ranking page and ask: ‘How can I rewrite my existing content to provide a more accurate and clear answer to this query?’ It will help your featured snippet to appear better than what is already shown in the featured results.
You can make use of third-party tools like Ahrefs’ Site Explorer to look into finding and identifying high-intent keyword-enriched search queries that your content would likely rank or have already ranked well.
19. Format a List Featured Snippet
Make your content to answer a search query in the form of a list. Your content needs to appear in a structured format as a list to increase its likelihood of becoming a snippet. It can present an ordered or unordered list, a bullet, or a numbered listing of items.
Google, however, tends to use Ordered Lists for queries that need a set of steps. Lay your content out with numbered H2 or H3 tags to specify a sequential step of your listed items. It will likely improve the chances of Google displaying your content as a featured snippet.
It will help you rank for list featured snippets, so optimizing your content or article structure is essential. You can also use heading tags, such as H1 (for titles), H2 (sub-title or introduction), H3 (sub-headers or section headers), H4, etc. to create a structured list format. Give each heading item with a heading tag while you ensure to follow a logical structure.
In case you already have used H2s for introductory sections, create a new H2 to start the list. It can ease up reading, and how to optimize for featured snippets even better than your existing snippets. You can also use H3 headings for each sublist item and other headers such as H4, H5.
20. Add an outline or table of content with anchor links.
Structuring your post using an outline or table of content makes it easy for Google. It can easily identify potential featured snippets. As part of these best featured snippet tips, we recommend adding anchor links to the table of contents section.
List the content of your article after the introduction. Make it so that it represents the sections of your content and resembles a featured snippet in your field. Ensure to link each list item to the respective sections correctly.
Not only will Google favor and approve of it, but your readers will also have a better user experience. Providing a clear sense of informative direction when you add a table of content. Plus, adding your table of content with anchor links with it can provide a smooth navigational sense of user experience to your searchers.
A named anchor creates a link from one section of a web page to another section of the web page. For example, this is used in a table of contents where a user can click from the tabulated list of names with anchor links to a section of your web page.
John Mueller cited that the use of anchor links on a table of content can be useful. These anchor links can show up in the search results pages (SERPs). However, there is no clear indication yet whether it would work for all kinds of featured snippets.
21. The article should answer many similar questions.
I’ve been thinking of getting the position zero search results in the SERPs. It can be possible with responsive content that can generate an informational block for each search query. These have led me to conclude that Google prefers featured search results that can answer many similar search queries or questions.
Recent studies say that the average length of a paragraph snippet is 45 words, or with a maximum of 97 words for it to be featured. You may not win them all, and a shotgun strategy can be a good place to consider. However, I would recommend creating a precise snippet instead.
Create one solid article that can answer many related questions as a much smarter strategy to getting featured in answer boxes. Before you set out to look for more best featured snippet tips, better know how to optimize for featured results in the SERPs, optimize your content with long-tail keywords. Write it in an applicable snippet format to match many search queries.
Getting position zero of the SERPs for your target keywords, you have to choose those high-intent phrases or terms. Use them on your target or relevant keywords and integrate them on your headers or subtitles. It will boost your article to become a must-go source for your readers.
Google generates all or any of the featured snippets from the top 10 results. There can be no need for your Website to be ranking #1 or #2 to earn a featured snippet. So long as you are consistently ranking in the top five of the search engine results pages. It can give you high chances to earn the position-zero results or become featured snippets on Google search.
22. Use facts
Google loves facts such as numbers, steps, and lists. Make sure to use these facts to let Google mark your page as a featured snippet on SERPs. It can determine your page if it would make good indexing by Google and become a featured snippet for a user’s search query. Make this as part of your lined-up featured snippet tips.
From there, Google can elevate it to become rich search results. It can appear as a special block of extra information about your content on search engine results pages (SERPs), or they usually refer to “answer boxes.”
This special block or answer box contains a summative extract of the answer from a webpage. It is a link to that page, and most of the time, a related image. Google systematically extracts the informational summary. Placing any specific keyword for the featured snippet or the position zero search results in the SERPs.
Google determines your page as a featured snippet. With that, you get that special attention from the searcher looking at that topic. It will lead to more clicks and more traffic to your website. It can continuously enable you on how to optimize for featured snippets.
23. Number of words for a featured snippet
Google sees a paragraph featured snippet to have an average length of 45 words, with a maximum of 97 words. SEMrush suggests that this is a good and normal length for a featured snippet.
Their analysis of the SERPs found that “the most common length of content in featured snippets or a position zero search results in the SERPs is between 40-50 words.”
You should follow this and keep each section of content no longer than 50 words and no shorter than 40 to ease up readability for your featured snippet.
24. Follow the question with a one-paragraph answer
Aim your article to answer questions concisely by providing a one-paragraph answer to a question. It is the main component of the featured snippet formula. Among the three different types of Google’s featured snippets, the most common form of the snippet is a paragraph.
A recent article by Sponsoredlinx showed research by Rob Bucci of STAT that 81.95% are paragraph snippets out of the 1 million different search results. A paragraph snippet is your best featured snippet with a fast three-sentence informational block or answer box to Google.
25. Keep Track of your Featured Snippet
Keeping on track of your featured snippets can complement your website content, how to optimize for featured results. Get a featured snippet as it is equally important as your focus keyword to your website ranking.
You may have been tracking keyword ranking positions without even knowing it. Better expand it to tracking featured snippets or your position zero search results in the SERPs.
You can add all of the queries where you already own a featured snippet. Use third-party tools such as Ahrefs’ Site Explorer to help you track your featured snippets.
Conclusion
The use of these featured snippet tips is proof of the evolving SEO techniques. It is about how Google’s Featured Snippets can best optimize your Website content for Google search, SEO, and user experience.
There is no magic or specially structured data that can ensure your site gets featured or earn a position zero search results in the SERPs. It’s a good idea though to start with non-specific SEO best practices first. Begin with an on-page SEO for you to become one of Google’s best featured snippets.
When your website content is being featured, it means you rank high for the related search-query. It will make it easy for your website content to get featured in the SERPs.
Clicks and keywords aside, keep updated with current trends when you optimize your content for featured snippets. They are the first thing that users or readers can notice in Google search results.
The use of mobile devices is now earning its prominence across the internet. Voice search features trend continues to rise more in 2020 with the use of smartphones, mobile devices, and other digital assistants. Your optimizing your images, videos, or multimedia and considering other ways on how to optimize for featured snippets can always increase your visibility in the SERPs. Google highly favors it, which can leverage for your Website to earn a position zero search results in the SERPs.
One more thing, create website content that doesn’t go out of date. It should revolve around a topic that stays relevant to readers for all seasons. Make it an all-season content from the evergreen – a kind of plant that retains its green leaves all year round – a high-intent content that can further reach out, better understand and greatly impact your searchers whenever they are searching for your featured results.
Make your best featured snippet to rank for Google search that is irresistible to human searchers. Earn that position zero search results in the SERPs.
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