Featured snippets, sometimes referred to as “position zero”, are one of the most important aspects of SEO today. They can be a huge source of traffic for your website, so it’s important to understand how they work and how to optimise your content for them.
In this guide, we will discuss what featured snippets are, why they’re important, and how you can start optimising your content for them.
Contents
What Are Featured Snippets?
Featured snippets are a special type of search result that appears at the top of the page, above all other results. They are designed to answer a user’s question directly, and they can be a great source of traffic for your website.
Featured snippets are generated algorithmically based on several factors, including the content of the page, the keywords in the query, and the user’s location. There are two types of featured snippets: direct answers and carousels.
- Direct Answer Featured Snippets: Direct answer featured snippets appear as a block of text with a brief answer to the user’s question. They usually include the keyword or phrase that was searched for, as well as the source URL.
- Carousel Featured Snippets: Carousel featured snippets are similar to direct answer featured snippets, but they include a series of images and links that relate to the user’s query. They usually also include the keyword or phrase that was searched for.
Featured snippets first appeared in 2014, and their use has been growing steadily since then. They now account for about one-third of all featured results on Google.
Featured snippets caused a lot of controversy when they first appeared because many website owners felt that their content was being “stolen” by Google. However, featured snippets are a great opportunity for your website to get exposure to a new audience.
Types of Featured Snippets
Definitions & Answers
In the world of featured snippets, there are two types of results: definitions and answers. Definitions and answer featured snippets include a brief definition of the keyword or phrase that was searched for, while answer featured snippets include a full answer to the user’s question.
Tables
Tables are another common type of featured snippet. They appear as a series of data points that relate to the user’s query. Tables can be used to compare items, show aggregate data, or display other types of information.
Lists
Lists are another common type of featured snippet. They appear as a series of items that relate to the user’s query. Lists can be used to compare items, show aggregate data, or display other types of information.
Videos
Videos are another common type of featured snippet. They appear as a thumbnail image and link to a video on YouTube or other video hosting site. Videos can be used to show product demonstrations, explain complex topics, or engage the user in some other way.
Steps
Steps to take are another popular featured snippet. They appear as a series of steps that the user can take to complete a task or achieve a goal. Steps featured snippets are often used for recipes, instructions, or other types of how-to content.
Why Are Featured Snippets Important in SEO?
Featured snippets are important because they can help you capture a large portion of the search engine traffic for your website. In many cases, they appear before any other results on the page, so they can be an excellent way to get more exposure for your content.
Here are some benefits that featured snippets can have for your website:
- Increased traffic: Featured snippets can send a lot of traffic to your website. In many cases, they appear before any other results on the page, so they can be an excellent way to get more exposure for your content.
- Increased visibility: Featured snippets help you stand out from the competition. They are a great way to get your content in front of a new audience.
- Increased ROI: Featured snippets can help you achieve a higher ROI for your content. They are an excellent way to get more bang for your buck.
- Higher click-through rates: Featured snippets often have a high click-through rate. This means that people are more likely to click on them than on any other results on the page.
How to Optimise for Featured Snippets
Now that you know what featured snippets are and why they’re important, let’s take a look at how you can start optimising your content for them.
There are a few things you can do to improve your chances of ranking in featured snippets:
- Make sure your content is well written and answer the question or search query directly.
- Use clear and concise titles and paragraphs.
- Format your content so it’s easy to read and understand.
- Include relevant keywords in your content.
Snippet Like Results
There are other snippets like results that can show up in the results, these are the knowledge panel, knowledge card, and entity carousel.
The knowledge panel is a box that appears on the right-hand side of the results, and it includes information about a particular topic or person. The knowledge card is a similar type of result, but it appears at the top of the results instead of on the right-hand side.
The entity carousel is a series of images and links that appear at the bottom of the results. They are used to show information about a particular topic or person.
Featured Snippet FAQ
What’s the best way to format my content for featured snippets?
There is no one-size-fits-all answer to this question, but generally speaking, you should try to keep your content concise and easy to read. You may also want to use tables or lists to organise your data.
My website doesn’t appear in featured snippets. What can I do?
There are a few things you can do to improve your chances of ranking in featured snippets, including writing well-written content that answers the question or search query directly, using clear and concise titles and paragraphs, and including relevant keywords in your content.
How can I track featured snippets?
You can track featured snippets by using the Google Search Console. The Search Console provides data on how your website is performing in search results, including information on featured snippets.
What’s the best way to get my content featured in a featured snippet?
There is no guaranteed way to get your content featured in a featured snippet, but following the tips listed above should help improve your chances.
What’s the difference between a definition featured snippet and an answer featured snippet?
Answer featured snippets include a full answer to the user’s question, while definition featured snippets include a brief definition of the keyword or phrase that was searched for.
What’s the best way to format my data for a table featured snippet?
There is no one-size-fits-all answer to this question, but you may want to try using a table to organise your data when tabular data is a good fit for displaying information. For example, you could use a table to compare items, show aggregate data, or display other types of information.
Conclusion
Featured snippets are an important part of SEO and can be a great way to increase traffic and exposure for your website. There are a few things you can do to improve your chances of ranking in featured snippets, including writing well-written content that answers the question or search query directly, using clear and concise titles and paragraphs, and including relevant keywords in your content.
You can track featured snippets by using the Google Search Console. The Search Console provides data on how your website is performing in search results, including information on featured snippets.