Featured snippet for SEO in google
Senior SEO-specialist
When a searcher searches for something in Google, they want a clear answer to their question as quickly as possible. The searcher is satisfied when he/she obtains a concise and clear answer.
Google highlights exactly the answer to the searcher’s question on the search results page. This is identified by a block of highlighted text just below the search bar.
Many companies want a featured snippet for SEO . It gives concrete answers to the visitor and that’s what Google wants. It is therefore conducive to the SEO of your website. In this article, I discuss why you need a featured snippet and how to get one.
What is a featured snippet in Google?
A featured snippet is a highlighted search result that provides a concise and clear answer to the visitor’s query. It is a direct answer to the question. The snippet of text is at the top of all search results: organic and paid.
The benefits of a featured snippet:
- The featured snippet stands out. It takes up a relatively large amount of space on the search results page. The searcher sees your website right away. So good promotional material!
- Higher click-through rate (CTR). The piece of text triggers the searcher to click. After the click, the searcher will receive more information.
The different featured snippets and their benefits
Featured snippets are short summaries of an answer to a user’s search query that appear directly at the top of Google’s search results. There are different types of featured snippets, each with their own benefits. Getting a featured snippet can be very positive for your SEO efforts.
Here is a table describing the different types of featured snippets, their benefits and the positive value of getting them:
| Type of featured snippet | Advantage | Positive value |
|---|---|---|
| Paragraph snippet | Answers a user’s question directly in a short text fragment. | Very positive – It provides immediate visibility and can lead to a significant increase in traffic. |
| List snippet | Ideal for content that is presented in a list form, such as a step-by-step guide or ranking. | Very positive – It can improve usability and persuade the user to click through for more information. |
| Table snippet | Useful for presenting data or information in tabular form. | Very positive – Allows complex information to be presented in a simple and clear manner. |
| Video snippet | Displays a video relevant to the user’s search query. | Very positive – Video content is highly engaging and can increase engagement and interaction. |
Getting a featured snippet can help you improve visibility in search results, increase click-through rate (CTR) and show your authority on a particular topic. However, it takes some work and strategy, including optimizing your content for relevant queries and keywords and making sure the information is presented clearly and concisely.
How do you get a featured snippet?
It is not possible to mark a page for a featured excerpt. So you simply have to be lucky that Google chooses your answer.
Optimize the following points to obtain a featured snippet:
- Clear and good formatting. Put the answer to the question in a separate paragraph. This makes it clear to Google and to the visitor that this is the answer to the search query.
- Understand your visitor’s search intent. What do they mean by this search? Obtain keywords from keyword research.
Is there already a featured snippet for the question? Consider whether it is wise to put energy into this. When there is already a strong website behind the snippet, it is more difficult to replace it. Then focus on other featured snippets.
There is no manual on how to get a featured snippet. Apply the above points and influence the chances of a featured snippet.
Getting my process for a featured snippet for SEO
When I want to take a featured snippet, I have a specific work process. See the steps below about this.
- I look at what the competitor is doing to grab the featured snippet. Hereby I pay attention.
- Under which header is the piece of text (H2, H3 or H4 for example)
- What does the answer say (and is this answer complete or can I add to it)
- How many characters does the answer consist of (then I try to get as close to this as possible – I use my character counting tool for this).
- How many characters does the question consist of.
- Where on the page is the question and answer?
- Is there anything special about it such as an image or table (or is the answer put down in a special format).
- With this information, I try to emulate and even surpass this as best I can on my website. Consider:
- Improve the answer in quality. Consider making it more complete, within the number of characters specified.
- Move the question and answer higher on the page (giving it more weight).
- Improve the quality of the table or image.
Summary
In short, obtaining a featured snippet is really a matter of looking as closely as possible in Google to see what the competitor is doing to grab it and emulate it.
Try to request indexing for the page again after each change, so Google picks up on any changes on the page quickly and you can continue optimizing quickly.
