In the years and months when voice search is all set to take the world by storm, acquiring the top spot on Google’s organic search results is an uphill battle. Featured Snippets are also the most coveted spot for any business looking to increase its reach and brand awareness.
But even if it’s difficult, you can still win.
Featured snippets are your ticket to success if you can’t climb to the top. It’s named Position Zero for a reason, after all.
That’s why today, we’ll briefly discuss featured snippets and how you can optimize your content to reach that coveted position on the SERPs.
All About Featured Snippets
We can describe featured snippets with a couple of examples.
So, let’s say we do a Google search on “how to take care of wall art.”
Google usually includes images with a featured snippet, depending on the query. Just by looking at how featured snippets are present, it’s easy to see that they’re geared toward making online searches easier.
With just a glance, you immediately see the answer you’re looking for. Programmatically, Google chooses the best answer from a third-party website and features that in a snippet. Also, you can find the first organic search results above, if you don’t mind. That’s why it’s also called “Position Zero,” as we mentioned.
Generally speaking, featured snippets are classified into three:
- Table: These snippets appear for posts or articles that include comparison charts. Google values well-structured content, so prices, rates, years, and other abundant numerical data grouped and organized by tables will undoubtedly appear.
- Paragraph: Paragraph-type answers in snippets answer questions like who, why, when, what, and how.
- Lists: When questions are answered and presented in bulleted or numbered lists, they are more likely to appear in Google’s featured snippets.
How to Optimize Your Content for Featured Snippets
Featured snippets have been in Google since 2014, but marketers have only recently begun to take advantage of the benefits they can reap. The fact that Google aims to provide an incredible experience by showing users relevant and the best search results is more than enough reason to rank for Position Zero.
Step #1: Keyword research aimed at question-type search queries
Keyword research has always been an indispensable tool for successful content, especially for content that ranks on featured snippets. The main trick to landing a spot on Position Zero is answering your target audiences’ questions. You’ve probably heard of many keyword research tools with free trials but mostly paid services, like Ahrefs or SEMrush. And while tools like those are advantageous at total capacity, you still don’t have a shortage of free tools.
Free online tools like KWFinder, Ubersuggest, Answer the Public, etc., are at your complete disposal. They range from offering services that let you see keyword relevance, value, and volume to typing keywords and seeing what types of questions people query on search engines. With that in mind, don’t disregard Google’s importance as a search engine for keyword references and featured-snippets-friendly content.
As you research keywords and check out suggested terms, remember to check the section on SERPs that says, “People also ask.” It’s found chiefly underneath “Featured Snippets.”
If you have a list of terms or long-tail keywords for writing content, you can consider this a goldmine that offers more opportunities to expand a given topic. You could even answer multiple questions in one article.
Step #2: Improve on-page SEO to rank on the first page
Being on the first page of SERPs increases the chances of being in a featured snippet. This is mainly because nearly all featured snippets are on the first page. That means organic rankings are still an essential factor and will remain so for an indefinite amount of time. It’s a solid practice that you shouldn’t disregard either.
Revisit and realign strategies to improve your on-page SEO while providing a top-notch user experience.
- You can build a solid link structure.
- Earn backlinks from relevant and trusted sources.
- Please take a close look at the searcher’s intent.
- Update content so it stays evergreen and relevant.
- Diagnose SEO problems and search for penalties. Fix them if there are any.
- Keep track of game-changing algorithm updates.
Step #3: Use the inverted pyramid structure for writing content
Write your blog posts and those many how-to articles like you would a news story. The inverted pyramid is a journalism concept that prioritizes the most critical information first. The vital details follow, and the background information and supporting ideas come at least.
How would you apply that to writing blog posts?
If you’ve done keyword research and have a question to focus on, you would want to answer that question directly before diving into the details.
You’re writing an article about ‘5 Steps to Tie Your Shoes’. You can begin with a list of the steps, acting as a preview or as a ‘table of contents’. Afterward, you can dive into each step and explain how to do things in more detail.
If you’re writing, ‘Should you optimize for Google or your users?’ Could you give a straightforward answer in the first paragraph? And then dive more profound as the article progresses.
Step #4: Formatting and optimize word count
Earlier in this article, we pointed out the three classifications of how featured snippet results are presented. So, as you write using the inverted pyramid model, remember these classifications, too. If you’re aiming for a table, paragraph, or list, please ensure your answers are immediately on the first part of the article.
There’s also the matter of the optimal word count. The majority of featured snippets are 40-50 words long. This analysis is thanks to SEMrush’s study of over 10 million keywords and 1 million domains.
So, aside from displaying the central information first, stay safe by keeping your answers brief and straightforward—no more than 58 words at most.
Step #5: Optimize your content structure
Content is king. Therefore, content must be structured appropriately.
That means no large walls of text. The most basic format for writing blog articles — especially long-form ones include:
- Using descriptive headers and header tags (h1, h2, h3, etc).
- Provide direct answers with simple, short, yet punchy sentences.
- Use bulleted or numbered lists.
- Add visuals like tables, graphs, relevant images, or videos.
Structured content must be understandable, relevant, helpful, and skimmable. Long-form content does well for the sheer amount of detail found within, but don’t neglect that you will have readers who will likely be on the hunt for quick answers.
The Takeaway
Ranking on Google’s Featured Snippets is an advantage you can’t miss out on. You can:
- Loot traffic from the first result.
- Optimize for voice search at the same time.
- Be seen as a trusted expert.
According to Google’s recommendation, you are the prime source of reliable information, so you can quickly become the go-to website when people in your niche look for advice.
Getting better traffic and improving your site’s SEO means occupying the first position in Google search results. But it doesn’t have to be your only go-to. Snagging a spot in Featured Snippets is your second chance. And it’s the one you shouldn’t take for granted.
