Internet users and SEO experts are always fighting to get the first rank on Google. But did you know that there is a rank that is higher than rank one? While it may not make sense mathematically, the ‘zero rank’ in Google is higher than rank one. The ‘Position 0’ is taken by Google’s featured snippets. This blog will give you an insight into how you can get featured in Google snippets and the benefits it has for SEO.

What are Google Snippets?

Internet users will recognize the featured snippet as a special box that appears at the top of the search engine results page. This box includes some text or description along with a link. In most instances, featured snippets only contain one listing and generally show information quoted from a third-party website.

The content shown in the featured snippet could be in the form of a paragraph or a list, depending on the search query. In certain cases, when users search for topics through Google Assistant, Google will read the featured snippet aloud. The featured snipped will always include a link to the page or a ‘Learn More’ button so that you can check and verify the source of the content.

 

Why are Google Snippets important?

SEO research show that a Featured Snippet gets approximately 8% of all clicks on Google. This means that if your content manages to get featured in Google snippets then you can expect a significant increase in the click-through-rate.

Additionally, a vast majority of featured snippets (99.58 % to be exact) are already in the top 10 positions in Google. When it comes to featured snippets, it is obvious that if you get a higher rank, you will get higher organic traffic.

And finally, if Google determines that your content deserves a place in featured snippets then you gain exclusive boasting rights and users will know that you’re an authority on the subject.

Best Tips to Get Featured in Google Snippets

1. Create Content to Answer Questions: The most important aspect of featured snippets is that they provide specific information related to the search query. SEO experts put forth a very simple rule with respect to featured snippets; if your content does not answer questions, it will not appear in the snippets.

Google’s search bots are programmed to filter through countless sites and gather the most relevant data connected to a user’s questions. If possible, the content is condensed and shown in the snippet to make it easier for users to locate the information want. With that in mind, your content should be crisp and direct in order to make its way to the featured snippet section.

2. Uncover Trending Snippet Opportunities: We mentioned earlier that featured snippets almost always include content that answers a question. Hence, if you want your content to appear in the featured snippets you need to know what questions users are asking.

One of the best ways to find out which questions people want answers to is by checking the “People also ask” section. The questions will be related to particular target keywords or search queries connected to the search you already entered.

3. Search Using ‘Answer the Public’: There are a number of SEO tools you can use to find out the types of questions people might be asking; one of these tools is ‘Answer the Public.’ The tool is really helpful because it provides suggested autocomplete searches that give you the best topics to answer.

The suggestions provided by ‘Answer the Public’ are related to different categories of questions. The categories includes questions related to ‘how’, ‘what’, ‘why’, ‘which’ and ‘will’. You should make it a point to do a little keyword research before you use the tool to make sure you get SEO friendly topics.

4. Write Content for Multiple Questions: SEO experts found that once a page earns a featured snippet, it’s more likely to become featured for other similar questions. This means that you can organize your content in such a way that you can answer multiple related queries.

You can work with a team of expert content writers to create a comprehensive article that answers different questions. This will help you save out on a lot of time because you will not have to create multiple articles just to earn featured snippets.

5. Remember the Word Count: A snippet, by its very definition is short and to the point. And your content should be the same. A study by one of the best SEO company in India found that the most common length of content in featured snippets is between 40-50 words.

One helpful tip is to create headers to break up your content into sections and then create lists, paragraphs, and steps to make it visually appealing.

 

Conclusion

 

Since the main focus of Google is to deliver the best user experience, you can be sure that featured snippets will play a major role. Current search engine trends indicate that featured snippets will stick around for a long time. Since Google’s automated systems independently determine whether a page would make a good featured snippet or not, there is no perfect formula you can follow to get featured. Additionally, since featured snippets receive unique formatting and positioning on Google Search, you should work closely with the best SEO company to learn new ways to make your online content visible on featured snippets.