What are Featured Snippets and How to Get Them

Google keeps optimizing the SERPs to provide searchers with the most relevant answer possible. As a result, the Google search results now include many features, such as the knowledge graph, people also ask, related searches, and the featured snippet.

The featured snippet is a small box of text, tables, or listicles that directly answers the user search query. The most exciting thing about the featured snippet is that you can use it to outrank major competitors, increase conversions, and drive massive amounts of targeted traffic to your web page.

But how do you get your article featured on the Google snippet? This article reveals everything you need to know about the Google snippet and how you can optimize your blog post to appear on the snippet.

 

What Is Google Snippet?

The Google Featured Snippets is a short box of text, tables, or listicles that appear at the top of Google’s search results page (SERP) to quickly answer a user query.

Google first introduced featured snippets to its SERPs (Search Engine Results Pages) in 2014. With over 8 years down the line, most marketers and bloggers are fully utilizing the opportunities provided by this small box of text.

The content in the Google Featured Snippet is fetched from a web page in Google’s index. These snippets might be in a firm of Guide, table, listicle, and video.

 

Types Of  Google Snippet

Google snippets are of several forms. The type of snippet you get depends on the content angle. For “How To” queries, you will get a quick step-by-step guide. A product comparison query will likely get a video or table snippet.

Understanding which type of snippet best fits your topic will assist you in organizing your content and increasing its chances of being included in a featured snippet.

 

Paragraph Featured Snippet

The paragraph snippet is the most common featured snippet that we all know, and it provides users with quick and direct information about a specific query.

In the image below, I searched for “how does SEO work.” In the snippet box is a direct answer to the query, explaining how SEO work and the pillars of SEO – all in a box of fewer than 50 words.

To avoid hurting click-through rate while answering the user query, Google only extracts a some text from the web page and puts a blog link below. This leaves the searcher with no option but to click the link to learn more.

From the image above, you can see that after Google created a snippet containing the information on how SEO works, there is a link to the HubSpot blog where the user could continue reading about SEO and how it works. This, in turn, increases the click-through rate and increases traffic.

To get featured on Google paragraph featured snippet, write a short and direct answer to the keywords you are optimizing for. You can also target more queries in the FAQ section of your blog post by providing straightforward answers to related keywords.

 

Table Featured Snippet

Inserting Tables in your blog posts is one of the best ways to break down and arrange complex data for users and Google to understand. When you make your blog posts easy for Google to read, the algorithm can easily extract specific texts that answer the user query, making you appear on the SERP snippet.

Table snippet helps users understand your post’s structure, particularly comparison articles. Below is an example of a table featured snippet for the query “net worth of top 10 richest people in world.”

Google’s algorithm is very smart. While trying to give a direct answer is possible for users, they don’t want to ruin the creator’s hours of work by just displaying all the answers at once. Therefore, users only get a few portions of the table with the option to expand. When the user clicks the link to expand the table, they are taken to the website, where they get to see the full table.

This, in turn, will benefit both the searcher and the creator. While the searcher gets the complete information they need, the creator also gets more visits to their websites.

 

Numbered List Featured Snippet

The number list featured snippets are used to rank or list steps that explain the process of doing something. The list featured snippets are mostly arranged in a particular order, while it might be unordered – depending on the article.

For a step-by-step process, it will be arranged in order while the list of products or services and “best” types of lists can be unordered. 

Below is an example of a numbered list featured snippet that answers the query “how to reset apple AirPods.” You can see from the snippet that Google gives enough information while concealing some steps in the form of three dots (…). This was done so the searcher would be obliged to click and visit the website to get the detailed guide.

As a result, both the website owner and the searcher are happy. As the searcher gets information to reset his AirPods, the creator will smile as the website visits increase.

 

Video Featured Snippet

The last form of featured snippets is video snippets. The video snippets help to answer a query that cannot be easily understood with texts only.

For example, when I searched for “how to shave a mustache” on Google, I recommended a video because a video illustration is the best way to explain the process of saving a mustache. This is better than text because an article only gives you a detailed process without real-life experience.

Also, if this is your first time shaving your hair, you might hurt yourself with the clipper since you aren’t experienced.

Google algorithm understands all these and, therefore, believes that a video snippet will give you a practical and real-life guide to shave a moustache.

Since YouTube is a product of Google, it appears most for video snippets. To win a video snippet, you should include a video or YouTube link in your blog post.

 

Why Are Featured Snippets Important?

•         Makes Search Easier: A featured snippet makes it easy for searchers to get answers to their search queries. It also pushes creators to write quality content that directly solves real-life problems.
•         Increases Web Visits: Featured snippets are important to all SEO marketers because it helps them to grab searcher’s attention – increasing their chance of visiting your website.
•         Brings Potential Customers: When a visitor visits your website, you have the opportunity to convince them to convert – increasing sales.
•         Improves CTR: Featured snippets are short and Direct answers. Those looking for a detailed guide have no option but to click the attached link to get more info – increasing your click-through-rate (CTR), which is a Google ranking factor. When your CTR increases, the Google algorithm will push more of your content to searchers since it considered valuable and trustworthy.
•         Improves E-A-T: When your website appears on top of Google Search results, users tend to believe you are providing quality information. This, in turn, increases your credibility and presents your business as an authority in that niche. With this, people are more likely to buy from you than sites ranking below.
•         The featured snippet also Indicates that your content is well-structured and informative. If Google chooses your website to be part of a snippet, it’s a good sign that content is valuable to readers.

 

How To Get Featured on Google Snippet

Google wants creators to write relevant articles that provide the best possible answer to its users, so they continue to use its search engine. You must answer user questions in simple and clear language to achieve this. You also need to provide content with sufficient details that allow users to make the right decision. Give them the pros, cons, and every nitty-gritty information needed.

When creating a content plan, ensure you get your keywords right. Also, get other relevant and low competitive queries on Google that haven’t been answered enough.

Write out these topics and include them in the FAQ section of related blog posts. Ensure the answer you provide is short, direct, and easy to understand while obeying the content angle rule.

The content angle rule claims that where you need to explain with the text, use text, and where a table is needed, always use tables. Doing this will make it easy for the Google algorithm to understand your article.

 

Wrapping Up

Getting featured on the Google snippet is one of the best ways to rank faster on SERPs without link building.

As a blogger or SEO marketer, you must write quality articles that answer user queries. You can also start by writing a response post where you answer several questions related to a particular topic. By doing this, you will not only increase your chances of getting featured on Google snippets but will increase your website visits.