One of the greatest tools in search engine optimization is the Featured Snippet. The featured snippet is content that Google places at the top of page one in search results to definitively answer a question. The featured snippet is usually a short answer or definition, a table or a list that Google considers to be the best quality answer for whatever the user is seeking.
The reason featured snippets are so coveted is because they organically appear before all other search results on page one. They are placed within a box below paid ads but before all other search results. The aim is to answer a user’s question immediately.
Featured snippet’s are also usually the first thing read out loud when a user conducts a search on a voice-enabled device such as a smart phone, smart watch, smart speaker, etc.
To attempt to wrangle some featured snippets for yourself, here are a few key elements to consider…
- Optimal Length is 40 to 50 Words. Consider a Glossary of Terms section on your website where you write a short description for the most popular terms in your niche.
- Mold Your Answers to Conversation. Because of the rise in voice-conducted searches, make your snippets sound less like keywords and more like conversation. Consider a Q&A section on your website to answer some of the most popular questions in your niche. Make sure to use “how”, “what”, “why”, “when”, “who” and “where” in your headings so Google understands what you are trying to answer.
- Popular Search Queries. Most people search for DIY processes, requirements, financial, health, mathematical, status and transitional answers. If you write snippets in these areas, you are more likely to be featured.
- Don’t Let Wiki Shake You. The site that consistently steals the Featured Snippet spot is Wikipedia. Try and focus on topics or search queries not typically covered by Wikipedia. If that is unavoidable, don’t give up. Your information may end up being better and provide more detail and eventually knock Wiki out of the featured slot.
- Videos are Rising. Featured snippets showcasing YouTube videos and descriptions are on the rise but you have to be consistent with your content. While video is winning more engagement in other places, text still dominates the Featured Snippet spot. For now.
- Low Hanging Fruit – Identify which phrases or keywords you already rank pretty high for. These will be topics you can explore and are more likely to be featured for. You can also check out the “People Also Ask” tab below current Featured Snippets to find topics that could be mined in more detail.
- Simply Ask. Ask friends, family, people in your industry what questions they would have on your topic. After all, they are the ones conducting Google searches. You should be able to find topics you can cover and, hopefully, achieve a Featured Snippet from.
No matter what your topic or industry is, you should be able to find a few areas to mine deeper and give a bit more expertise to. Even if your industry has been combed over infinitely, you can still rank because you explained it less clinically and more how normal people talk and search. Just like with regular SEO, Featured Snippet’s are a constantly evolving entity that should be tweaked and explored as you go.
With a plethora of options available when it comes to advertising, your small business might just reap bigger rewards than both you and the competition realize!
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