How to Optimize Your Content for Google Featured Snippets

google featured snippets
Daniel P. Borbolla
Daniel P. Borbolla
President & CEO at B&FPS
Daniel is a Search Marketing Consultant with 20+ years of expertise in Search Engine Optimization and Brand Development. He has a Master’s (MS) in Interactive Technology from the University of Alabama, a Bachelor’s (BPA) in Public Administration from Barry University, General Business from the University of Michigan-Flint School of Management; specializations from the University of Michigan, professional development from the University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign, and is a proud Belen Wolverine!
Daniel P. Borbolla
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In the past, getting to the top of the Google search results was the main objective for ambitious digital gurus, but once again Google has moved the goalposts.

Position zero, or Google featured snippets, are the information blocks Google places at the very top of their search results, making it a great alternative for websites unable to attain the highly-coveted number one position.

Let’s quickly dive into the details to see what this all means and how you can take advantage of featured snippets:

What is a Google Featured Snippet?

Google featured snippets are simple, quick-answer boxes that contain brief and concise answers to search queries. That way, users aren’t required to click through and visit each website, saving them time and improving their overall search experience (Google’s main objective).

One study found that nearly 30% of queries include these featured snippets, so it’s important for businesses to optimize their content.

The scope has gone far beyond clicks and includes responses to voice searches as well. Soon, one-word answers or definitions will steal the spotlight in order to provide quicker, even more direct answers to search queries.

How Do You Get Featured in Snippets?

In order to optimize your content and “feature proof” your SEO, follow the steps below:

1.) Identify the keywords you want to rank for. Search for the query using the keywords you want to rank for and analyze what Google is showing for that particular keyword. You can use tools like KWFinder to find the best long-tail keywords.

You can format your answer in the form of a paragraph, list, images, videos or a table. If you’re using paragraphs, make sure they’re written in blocks of text ranging between 40 and 60 words.

2.) Format the content using basic structure. Around 70% of the content in featured snippets is pulled from websites ranking between pages 1 and 3. Try listing queries under H1 and H2 tags, and make sure to include the answers directly underneath. 

3.) Add a snippet bait. Try using phrases like ‘Here are’, ‘ Start with’, ‘Follow these’, etc., to pique interest and entice users to read through the snippet and eventually visit your website to learn more.

We hope you learned something today about Google featured snippets. Visit our blog for more articles and subscribe to learn more about search engine marketing!