Have you ever wondered how to get your content featured as a featured snippet on Google? To marketers and SEO gurus, featured snippets are highly coveted positions on Google search results pages that appear at the top of Google. It contains highlighted snippets of text that are used to provide an answer to a question that a user has. These questions are usually high-ranking keywords that users often research in hopes of getting an answer quickly.
To an average user, featured snippets are a useful feature that Google provides and is one of the many reasons why it’s so popular among users. However, if you are in marketing or in SEO, then you know that a featured snippet is much more than a useful answer to a question. It’s valuable SERP real estate that can be the defining moment for your company. Its like a free giant billboard on a very popular highway. Meta Phoenix will go over what a featured snippet is, what it looks like, and, most importantly, how to get your content featured.
What is a Featured Snippet
A featured snippet is located at the very top of a Google results page. The ranking of the position for featured snippets is referred to as position zero. Meaning that it’s higher than the number one ranked article for Google. When users conduct a search query, the featured snippet often provides a quick, and direct answer. But, the number one ranked article will go more in-depth surrounding the keyword users are searching for.
Featured snippets come from articles that were not only written well but highly researched and proved to Google that they are an authority within the keyword they were trying to capture. For questions to be successively answered, writers must demonstrate a sophisticated amount of knowledge to surround the keyword subject; Google then investigates every keyword to see if it not only rings true but that it’s a helpful source for Google users.
What Does a Featured Snippet Look Like?
The above image is a featured snippet from our client’s website, iWhoopConnect.com. Meta Phoenix successfully captured the company’s highest volume keyword. However, as you can see, the featured snippet consists of highlighted text, the company name, and where the text came from. In this case, the snippet was from an article Meta Phoenix wrote for iWhoopConnect.com. Google Proceeded to associate the keyword to our client’s website and award them with a featured snippet.
A featured snippet can be thought of as a billboard created by Google. It provides answers to users for high-search volume keywords. When users see an answer to a question that Google has vetted, they will see the company that provided the answer as an authority in their space. Featured snippets can be viewed and treated like free advertisements for a company that provides the answer, making featured snippets valuable for any company that relies on SEO for traffic.
However, there are other types of snippets, such as:
- Video Snippet: This snippet will usually have a YouTube video that Google found to be the best way to answer user’s search inquiries.
- List Snippet: A list snippet will showcase a listicle to give users a robust answer to a question. These types of snippets are associated with “Best of” and “How to” articles.
- Image Snippet: An image snippet is an image that a user searches for. Usually, this is associated with famous paintings.
- Table Snippet: Table snippets give users who are usually looking to compare something; these snippets are usually associated with finance-related inquiries. Many users want to be able to compare financial products and find the best product for them.
How to Get a Featured Snippet
Getting Google to promote your answer to high-volume keywords is difficult, to say the least. Not only do you need to have a commanding authority on the subject, but the content surrounding that keyword needs to be flawless, correct, and viable to the reader. If you don’t have that criterion checked off, you can be sure your content won’t be featured on the search engine results page (SERPS). We will review what you can do to compete for the top spot on Google.
Here are the guidelines you can follow:
1. Create Useful Content
Creating unique and valuable content surrounding a highly searched keyword will give your content a great shot at being a featured snippet. To improve your chances, your article will have to be well-researched, and depending on the subject of the keyword, it may help considerably if you have some sort of credentials or expertise that Google can crawl to verify. For instance, if the keyword you are writing about is medical-related, Google will want to know if you are a medical professional with experience for Google to consider featuring your content.
2. Make Sure Your Content is Correctly Structured
Structure in an article is a large part of SEO, and for your article to be a featured image, it must be structured. Your article will need to have a title, which is usually an H1 header. Next, your article will need a featured image known as a hero image. A featured image is usually the first image shown in an article. It’s supposed to represent what the reader can expect in the article visually. After the featured image, you will see sections throughout the article broken up by headers. These headers are H2, H3, and H4 headers, and the higher the header, the more important the information is considered.
3. Answer Critical Questions Readers Are Looking For
A big reason for search engines is its ability to answer questions for its readers. Search engines can give fast and easy answer, but it also offers rich and robust answers if the reader needs more information. If you want Google to use your content for fast and easy answers (featured snippets), then you will want to answer the most searched questions surrounding your targeted keyword. Two ways can help you get the most searched questions. The first option is to pay hundreds of dollars for software dedicated to Google data. The second option is to go onto Google to search for your keyword, go into the “People Always Ask” section, and search for relevant questions that can be used in your article. Implementing those questions can get your article noticed and possibly featured.
Conclusion
In conclusion, featured snippets are a powerful tool for SEO and can provide significant visibility for your website on Google’s search results page. They come from well-written, thoroughly researched content demonstrating authority and providing direct, useful answers to user queries. The structure of your content, including the use of headers and a hero image, is also crucial in securing a featured snippet position.
Creating valuable content, structuring it correctly, and answering critical questions related to your target keyword can increase your chances of earning this coveted spot. Remember, it’s not just about getting the top spot; it’s about being the most useful and relevant resource for users. With the right strategy, research, and commitment, your content could be the next featured snippet on Google’s search results page, driving traffic and establishing your authority in your field.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are Featured Snippets Hard to Get?
Yes, but the higher the quality of your content is, the better the chance your content has to rank as a featured snippet. You will need to research your topic and ensure your content is better than the competition in terms of quality information.
Are Featured Images Paid For?
No, Google-featured snippets are not paid for. They are organic results chosen by Google’s algorithm based on quality and relevant content to a user’s search query. In these featured snippets, Google uses text from indexed web pages to provide concise and direct answers to user queries.
Are Featured Snippets Good for SEO?
Yes, featured images are good for SEO. It can play an important role in attracting readers’ attention and improving user engagement, both of which are factors that can positively affect your SEO ranking. Sites organically crawled and approved by Google as a featured snippet are generally perceived to be trustworthy by the general public.
