Featured snippets. Instant answers. Position zero. Whatever you call it, it\u2019s prime real estate in the search engine results.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
But how do you get there?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Like most things in search engine optimization, there\u2019s no magic formula that applies to featured snippets. The algorithmic scheme that selects snippets is opaque and ever-changing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
But thanks to the efforts of data geeks like Rob Bucci (of STAT<\/a>) and Eric Enge (of Stone Temple<\/a>), we do know a thing or two about what it takes to propel part of a page into the featured snippet position.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Here\u2019s a top-level summary of what featured snippets are, how they work, and what are considered best practices for snippet optimization in 2019. The \u2018how\u2019 and \u2018why\u2019 of featured snippets all comes back to Google\u2019s bottom line.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Google wants to give searchers the best possible results, meaning the most relevant and useful content on the user\u2019s search query. That\u2019s what keeps people coming back to Google when there are plenty of alternative search engines \u2013 the quality of its results. Google\u2019s army of engineers are constantly tweaking and fine-tuning search to deliver better results.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In a world where more and more people are searching on-the-go (and increasingly through voice assistants), better<\/em> results means results that are instant <\/em>and concise<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Enter rich answers: quick, precise results highlighted in a box at the top of the SERP below the paid listings.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Rich answers come in several different forms, including:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Recently, featured snippets on mobile search have links that jump to the exact spot on the page the snippet came from<\/a>, making it easier to see where that information came from.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Featured snippets often appear in queries that Google takes as questions: searches that open with who, what, where, why <\/em>and so on. But the snippet algorithm can also catch on to queries that imply <\/em>a question. It\u2019s getting better and better at guessing the unspoken question<\/em> behind the search.<\/p>\n\n\n\n If I search, \u201cwhen is E3 in 2019?<\/em>\u201d for example, that\u2019s obviously a question-based query; if I instead search, \u201cE3 2019 date<\/em>\u201d the algorithm knows enough deliver the same answer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Vox has a video on featured snippets<\/a> that summarizes this well (and humorously). Put simply, featured snippets get clicks. Lots <\/em>of clicks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n When a page holds the featured snippet for a high-value search query, it can lead to a sharp increase in traffic, conversion and clickthrough.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In one case, a featured snippet led to a 516% increase in organic search sessions and a 4% higher clickthrough rate for a lucrative keyword<\/a>. Others have noticed a similar boost for pages on their sites that secure snippets for search terms that matter to their sales funnel.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The continual rise of voice search is another reason to give snippets a second look. Rich answers are Google\u2019s go-to result for voice queries, where results are spoken out loud to the user in reply. Optimizing a page for snippets also serves it well in voice. Featured snippets are not an exact science, but there are clear trends to and themes as which pages are likely to rank for featured snippets.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
<\/p>\n\n\n\nFeatured Snippets: What They Are
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<\/p>\n\n\n\nWhy Do Featured Snippets Matter in Marketing?
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<\/p>\n\n\n\nOptimizing for Featured Snippets: What We Know
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<\/li><\/ul><\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n\nHow to Track Featured Snippets
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