Getting Your Brand Ahead With Featured Snippets

Making your information stand out amongst the crowd on search engines can seem like a daunting task. Fortunately, in the search engine optimization (SEO) landscape, there are several ways to get your brand noticed. As the nation starts to make moves to phase back into a functioning economy, there’s never been a better time to think about how to get ahead of the SEO game while your competition is still stagnant. One of the best ways to get your site recognized organically is to earn a coveted featured snippet from Google! Not quite sure how to get this spot and keep it? That’s okay! Here is our guide to navigating the world of featured snippets and how to optimize your content to get closer to achieving them.

What Are Featured Snippets?

If you’ve ever asked Google a question or performed a general search in the last couple of years, then you’ve definitely seen a featured snippet. Featured snippets are large sections of content at the top of search results that gives users direct answers to their questions. The content in a featured snippet is taken from a website that Google has deemed a relative, authoritative source of information for a specific query (it doesn’t even have to be the first ranking site on the subject). The featured snippet will also include a link to the content that it’s taken from. The location of a featured snippet is known as “position zero” because it doesn’t impact the overall ranking of the sites on the first page of the search results. There are many ways a featured snippet can be displayed to Google users, but they generally fall into three categories:

Text Snippets

One common form of a snippet is a text snippet. This is usually displayed as a chunk of text that directly answers the question a searcher has asked.

List and Table Snippets

Sometimes blocks of text aren’t the most efficient way to present information. If a table or list is the best way to do so, Google will either directly take a list from the content it pulls from, or structure the data into a digestible list.  List snippets are commonly used for recipe ingredients, “top” searches, etc.

Video Snippets

Sometimes, however, a video may be the best way to get a message across. These snippets are typically taken from YouTube channels rather than a direct website.

Why Are Featured Snippets Important for SEO?

So, why are featured snippets so important? How do they factor into your SEO success? Even though your site may not rank in the top spot, there are still some great reasons why you should aim for a featured snippet from your content.

Featured Snippets Provide Maximum Site Visibility

Site visibility is almost guaranteed with featured snippets. Position zero is the first piece of information that users get when they perform a search. This “position” shows users that Google has deemed your content relevant and gets your site noticed. Even if your site ranks at spot two or three, that link is still “at the top” if you have a featured snippet.

They Prove You’re Getting the Right Information Out There

One of the biggest goals of the latest Google updates is to get audiences the correct information for anything they are searching for. So, if your content shows up on a featured snippet, then you must be considered:

• Expertise
• Authoritativeness
• Trustworthiness

This means that if you are creating the right content to get noticed for a featured snippet, then you’re most likely cultivating the audience trust you need.

How Can You Get a Featured Snippet?

It’s never guaranteed that your SEO efforts will be rewarded with a featured snippet. However, there are ways beyond using specific keywords throughout your content to give your website a fighting chance at the zero position.

1.   Use the Q&A Format

Like we mentioned before, Google is all about answering the direct questions that audiences are asking. So, if your title tags or content accurately answer a question that’s commonly asked on a subject, you’ve essentially increased your chances of having featured content.

2.   Use Keywords in Your Title Tags

Questions in your title tags are essential, but so are keywords. Working with your digital marketing team to help decipher the current top keywords in your market can help you find the right keywords to use while the iron is hot.

3.   Lists and Charts Always Help

If you know your content would be best read through a chart or list, use this to your advantage. Lists are some of the best ways for an audience to easily access content. So, if you have a great list that provides relevance, and Google doesn’t have to reformat it, you may just have a featured snippet on your hands.

How to Keep a Snippet on Top

Sure, you may love the excitement of getting your first featured snippet, however, you must remember that you could always be kicked from your spot. While there isn’t a sure-fire way to keep your content in a featured snippet box, there are steps you can take to keep your site trustworthy. Some things you can do to increase the odds of keeping your snippet include:

• Staying active on social media
• Regular content updates
• Running competitor audits for information on what they’re talking about

Prepare for Your Grand Re-Opening With Snippet-Ready Content

Before your business is allowed to re-open during local phasing initiatives, make sure you’ve optimized your website to be ready for the big day. Online changes are a great way to stay safe while maintaining the integrity of your brand. We know that your goal as a business owner is to get back to normalcy as soon as possible. For now, stay inside, keep up with the latest COVID-19 updates, and remember, we are always here to help if you need us.