A featured snippet refers to highly relevant and compact information that directly answers a question asked to Google. It is featured on top of Google’s search results in response to a user’s query.
Hence, featured snippet optimization is an integral aspect of SEO. This involves tailoring and formatting content to boost its probability of appearing as a featured snippet for enhanced website visibility and higher organic traffic.
Importance of Featured Snippets in SEO
Google algorithms are constantly updated to assist search users with exactly what they want. Thus, in response to a typical query-based search (how, what, why, where, when), a featured snippet is far beyond a decorative addition to the SERPs. Rather, Google uses its NLP capabilities to provide users with the most useful and succinct piece of information from a high-authority website. Based on the type of query, these featured snippets can be in the form of paragraphs, listicles, tables, images, videos, or a combination of these. Optimizing content for featured snippets is highly advantageous for website owners because:-
- Boosts Website Visibility– The website from which Google picks the featured snippet is ranked the highest for the search query.
- Increases Organic Traffic- Users wanting more information are very likely to click on your website.
- Augments Brand Trustworthiness– Being recognized by Google as a credible source of information is a big leap for your website, thus pushing your brand’s credibility.
- Provides a Competitive Edge– As a source website for the featured snippet, you have a distinct competitive over thousands of other competitor sites.
As a source website for the featured snippet, you have a distinct competitive over thousands of other competitor sites.
6 Important Strategies for Featured Snippet Optimization
- Reach out to a Digital Marketing Expert– Across every niche and sub-niche, thousands of websites are competing to earn recognition from Google as the most authentic source of information. Hence, outsourcing to a proficient digital marketing agency will equip you with the top-notch expertise, experience, and technology to surpass rivals. For instance, Indian businesses reaching out to the best digital marketing services in India can harness the power of featured snippets and elevate their online presence seamlessly.
- Research and Incorporate Query-Based Keywords– Understanding user intent is the top prerequisite to researching and using the right keywords in the right places. Analysing existing featured snippets in your niche can yield valuable insights into recurring search patterns and the preferred format used by Google. As user preferences and queries are always evolving, keyword research has to be periodic and long-term.
- Optimize for Voice Search– As an increasing number of voice search users ask specific questions to Google, featured snippet optimization goes hand in hand with voice search optimization. Incorporate elements like a conversational tone with specific long-tail keywords and answers to natural language queries in your website.
- Create Well-Researched, Holistic, and Engaging Content– Certain parameters of content creation make it more likely to be highlighted as a snippet. For long-form content, the content should be well-researched, and comprehensive, answer related questions, provide additional context, and cite sources if applicable. Include proper headers and subtitles for every paragraph. For short-form content, being razor-sharp and relevant is the key. Using bullet points and serial numbers is a must if you want the content to be featured as a listicle-based featured snippet. You can also use tables, comparative charts, graphs, and well-made infographics.
- Ensure Snippet-Friendly Content Formatting– To optimize videos and images for featured snippets, quality is of course pivotal. But this should be supplemented with detailed captions, descriptions, and succinct captions for videos. Most importantly, the file name, titles, and alt text should have relevant and query-based keywords. The best digital marketing services in India will ensure that the metadata and HTML markup of your web pages is flawless and compliant with the latest snippet-friendly content formatting guidelines.
- Include FAQs on Relevant Webpages- Having a section dedicated to FAQs on your product/service pages (and other important webpages) automatically boosts the probability of the content being considered for featured snippets. Make sure the answers are structured in a typical question-and-answer format with highly insightful, yet succinct answers.
Conclusion
Featured snippets hold immense potential to augment your SEO efforts and boost your website ROI. The above strategies are pivotal in this regard. But for businesses with very limited resources, hiring a certified SEO agency is the most practical solution. It saves time, eliminates in-house hiring/training expenditure, and provides fast, consistent, and measurable results.