Featured Snippet: What is it & How this Help Your Business to Grow
If you are an SEO professional or a person with basic knowledge of SEO, you must have heard about the term "featured snippet". But what exactly is a featured snippet and how does it help your business to grow? This guide will provide you with a detailed understanding of featured snippets and their impact on your website's traffic.
What is a Featured Snippet?
A featured snippet is a result that appears at the top of the search engine results page (SERP) in a box format. This result is selected by Google or other search engines to directly answer the user's query without them having to click on any links. It is also known as "position zero" since it appears above the first organic search result. You can read How to Get a Featured Snippet to understand more about how featured snippets are selected and displayed.
Why Are Featured Snippets Important for Your Business?
Featured snippets have gained importance over the years because they provide a better user experience by directly answering the user's query. This means that businesses that rank in the featured snippet position get more visibility, traffic, and credibility compared to other websites on the SERP. In fact, according to a study by Ahrefs, the featured snippet receives 8.6% of clicks, while the first organic search result receives only 19.6% of clicks.
How Do Featured Snippets Work?
Featured snippets are based on a combination of factors such as the user's query, the content on your website, and its relevance to the search results. These factors are determined by algorithms used by search engines, making it important for businesses to optimize their content accordingly. Additionally, featured snippets can also be triggered through voice searches using devices such as Google Home or Amazon Echo.
Types of Featured Snippets
Featured snippets come in various forms, depending on the type of query and content. Some common types include paragraph snippets, list snippets, and table snippets. It is important to understand which type of featured snippet your website's content is most likely to rank for in order to optimize for it.
Benefits of Being Featured
Being featured in the rich snippet position not only increases visibility and traffic but also establishes credibility and authority for your business. It also serves as a way to stand out from competitors and attract potential customers.
How to Optimize your Content for Featured Snippets
If you want your website to appear in the featured snippet position, here are some tips that can help:
- Identify high-volume keywords: Featured snippets usually appear for long-tail keywords or questions, so it is important to research and identify relevant ones for your business.
- Answer the query directly: Your content should provide a clear and concise answer to the user's query. Using headings, lists, and tables can make it easier for search engines to pull information for the featured snippet.
- Use structured data: Implementing structured data in your website's HTML code can help search engines understand the content better, increasing the chances of getting featured.
- Optimize for voice searches: As mentioned earlier, featured snippets can also be triggered through voice searches. Therefore, using conversational language and answering questions in a natural manner can improve your chances of appearing as a featured snippet.
Conclusion
Featured snippets have become an important element in the world of SEO and digital marketing. Understanding their impact on your website's traffic, optimizing your content for them, and keeping up with any changes made by search engines can help you stay ahead of the competition.