Gauging the best of best as #1 is so 2013, especially if you’re on Google.
Since the introduction of Featured Snippets in 2014, brands and businesses have been vying for the coveted Position Zero on the world’s largest search engine.
We’ll show how you can outrank your competitors by claiming a featured snippet. We’ll dive into what featured snippets are, their benefits, and how to optimize your small business’ website.
What are featured snippets?
We’ve all seen this before, but not many of us may know what it is. Whenever we search for something on Google, we notice a block above the results page more often than not. That is what is known as a featured snippet, AKA Position Zero.
It’s the first thing we see before scrolling through what we’re looking for.
A snippet would include a brief description of what you’re asking Google. You’ll also see a title, a link, and sometimes an image.
Here’s a very important question we asked as an example for you: “How to eat tacos.”
It has a link, a title, a short description, and a thumbnail image.
Are there different kinds of featured snippets?
Good question and the answer is yes. There are three main snippets that you need to know.
List
The answer to your question comes, well, in the form of a list. This style often shows up in how-to guides or step-by-step instructions.
Paragraph
This is the most basic one. The result that we see almost all the time. It’s triggered by the questions why, what, how, and who.
Table
Hungry but ballin’ on a budget? Your search results for this would be in a table format such as In-N-Out menu prices.
What are some benefits of featured snippets?
Instantly attract user
When you’re at Position Zero, you have the sweetest spot to “steal” clicks away from the top results. Users already see your small business primed to provide answers to questions they have.
Be a recognized PRO
You can be among the likes of Quora, Amazon, or Dictionary. They are reliable sources users go to when looking for something. As a small business, you want to be among the ranks of trusted giants and become a go-to brand when people need information in your industry.
How do you optimize for featured snippets?
Keyword research
Make sure you’re answering questions your demographic or consumers are asking. This is a critical step for your content to qualify for a featured snippet.
Take a look at “People also ask” section
Pair your keyword search with “People also ask.” It’s like a prime location for a small business to learn and find out more of what customers ask search engines.
Aim to rank on Google’s first page
Have a laser focus on being at the top of SERPs.
Here are a few tips:
- Diagnose and fix SEO problems
- Make your website easy to navigate
- Make sure your website is fast
- Switch from HTTP to HTTPS. This means that you’re transferring information on a secure link.
- URLs should be user-friendly
Use the right words
Words have power. It can boost your online presence, but it can also cost you your content to drown in a sea of thousands of content.
According to STAT Search Analytics, words that relate to time, general questions, transition, and status, reel in more featured snippets.
Pay attention to word count
Descriptions on featured snippets are somewhere between 40-50 words, according to SEMrush. This means that your website or a page should have at least a paragraph with the suggested word count.
Include Q&A section to your website
If your small business sells a product or service, it’s valuable to have a Q&A page. Not only does it provide great information for your consumers, but it also optimizes your website for featured snippets. It offers lots of chances for your page to claim a snippet.
Tools you can use to improve your SEO
Need help to claim an online prime location to improve your website’s traffic? Drop us a message, and we’ll help you get to where you want to be.
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