Whether knowingly or unknowingly, you must have gone through countless featured snippets from Google when searching for any information or answer your questions. We often refer to the position that these unique pieces of info give to content as “Position Zero.” It is because featured snippets take up the maximum space on a search result page. They are mostly present at the very top of the page.
Google will answer your question with the help of a snippet containing information about your queries. Google usually derive the right content from pages that are on page one, but it can also derive content from lower-ranking SERPs. These featured snippets help find answers more conveniently than before, as you can view information without clicking anything on the page.
Let’s throw some light on how to optimize for featured snippets.
- Use Structured Data Markup
Structured data markup helps the search engine understand your website in a better way. Hence helps in boosting your chances to rank on the featured snippet. However, it doesn’t guarantee the same. This is one of the key features while looking for optimizing featured snippets.
- Use a Question-Answer Format
You may have noticed that most searches that rank in position zero are in a question-answer format. This format helps Google understand your content’s relevance in terms of user’s query, thus allowing you to rank in featured snippets. This format is a game-changer if utilized and optimized correctly.
- Use of High-Quality Images
Featured snippets use high-quality images with appropriate alt text. So, it is crucial to optimize your alt texts for the images for better results.
- Use H2 or H3 Tags in Your Content
H2 or H3 tags help Google understand your content better, including the steps of a process or the order of items you may describe and get you featured in the zero position for a concerned query. This is particularly important when you look forward to rank in a list type featured snippet for a question.
- Do a Competitor Analysis
Competitor analysis is one of the critical points to optimize featured snippets. Thorough competitor analysis for your keywords can help to understand the latest trend use by search engines and provides you a way to optimize snippets in a better way. Do a detailed analysis of your competitor’s content, technical SEO, on-page SEO, and backlinks and optimize your snippets accordingly to get featured in zero position replacing competitors.
- Use Simple and Precise Language
Use simple language when answering a user’s query. Try to make it precise within 50-60 words while strictly sticking to the point. Avoid adding personal opinion when answering a concerning question and be unbiased in every way possible.
- Good SEO & knowledge
Optimizing your website is one of the crucial things to do if looking to get featured in the top 10 results for a search query. Also, a thorough understanding of various featured snippets is essential to feature in them.
Featured snippets could be a jackpot of free traffic if optimized effectively and in a proper manner. As Google doesn’t keep the same result in zero position for a long time, optimizing content is definitely a worthy effort to rank the SERP’s top position. Go ahead and start implementing the above-mentioned points for a better ranking.
- Green: Related to the latest google SERP feature. Blog 2.
