Google Answers & Featured Snippets
Why are Google Answers and Featured Snippets important?
Anyone that has tried to search for something on Google will notice a barrage of pay-per-click ads and search results.
Featured Snippets are the first thing displayed when searching for a question, term or phrase. Driving more clicks from organic search results because they appear above the top-ranking webpages. The area occupied by Google Answers and Featured Snippets is considerably larger than the organic search results listing area further down the SERP. Considered position zero, this high-value real estate often generates the most clicks and pageviews, even though users do not have to click-thru to get the answer to their search query.
Providing answers to questions your audience is asking can position your brand as the thought leader or expert in specific areas. Featured snippets drive website authority by showcasing expertise, authority, and trustworthiness – E-A-T. These are the core components Google considers to when ranking webpages for organic search keywords and terms.
As voice assistants are becoming increasingly popular, they often use Google Answer Boxes or Featured Snippets to generate these voice-over-search results for querying users.
Why optimize your website for Google Answers and Featured Snippets?
Besides webpage rankings, Featured Snippets are the most efficient tactic to rank at the top of the page for keywords, terms or phasing without having to pay for ads.
The best part for newer, emerging websites, is that the #1 organic top-ranking webpages are not the only source for Google to select as a featured snippet source for information. There is an opportunity for other sites to capture position zero search result placement by answering specific questions.
A business must understand its target audience to formulate answers to the questions they are searching online. Knowing what your audience wants and how best to deliver that information is a critical strategy to increase organic traffic and website conversions.
What are the Different Types of Featured Snippets?
Featured Snippets (often referred to as rich answers or answer boxes) display information in the following formats:
- Paragraphs
- Numbered Lists
- Bulleted Lists
- Tables
- YouTube Videos
Paragraphs and lists are the most common types of featured snippets. However, website content is not the only way to rank for featured snippets because Google will use YouTube to help answer questions as well. This provides businesses and brands with multiple opportunities to rank for specific terms.
How to Rank for Featured Snippets?
The most important component to rank for featured snippets is to understand your audience and know what questions or problems they are trying to resolve online. Answering those questions is a clear, concise and easy to read manner along with applying the E-A-T method to content throughout your site will improve opportunities for Google to showcase your page for Google Answers.
There are specific ways to organize your content so that it is optimized for Google Answers and Featured Snippets. The Hits Doctor has helped many businesses across the country optimize their websites to drive more revenue through organic search engine optimization (SEO).