The internet has made it easier for people to find answers to their questions. According to a 2022 Statista report, about 30 percent of global web traffic originates from online searches. And one of the fastest and most efficient ways to locate information is through search engines.

Google, in particular, has become the standard in this area. On average, the website receives 83.9 billion visits per month. With its ability to rank and filter data, Google can quickly provide users with the answers they are looking for. This makes it among the most reliable sources of information on the web today.

One way that Google has become even more helpful is the integration of featured snippets. What should you know about this feature, and how can it help you build your authority online? 

Keep reading below to learn more.

What is a featured snippet in Google?

A featured snippet is a summary that appears as the first result on search engine results pages (SERPs). It is designed to provide quick, relevant facts to the searcher’s query. They appear at the top of SERPs and are meant to provide a better browsing experience for users.

Because Google-featured snippets are pulled from organic search results, they are considered a form of indirect SEO. If you optimize your content in the right way, it can appear as a featured snippet for related search terms. This can lead to a considerable increase in visibility and traffic to your website.

Why would you want to appear in the featured snippet?

Appearing as a Google-featured snippet can provide substantial advantages for your website. If you’re still considering whether or not you should optimize your content for featured snippets, here are a few reasons why appearing as one can be beneficial:

It’s a shortcut to the top organic position or “Position Zero”

Reaching the top spot in SERPs is always a challenge. While you can work hard to improve your website’s SEO and reach the top of the organic results, there’s no guarantee that it will happen. However, appearing as a featured snippet can be a much quicker way to the top. This is called “Position Zero,” as you appear before the first organic result.

More so, featured snippets tend to show up in related search queries. When you appear as a featured snippet, Google will not only display your content for its primary query but also for related search terms. This significantly increases the chances of your website being seen, and driving larger amounts of traffic to your site.

You’ll get the benefits of being number 1 on the Google SERP

A featured snippet takes up a considerable amount of space on the SERP. If you appear in the featured snippet, it’s like occupying two positions at once, position zero and elsewhere on page one. This gives you an edge over your competitors and more visibility for your website.

According to Backlinko, those with the number one position in Google search results get an average of 27.6 percent click-through rate (CTR), which is significantly higher than any other position. That’s because any typical browser is more likely to click on the first result when they’re looking for something.

A recent study by Engine Scout backs this information. 3,552 respondents were asked which search result they clicked on first. 35.1 percent chose the featured snippet, proving it to be the most clicked option.

CTR is vital for SEO because it affects your website’s organic rankings. With a higher CTR, you can increase the chances of potential customers finding and visiting your website. This could translate into more leads and sales for your business and a better online presence.

How featured snippets influence search and SEO

When you earn featured snippets, you can also boost your website’s authority in the eyes of Google. Think of it as a cause-and-effect situation. When your content appears in the featured snippet, it means Google has recognized it as a reliable and trustworthy source of information.

The more featured snippets you appear in, the higher your authority will be. This can result in better rankings across the board as Google continues to trust your content. Not only that, but you could also see a rise in organic traffic and even more leads for your business.

In the ever-increasing competition of SEO, featured snippets are a great opportunity to stand out. Optimizing your content the right way allows you to appear in the number one spot of SERPs and gain visibility for your website. Plus, you’ll be able to increase your website’s authority with Google, leading to better rankings and more organic traffic over time.

Thus, it’s essential to understand how to use them as part of your overall online marketing strategy. By making an effort to optimize your content for featured snippets, you can gain a competitive advantage in the online marketplace.

What’s the difference between a featured snippet and the answer box?

The answer box is often confused with the featured snippet. While they share some similarities, they are two distinct features. Answer boxes are responses pulled by Google out of its own knowledge base. This is for short answers, like “How many miles to the moon?” to which it answers with a number: 384,400 km, without a link to a source. 

On the other hand, the featured snippet is an extract from a web page that appears at the top of SERPs. It’s meant to provide more in-depth information than the answer box. And to a digital marketer, this is more valuable because it provides a link to the page. 

That said, the main goal of both features is to provide users with an immediate response to their queries.

What are the Different Types of Featured Snippets?

Paragraph

Also known as a Text snippet, this featured snippet is best suited for specific questions. It pulls content from the web page and displays it as a short paragraph at the top of SERPs. It’s commonly used to provide definitions, explain a concept, or offer detailed instructions. This is the most popular type of featured snippet among webmasters.

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