With the rise of voice search and the dwindling attention spans of consumers, zero-click searches are here to stay. Here’s how we’re assisting healthcare marketers in adapting to this reality by using Google featured snippets as part of an efficient content marketing and search engine optimization plan for a digital marketing company.
As digital marketers, it’s becoming increasingly difficult to articulate the benefit of content marketing projects as consumer search behaviors and Google algorithms evolve. While traditional engagement measures such as total sessions, time on site, and conversions are convenient to answer the question “what should I measure?” they do not provide a whole picture.
With more than half of searches increasingly yielding no clicks — particularly on mobile devices — astute marketers are figuring out how to tailor content for this new reality, which frequently begins with Google highlighted snippets.
Know More About featured snippets
Featured Snippets are brief text excerpts displayed at the top of Google’s search results to rapidly answer a searcher’s inquiry. The content contained within a Featured Snippet is gathered automatically from Google’s index of websites. Featured Snippets are frequently used for definitions, tables, steps, and lists.
A brief history of featured snippets
The featured excerpts were first displayed in January 2014. They were occasionally referred to as Google’s “answer boxes” or “rapid replies” and were mostly linked with short queries. That year, website owners and SEOs recognized the opportunity presented by this breakthrough, prompting a slew of publications detailing how to optimize for featured snippets.
Although the term was already being used in digital marketing services, highlighted snippets became an official term in 2016. Short answers extracted from Google’s database without reference to a specific source were no longer confused with highlighted snippets at that time.
The majority of highlighted snippets were released concurrently; just carousel snippets were released later, in 2018. We’ll discuss each type in further detail later.
The early years of highlighted snippets were remarkable in that they enabled web pages to be replicated, featured above the rest, and as a regular snippet. When Google implemented the deduplication upgrade in January 2020, it resulted in a considerable fall in CTR.
Additionally, the deduplication update removed prominent snippets from the right sidebar. Knowledge graphs can now be displayed on the right sidebar and at the top of search results pages.
There have been several unsuccessful attempts to improve featured snippets with the help of a digital marketing company. For instance, Google experimented with combining many contextual links from disparate sources into a single snippet in 2020. While this could be beneficial to the sources that were featured, it was detrimental to the featured web page because it included links that were not initially present.
Numerous hyperlinks within a featured snippet
Additionally, it was discovered that Google could mix a text block from one website with a picture from another. We were unable to locate anything similar, and even if any remaining featured snippets mix information in this manner, they are likely to vanish.
Google is now testing the “hear this out loud” Button for searchers in India. Google Assistant is prompted to read the snippet as a result of this feature. Additionally, the search engine evaluates the “also covered on this page” part, which functions similarly to Google site links and provides indications about the additional sections on a web page. Who knows what other categories may yet appear as featured snippets in the SERP.
How do featured snippets appear?
Google’s first search results page will feature highlighted snippets for a variety of search queries. The position of these excerpts is frequently referred to as ‘Position 0’. Snippets are excerpts of content from a website that corresponds to the user’s search query. A featured snippet is composed of the following content pieces from the landing page, ranked according to their prominence within the snippet:
- Text snippet
- List snippet
- Table snippet
- Video snippet
Typically, featured snippets will include an image, albeit the image may not originate from the same source page as the text selection. Occasionally, a featured snippet will display video content. Additionally, Google displays the website’s title and URL in the snippet, providing consumers additional information about the originating domain. The meta description is not displayed. With the snippet appearing above organic search results in Position 0, the associated URL of that website might anticipate an increase in organic traffic.
Various Statistics Regarding Featured Snippets
According to a report by SEMRush and Brado, the percentage of keywords that generated featured snippets was determined by analyzing over 160 million phrases on a desktop and 46.1 million keywords on a mobile device. The following are the findings:
- Featured snippets appeared on 19% of Search Engine Results Pages (SERPs).
- 7.3 percent of SERPs contained snippets twice.
- Half of all smartphone displays are taken up with featured snippets.
- 70% of snippets were brief paragraphs of roughly 42 words in length.
- On average, 19.1 percent of snippets contained lists of up to six items.
- Tablets accounted for 6.3 percent of featured snippets, with an average of five rows.
- 4.6 percent are excerpts from videos.
- Travel, computers and electronics, science, arts, and entertainment were the industries with the highest percentage of featured snippets.
Why is it Important to Rank in Google’s Featured Snippets?
Optimizing for featured snippets is critical for your business because voice search is rising, and longer conversational keywords frequently return a featured snippet.
The following are some of the reasons why ranking on featured snippets is critical:
Reason #1: Increased Click-Through Rates
Hub spot’s in-depth analysis found that when they began ranking on Google highlighted snippets; their material saw an average rise in CTR of almost 114 percent. Thus, when your material appears as a featured snippet, it increases its possibility for click-through rates.
Another analysis by Ahrefs of 2 million featured snippets discovered that 8.6 percent of all clicks on SERPs go to the featured snippet. CTR of featured snippets on average Because the featured snippets are the first result that a searcher sees, they are more likely to click on the link associated with it for additional information. Increased exposure results in an increase in clicks.
Reason #2: Optimization of voice search
The popularity of voice search inquiries is increasing. According to statistics, 41% of Americans use voice search at least once a day. As a result, you’ll want to ensure that your content is both relevant and optimized for such queries. Because the answers to these inquiries are featured snippets, ranking for them is a significant victory.
With over 85% of paragraph snippets resulting in voice responses, it’s clear that voice searches frequently and exclusively refer to featured snippets.
Reason #3: Enhancement of the brand’s image with Digital marketing company
When your material appears in highlighted snippets, it establishes your niche authority and increases your brand’s reputation.
Optimizing featured snippets also benefits your site’s overall SEO. Featured snippets imply that “Google believes I am the best of the billion pieces of content available.” Which is a really nice endorsement that helps your brand’s image.
Because this distinguishes you from the competition and leaves your site visitors with the sense that your brand is really resourceful. As a result, readers can return to your blog whenever they require related information.
Reason #4: Domination of the SERPs
When you conduct a Google search, the featured snippets dominate the initial Section of the SERPs, focusing your attention on the source of the snippets. As a result, ranking on highlighted snippets increases the amount of traffic to your website. This is extremely beneficial if your rating is low, as it allows you to take traffic away from the #1 organic result.
As a result, you do not require greater Google ranks to attract attention. You can take digital marketing services to rank on site.
Note: While the majority of posts that reach position zero already rank on the first page, you still have a chance even if your post does not rank highly. Because, according to Getstat, 70% of snippets originate from websites that do not rank in the top organic position.
Various Types Snippets
Therefore, how do featured excerpts work? Google extracts an excerpt from a relevant website that most succinctly answers the topic. They can take on a variety of forms, including the following:
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Paragraphs
Paragraphs are the all-too-familiar featured snippets. Google pulls text from a web page and responds to a user’s query. A strong paragraph sample responds to the inquiry and includes additional information that piques the reader’s curiosity and encourages them to click through.
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Lists with sequential numbers
A numbered list enumerates the steps necessary to accomplish a task. A recipe that demonstrates how to cook pancakes step by step is an example of this. Searchers are likely to click on the snippet to access additional images or information.
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Lists with bullets
Digital marketing services help marketers adore bulleted lists, particularly when it comes to creating listicles for their blogs. For bulleted list excerpts, listicles take center stage. Therefore, if you have “best of” lists, ranking items, or feature lists that adhere to the featured snippet standards, your bulleted list may be snipped.
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Table
Google uses featured snippet tables to demonstrate its capabilities. It does not just copy information from an article and put it into a snippet in the same format as the article’s source website. Rather than that, Google cherry picks pertinent information and then generates its own table that presents the facts in an easy-to-understand way.
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Videos on YouTube
Snippets of interest go beyond the text. By extracting a segment of a video’s description, Google can display a specific clip from the film or respond to a user’s inquiry.
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Snippets at a Discount
Google may collect data from multiple sources. Utilize the paragraph pattern and supplement your information with helpful, illustrative photos to increase your chances of being chosen for double featured snippets.
What’s New in 2021 for Featured Snippets?
Recently, the digital marketing company observed two new features for highlighted snippets on Google Search results.
“Hear this out loud,” Button.
When you click this Button, the information is read aloud, and the accompanying text is highlighted.
“Also covered on this page” Section.
This Section appears beneath the highlighted snippet’s main Section and inherits the header tags you’ve set to your website.
Now you have another reason to improve your content organization with the use of heading tags!
TIPS for Optimizing Featured Snippets
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Focus on On-Page SEO
The primary stage for highlighted snippets is on-page SEO optimization. You should provide the best response possible to users through optimized content. Let’s delve into the mechanics of how to accomplish this by taking digital marketing services.
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Conduct a Keyword Analysis
Better to begin with keyword research, a time-honored but effective way of On-Page SEO. Optimizing your content for featured snippets is critical. You may benefit from tools such as Ahrefs or Serpstat or from digital marketing company, which provide sample search queries that provide featured results.
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Obtain Snippets from Competitors
Competitor analysis is worthwhile. It is the pivotal point of all things. When we discuss featured snippets, this is something you should consider as well. You should locate featured snippets that are currently ranking for keywords that your competitors are targeting. Additionally, when you’re searching for all of these things, you may want to check to see if Google is now displaying highlighted snippets for keywords for which you already score highly.
Once you’ve gathered this critical information, you can begin modifying your text for optimal optimization.
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Determine Which Phrases You Already Have a High Ranking For
As a more traditional method of determining your top-performing search queries, you may inquire of your clients or website visitors how they search and what inquiries they ask. It’s as simple as creating a search scenario and sharing it on social media. The primary objective is to elicit keyword suggestions from your followers.
Another place to begin the optimization process is to determine which phrases you currently score well for. Locate these indicators in Google Search Console. It provides suggestions for search terms that generate clicks. To access this information, navigate to the Google Search Console’s “Search Traffic” and “Search Analytics” sections.
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Include Answers to Related Questions in Your Content
According to Ahrefs, once a page is featured, it is quite likely that it will be featured for a large number of comparable queries. In this instance, your material should attempt to address comparable queries. Ascertain that your content is well-structured to address pertinent topics.
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Vary Your Phrasings When Addressing the Same Question
Thus, generating in-depth articles that address a variety of connected topics is another excellent strategy to boost your chances of being featured.
Additionally, Google now favors long-form material, most likely because readers can find numerous pertinent answers within a single piece. As a result, your subheadings should pose questions and deliver an immediate response.
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Include “How-To” Guides on Your Website
Some search searches begin with the phrase “how-to,” which is why you should similarly productively rebuild your website. With “how-to” search queries, people typically specify precisely what they want. In this situation, your material should provide a precise match for the search query.
By including “how-to” phrases in your content, you can communicate the impression that your material will answer queries or resolve issues.
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Peruse Google’s “Also Asked” Sections
Regardless of the nature of your business or service, you should always search Google’s “People also ask” area for similar queries. Believe me. You’ll gain valuable insight into some pertinent questions about your subject. Since 7/31/15, Moz reports that PAAs have grown 1,723 percent in SERPs. Additionally, research indicates that a single PAA can appear in up to 21 distinct SERPs.
Graph comparing Featured Snippets to PAAs. Isn’t it enormous?
When you search for further questions and read their responses, additional questions will appear, and your search area will be expanded.
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Organize Queries According to the Structure of the Content
As we all know, Google favors material that is structured with paragraphs, lists, and tables. As a result, a digital marketing company should structure your content similarly. Users should be able to find what they’re looking for in your material using your lists.
In your paragraphs, you should introduce replies by listing them with descriptive names and numbers. Additionally, you should offer charts and tables for comparison.
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Make Use of High-Quality Photographs and Videos
Websites and offerings should be accessible to people with a variety of perception styles, which we refer to as multi-intelligence. In this instance, you should use high-quality photos to accompany your text-based content.
FAQs on Featured Snippets
Q: How do Google’s featured snippets work?
Ans: The search engine determines the most relevant content for a featured snippet. Google looks for a concise, useful response to a query and displays it at the top of the SERP. Typically, the snippet’s content is around 50 words long and responds to a long-tail or particular inquiry.
Q: Are you able to substitute Wikipedia for a featured snippet?
Ans: Yes, you can! Wikipedia claims thousands of featured snippets because it answers thousands of individual inquiries in an organized manner. However, this does not exclude you from answering some of those queries better than Wikipedia – and therefore taking over position 0.
Q: How to Locate Opportunities for Featured Snippets
Ans: Conducting thorough research is critical for identifying highlighted snippet prospects for any website. Digital marketing company needs to conduct three distinct forms of research:
- Conduct research regarding your own site’s current position about featured snippets.
- Conduct keyword research to identify easy-to-acquire highlighted snippet chances.
- Keyword research focused on a certain question to uncover further chances.
Q: Is a featured snippet effective at increasing traffic?
Ans: It is determined by your past rating for the snippet keyword. If you previously ranked lower than #1, your traffic may increase once you have the snippet (position 0). However, if you were ranking #1, capturing the snippet may decline sessions. Featured snippets receive approximately 9% of all clicks for a search, whereas position 1 results receive approximately 19%.
Q; Is it necessary to have a high ranking to obtain a snippet?
Ans: No. The majority of featured snippets, on the other hand, originate from pages that score in the top ten search results for the query. This is a wonderful thing: whereas it may take months to climb from position 8 to position 1 for a relevant term, it may just take a day to climb from position 8 to position 0. (the snippet).
Q: Why does Google show highlighted snippets?
Ans: Simply defined, Google employs highlighted snippets to deliver fast responses to frequently asked questions.
According to a blog post by Danny Sullivan, Google’s public liaison for search, “we display featured snippets in search when we believe this format will help people more easily discover what they’re looking for, both from the description and when they click on the link to read the page itself.” “It’s especially beneficial for individuals who are mobile or conducting voice searches.”
Q: How can you get your hands on a featured snippet?
Ans: Click on “Organic Keywords” to access featured snippets. Select the top ten filters and then SERP Features. Click “Featured Snippets” and “All Features” from there. This will reveal all queries you now rank in the top ten of all results and include a featured snippet.
Conclusion
It requires considerable research and planning, and there is no way of knowing when you will see benefits (especially if you do not currently have a large number of top 10 rankings), but you can go for digital marketing services. Being listed in Google search results serves as an incentive to improve your content’s quality. Along the way, you’ll accomplish several additional significant objectives:
- You’ll come across hundreds of new content concepts (and thus will rank for a wider variety of various long-tail keywords)
- You’ll develop a greater capacity for an in-depth investigation on each subject (and thus will build more incoming links because people tend to link to in-depth articles)
- You’ll improve your content structure as a result (and thus achieve a lower bounce rate because it will be easier to read your articles)
