6 Tips To Get Featured Snippets

Google Featured snippets are a way for Google to tell searchers what they want to know, without them having to click on a link.

They appear as a box at the top of the search result page and answer any question that might have been entered into Google’s search engine.

This is an important ranking factor because many people don’t go past the first few results on their screen when looking for information so if you rank higher than those other pages, you’ll get more traffic from people who just wanted some quick facts about your topic.

In this blog post, we will discuss how to optimize for featured snippets including some ways that even beginners can do it with little effort!

Optimize Structured Data Markup

For those who don’t know, structured data is a way of marking up your website and content to tell search engines how you want them indexed.

Structured data markup can appear in the form of tags like Schema or JSON-LD – both of which help Google understand what information on your page means – as well as microdata, RDFa and other forms of structured data.

Structured markup also appears in the form of Rich Snippets, which are shown to searchers on Google’s search result pages.

The easiest way to get started with structured data is by using rich snippets.

These are available for many types of content including events, reviews and products – just to name a few!

Google’s Structured Data Testing Tool makes it easy to check if your code has been formatted so that you can start seeing some traffic from the feature in as little as a few hours!

Include Keywords In Your Title Tags

The next easiest way to get a featured snippet is by using the title tag on your page.

Since this appears directly underneath the link in search results, it’s not surprising that Google wants to include information about what searchers will find if they click through for more detail.

A good SEO tactic would be to intersperse some of your keywords throughout each post so that you know which words are most likely being searched when people come looking for content related to your topic.

If you have multiple pieces or resources then consider creating an overview page with links back into those pages as well – just remember to only use keywords sparingly!

Update Your Blog Post Published Date

Another way to get a featured snippet is by changing the date on your blog post published timestamp.

Many marketers have seen an increase in traffic from Google’s Featured Snippets when they add or update posts with new information that isn’t readily available elsewhere online.

Include Keywords In Your Meta Description To Guarantee a Spot At #0

This tactic is probably my favourite because it takes almost no effort and guarantees you’ll be ranked first for any queries where a searcher might want more detail about what you’ve written about.

The only downside of this technique is that if someone does want to click through then they won’t see anything but text – so try combining it with one of the others here too!

Answer People’s Questions

Finally, one of the best ways to rank high in Google’s Featured Snippets is by answering peoples questions on your post.

People are taking more and more (and longer) to read online content before they make a decision about what it contains – which means that you need to be able to answer any question that someone might have directly through your content!

So, closing your blog posts with questions that you’ve answered is a great way to encourage people to click through and learn more information about your topic.

Use SemRush Tool for Featured Snippets Opportunities

Now that you have a little bit of information to work with, it’s time to use SemRush.com – the best tool for finding keywords and featured snippet opportunities!

If you go over there now, type in your topic and let their powerful SEO software do its magic – I promise you won’t be disappointed…

FAQ

What is the difference between rich snippets and featured snippets?

Google’s Rich Snippets are a way for you to show more information about the content on your pages – such as reviews, events and recipes.

Featured snippets (or instant answers) take this one step further by including an answer directly from the search results!

Can I control whether or not Google uses my featured snippet?

Unfortunately, there is no direct way of controlling which type of result you might get in Google – although it has been suggested that if someone searches for something very specific then they will most likely see a regular listing rather than a featured snippet.

However, with all the tips I’ve talked about here today you certainly have plenty of opportunities to rank high in featured snippets.

Is it worth optimizing for featured snippets?

Yes! While Google has never officially confirmed that they use featured snippets as a ranking signal it seems pretty obvious to me – and the fact is if you can include specific information about your topic right there in search results then why wouldn’t you?

Just remember not everyone searching for something might see your snippet so try to combine this with some other SEO tactics too.

Do I need an image to get a featured snippet?

Not every query will have an answer included – but yes, including images on any page where you think people might want more information certainly won’t hurt your chances either!

On top of that, having unique and descriptive alt tags just makes sense from both rich snippets and content marketing perspectives.

What’s the best way to use featured snippets?

Take your time to research what people might be searching for when they’re looking at your topic, then try and include that information directly in the search results.

If you can do this successfully then Google will recognise it as a useful answer – which means more traffic to your site!

What are the benefits of having my post included in a featured snippet?

The number one benefit is increased visibility – there’s no doubt about it!

People who don’t click through from search results often just see whatever result appears first so if yours does appear first then you’ll get all that extra attention without any effort involved on your end whatsoever!

On top of that, because these answers are almost always text-based it allows you to include your keywords in the answer which is good for SEO.

Does a featured snippet have to appear before or after my site?

Yes, although this depends on what Google thinks would be best (or most useful) for searchers at that particular time!

For example, if someone searches for an exact question then they are likely to see it above your post – but if they search with more general terms only then yours might fall below their listing.

Either way, though you’ll still get all of that extra exposure and traffic so don’t stress too much about ranking position here.

Final Thoughts

With all of the information I’ve shared here today – plus a little bonus material – there’s no reason why you shouldn’t be able to take control over Google and get your site ranking high in featured snippets!

Remember, focus on creating useful content that’ll answer questions for people as well as include unique images where possible.

While it might seem hard at first, with some practice you can do this successfully every time…

Want more? No problem!

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