Publicado en
November 22, 2018

What are Featured Snippets and How Can They Impact Your Traffic

Javiera Lillo Palominos
SEO Specialist

What are Featured Snippets or Featured Snippets

Surely you have seen them numerous times in the Google search results page: Google's Featured Snippets or Featured Snippets are those texts that appear in position 0 from Google. These are fragments of content from a website with the objective of provide the user with a quick response to the query that was made previously.

We have been talking about this functionality that Google uses to offer the best experience to its users for some time. In addition, according to this Smart Insights study, the Trend of this 2019 is that the number of Featured Snippets results continues to grow.

Types of Featured Snippets

At the moment, the types of highlighted fragments can be divided into:

  1. Text (with or without image)
Ejemplo de fragmento destacado de Google
  1. Tabla
Featured Snippets tabla
  1. Listed
Ejemplo de featured snippet

How Featured Snippets Can Affect Your Traffic

This is a crucial part that can help you to: better understand changes in traffic of your website.

Just like the increased presence of Ads in the search results that greatly affects the Lower CTR for some keywords, the Upload the Featured Snippets it can positively or negatively affect your channel acquiring organic traffic.

La Positive part of that impact is clear: increase your organic traffic dramatically.

La Negative part, on the other hand, it can be given for two variables: Because your content, despite appearing in position 0, Answer the user's question and I don't need to click on your result and visit your website. This is another of the “dangers” we face; to solve it, if they are enumerations, you can try to add more to a larger list of items, so the user, if interested in seeing them all, will click on your website. The other negative point is that, on many occasions, reaching Occupying that place can be very difficult or even impossible. According to a Ahrefs study on Featured Snippets, Wikipedia accounts for approximately 11.2% of the total number of Featured Snippets in the United States.

The challenge of position 0: How to optimize your content to get Featured Snippets

1. Analyze your current positions

The first step to do is to know what your current positions are for Identify what queries They are the ones that have the best positions on your website. This way you'll be aware of what opportunities you have to get a featured snippet.

2. Identify the right searches

The searches in which you are ranked, for what type Are they? They can be questions, prepositions, or comparisons.

3. Detect your opportunities to position

To know what terms you could use to position yourself and create content ad hoc, there are different methods that you can use:

  • Ask the department of customer support About your company (if you have one) what kind of questions are usually asked
  • Consult the website of answerthepublic.com
  • Monitor the social networks

4. Create quality content

El contents, in addition to being attractive and providing value to the user, it must be updated and based on facts, which provides verified and true information.

5. Structure your content

The structure makes it easy find specific information both to people and to search engines. Lists, tables of contents, comparative tables, enumerations, etc.

6. Pay attention to your paragraphs

There are studies that show that the average length of the highlighted excerpts are 45 words (the maximum, 97).

7. Write long lists

For attract traffic to your website, it is recommended to insert large lists, otherwise the user will find the full answer in the S.E.R.P. results, and will probably not visit your website.

Ejemplo de featured snippet de listado

8. Demonstrate your Expertise

On August 1, 2018, Google released a new update: The E-A-T (Expertise - Authoritativeness, Trustworthiness). Google rewarded and penalized websites based on their experience, authority and trust.

Therefore, show that you are an expert on the topic you are writing about by providing data and sources. Always make sure to use external links to trusted sources from which you get your data.

9. Structured data

The format schema.org it helps search engines better understand your content.

10. Images

Finally, but also important, is to provide Featured Snippets pictures to make them more attractive.

How can we help you?

If you need more information, do not hesitate to contact get in touch with us.