JUMP TO THE FRONT OF THE LINE!
How to Target Featured Snippets
Yes, it’s okay to jump the line and make yourself the first site people see! A featured snippet is the box of information that appears on the page when you run a search. Featured snippets provide clear and concise answers to search queries at the top of the search engine result pages (SERPs).
Want to increase web traffic on your site? Then it’s time you targeted featured snippet opportunities!
Research supports that featured snippets increase the click-through rates for search results. Being the first to answer a search query often translates to being the first site visited.
Featured snippets appear in three forms. The first and most common is paragraphs. They answer queries on what is, who is, why, etc. The second is lists, answering queries on recipes, guides, best, top, highest, etc. The third is with tables that offer information on comparative queries using structured data.
To target featured snippet opportunities, it is essential to first identify them. The easiest way to identify opportunities is to use an SEO tool, like Moz or Ahrefs. It is also important to note that there is no exact way to increase the chances of showing in these featured boxes.
Below are some suggestions that can help provide the best results in targeting featured snippet opportunities:
Find relatable keywords and use them comprehensively in your content
Identify the most significant word that provides information on the site. When people research information, they use keywords. Therefore, it boosts the visibility of your site if you have used these significant words all over the content you provide. When the SERPs appear, there is a likelihood that you will appear on page one if not on the featured snippet. Totally worth it!
Create long-tail keywords that are questions
Long-tail keywords are search phrases with longer word-counts usually three to four words. For ideas, you can use Google Ads Keywords. To maximize the effectiveness of this suggestion, you can make the long tail keywords questions. For example, instead of “restaurants”, you can have “where are affordable restaurants”.
Create evergreen content that targets your long-tail keywords
Evergreen content is information that remains relevant for a long time. This keeps the site relevant, ensuring that it may still provide a reference to people who have already visited before. For example, having Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs), How-To tutorials, Encyclopedic information, Reference guides, Product reviews, etc. will hold more relevance through time.
Simplify and create summaries of content
Simplify your content by removing jargon and using shorter and more concise statements. Doing this provides unique information that can easily be taken in by a user and is what search engines seek to display. Reviewing your existing content also provides insight on how to achieve this. As for creating summaries of content, it’s more beneficial to present a summary in a paragraph feature snippet as it will serve to provide comprehensive information while also creating interest to seek more information on the subject.
Be factual and well organized
Provide truthful and verifiable information throughout your content. People who seek information also seek truth above all. Being well organized depends on the snippet opportunity you are targeting. For paragraphs, be sure to answer questions using keywords within the <p> content but questions as subheadings <h2>. It is also helpful to answer many similar questions within the same article. For lists, format content by numbers, while for tables, format the content in a table structure i.e. <table>.
Use attention-grabbing and high-quality images
Visual representations provide information too. A picture is worth a thousand words, so sometimes a picture can provide an understanding of a particular subject matter that’s difficult to convey with written language. Attention-grabbing images are more likely to incite a click to your page than a string of words.
Utilize strong on page SEO
Search engine optimization (SEO) is the process of increasing the quality and quantity of website traffic by increasing the visibility of a web page to users utilizing search engines. The key to gaining this on your site is to have keyword optimization.
Conduct a comprehensive keyword research assessment and choose one that is relevant to your site. Ensure that it stays within the site’s competitive power and make sure it is very popular with users.
Target featured snippets by commanding authority on site
What does your site have to offer? Do other websites rely on it for content? An authoritative site possesses high-quality backlinks that other high-quality websites can link back to. This provides search engine crawlers with feedback that the linked to site has value i.e. comprehensive content, like resources and research that can be useful and likely to inspire specific business outcomes.
Research competitors and ask people
Analyze the featured snippet that you are targeting and check out the content offered on their site. Consider aspects such as mark-ups and keyword use and word count. To target the featured snippet opportunity, you need to do better on the mark-up and have better on-page keyword optimization. Insight could also come from asking people relevant questions and acting on the feedback. Quite the modern world we have! You can even monitor the questions on twitter!
While carrying out all of the above suggestions will not guarantee you the targeted featured snippet, they are a great place to start! It is important to not lose hope, and to continue to tweak and improve your site. There’s no limit to the actions you can take to improve your chances of landing that spot, and this is one line that’s worth trying to jump every time!
