The 3 Easiest Types of Featured Snippets You Can Get

Remember when you entered a query on Google, and a little box containing the answer popped up at the top of the page?

You didn’t have to click on multiple websites or dig through links upon links. These little boxes - featured snippets - took you straight to the answer.

Featured snippets, also called answer boxes, are the VIP section of SERPs. They provide quick answers, grab attention, and consequently increase website traffic.

A study by Ahrefs shows that featured snippets appear in 12.3% of search queries, confirming their importance. Featured snippets are a way for you to get found on Google, even when you aren’t no 1 in SERPs.

This guide will explain the 3 easiest types of featured snippets you can get and how to earn them.

What is a featured snippet?

According to Google, “Featured snippets are special boxes where the format of a regular search result is reversed, showing the descriptive snippet first”.

In other words, it’s Google showcasing the most relevant parts of a website in a clear, simple format. This format can be a short paragraph, a table or a list.

Featured snippets get huge visibility and clicks because they are at the top of search results. As such, they are often referred to as “position zero.”

Usually, every SEO marketer wants to hit the No. 1 spot in SERPs, but featured snippets take it a step further. They appear above the No. 1 spot and get more clicks than the top-ranking pages because users get what they want without scrolling.

Why are featured snippets important?

Why are SEO experts, digital marketers and business owners working to get Google to feature their websites in featured snippets? Why do these little answer boxes matter that much? Here is why.

• Increased visibility & organic traffic: Being placed above the first position in search results is no small feat. Unsurprisingly, featured snippets are called position zero because they are front and centre, the first thing users see. And more visibility means higher click-through rates, which, in turn, leads to increased organic traffic.
• Boosted authority: While you can optimise your content for featured snippets, Google ultimately determines the websites to be showcased. If Google features your content, it consolidates your website’s authority. It’s Google’s way of telling users they can trust your website content. This establishes you as a thought leader in your niche.
• Voice search optimisation: Voice assistants like Alexa and Google often pull their answers from featured snippets. As such, you can get heard by people who can’t read a screen. By optimising your content for featured snippets, you are also tapping into the growing voice search SEO.

How to find snippet opportunities?

Not every piece of content makes it to featured snippets, so you must be strategic. Knowing how to locate snippet opportunities can change your SEO game. Here is what to do to get these snippet opportunities.

• Keyword Research: Type your main keyword into Google and watch what pops up in the “People Also Ask” section. What appears is usually what the audience wants, so you stand a chance of being showcased in snippets if you create content around it. You can also use keyword research tools like SEMrush, Ahrefs, Keyword Planner, etc., to find what people want. Look out for more specific long-tail keywords with high volume but less competitive. Short and generic keywords are often highly competitive, and your content might not rank well.
• Use the Question method: A recent study by SEMrush found that 29% of keywords that triggered featured snippets started with question words such as “why”, “can”, “what”, etc. You can leverage this by creating content around question-based keywords. However, always keep the search intent in view.
• Check search results: Find if there are any featured snippets for your target keywords. If there are, what format do they come in? A list, a table or a paragraph? What is the intent behind the search query? The information you get can help you create better content.
• Analyse the competition: Identify what your competitors do to make them appear in featured snippets. What type of content do they create? What content strategies do they use? What are their major search queries? The insights from the competition analysis can be your ticket to creating featured-snippet-worthy content.

The 3 easiest types of featured snippets to get today:

There are different types of featured snippets - videos, paragraphs, lists, double snippets, combined snippets, etc. However, the 3 easiest snippets to snag are paragraphs, lists and tables.

Paragraph

A paragraph is a small text block containing the information you need. It is about 40 to 60 words long, concise and straightforward. It is classic, so you’ll see more of it pop up. According to SEMrush, 70% of featured snippets are paragraphs.

How to optimize for this snippet

• Use keyword-rich sentences.
• Go straight to the point in the first sentence, then provide some context in the subsequent ones.
• Ensure your content meets the criteria of Google’s E.E.A.T - Experience, Expertise, Authority and Trustworthiness.
• Start the first sentence with formats like “(subject matter) is” or (subject matter) refers to”.

Let’s say you manage a content marketing blog and want to explain content marketing. You might write something like this, “Content marketing is/Content marketing refers to the process of creating and distributing valuable content to engage your audience.”

List Snippet (numbered or bullet lists)

Google loves step-by-step content formats. The list snippet is perfect for search queries that require steps or a structure. It can be numbered or bulleted.

How to optimize for this snippet

• Break your content into clear, concise steps.
• Use keyword-rich headings

For instance, if you are writing a blog post on “Top 5 best SEO tips for 2024”, you might write something like this;

1. Match user intent
2. Use the right keywords
3. Create original content
4. Use descriptive URLs
5. Optimise images for SEO

Table Snippet

A table snippet breaks down complex data using a table. It is mainly used to compare statistics, products, services, etc. It has rows and columns that contain important metrics relevant to the data it provides.

Table snippets are less competitive, with just 6.3% of featured snippets being tables. This means you have a higher chance of ranking if you optimize your content for it.

How to optimize for this snippet

• Use 3 - 4 columns for a mobile-friendly user experience.
• Use relevant keywords in your headings and content.
• Don’t overload your tables with data.

Let’s say you have a website that features different travel destinations worldwide and want to write about the best travel spots in Europe. You might create a table like this;

Example

Since featured snippets are mainly based on ranking for target keywords, you can do a keyword mapping first. This ensures you gather all the keywords you want to rank for and target them in your content accordingly.

It also helps you avoid keyword cannibalisation, a situation in which multiple content pieces on your website compete against one another for the exact keywords, and none end up in featured snippets.

Other types of featured snippets to be aware of:

Asides paragraphs, lists and tables, there are other types of featured snippets you can aim for. They are less common and can be trickier to get, but equally effective. Below are other types of featured snippets and how to optimise for them;

Combined Snippets

Combined snippets are a buffet of different snippets served to users. It has a primary snippet, alongside other types, to provide additional information. For example, it could blend paragraphs, lists and video/images. It provides a holistic view of the search query without users digging through multiple links.

How to optimize for this snippet

• Introduce the topic with keyword-rich text followed by a list or table.
• Add an image or video to make your content visually appealing (ensure it has a descriptive file name and alt tag).

Carousel snippet

Carousel snippets present information in a series of images that users can scroll through horizontally. It’s like scrolling through Google’s gallery for what you need. They are often used for content that requires images for better understanding, such as recipes, travel destinations, product comparisons/recommendations, etc. They are considered the most interactive snippet because they are visually engaging.

How to optimize for this snippet

• Include high-quality images and clear headings for each item.
• Write brief but keyword-rich descriptions for each item in the carousel.
• Let each content card be engaging and attention-grabbing. Use schema (structured data markup) to help Google understand your content.

Video or Youtube Snippets

Video or YouTube snippets are pulled from YouTube videos and showcased in search results since YouTube is the second-largest search engine in the world. They are often used for product demos, how-tos, tutorials, or anything that requires showing rather than telling.

How to optimize for this snippet

• Keep your videos between 2 and 3 minutes.
• Ensure they address specific questions and always go straight to the point.
• Don’t try answering many questions in one video; you’ll confuse Google and the users. Instead, make it one video for one question/topic.
• Use clear, descriptive, and keyword-rich titles. You can also add captions and timestamps to your videos.
• When uploading to a YouTube channel, use relevant keywords in the texts - titles, tags, descriptions, etc. - so Google can find you.

If you want to rank for a video snippet, it’s advisable to upload your videos on YouTube rather than host them on your website directly.

Rich Answer

A rich answer is a direct answer pulled from a webpage. It is used for calculations, conversions, definitions, facts, etc. For example, “What does SEO stand for?” " How many seconds are in an hour?” “What is 1,444 multiplied by 1024?” are queries that get rich answers.

How to optimize for this snippet

• Answer the common questions in your niche in 40 - 50 words in your content pieces.
• Use schema markup to help Google pull direct answers for your content. Ensure every information you provide is accurate and up-to-date.

Snippet-like features in the SERPs

Snippet-like features aren’t entirely featured snippets, but they provide instant answers without users needing to click on a website. They might not be at the topmost of SERPs, but they catch attention and get traffic.

Instant answers

These are quick and direct responses to search queries at the top of SERPs. They can be calculations, weather forecasts, etc.

Calculations

When your search query involves calculations such as “144 x 144”, “15% of 500”, “how many inches to a meter”, etc., Google provides instant answers. To optimise for this, provide straightforward answers to common math queries.

Weather forecast

If you want to know the weather at a particular time, Google provides weather information based on location. It includes icons representing different weather conditions—sunny, rainy, cloudy, and temperature. To optimise for this, include weather-relevant keywords in your content.

Word definitions

Google provides definitions when you search for the meaning of a word - “What is marketing?”, “backlink definition”, etc. To optimise for this snippet-like feature, clearly define terms relevant to the subject matter and use the schema to help Google understand your content.

Knowledge graph

The knowledge graph, usually on the right side of SERPs, is a snippet-like feature summarising information about people, places, or things. It includes links, images, biography details, and other relevant information. It is a digital encyclopedia, a database of information about many things. This snippet-like feature pops up when you search for a popular name like “Michael Jackson” or a place like “Eiffel Tower”.

To optimise for it, create high-quality and authoritative content. Use the schema markup to help Google understand the content. You can also include images in your content.

Images

This snippet-like feature usually accompanies image-based search queries or queries requiring visual content. To stand a chance of being showcased, optimise your images for SEO. Ensure the alt text, file name, tags, etc., contain keywords relevant to your images.

It’s important to note that the strategies outlined above can’t replace blog posts and other content pieces on your website. Instead, they increase the chances of your content appearing in featured snippets. Google pulls the snippets from your content in its index, so you need to optimise every content you produce, which, in turn, means you have to keep publishing high-quality content.

How to track your featured snippets

There’s no way to know if your approach works if you don’t track your featured snippets. Tracking helps you determine whether your efforts are effective or if you need to tweak your strategy. It also helps you measure your website’s progress and identify areas for better performance. Below are some ways to track your featured snippets.

Use SEO tools

SEO tools such as Ahrefs and SEMrush provide advanced insights into the featured snippets for which you are ranking. You can check the Featured Snippets report in SEMrush or the Rank Tracker feature in Ahrefs. SEO tools not only show you the keywords you rank for but also the amount of traffic and how you can further optimise it.

Use Google Search Console (GSC)

GSC is a free tool for tracking the keywords that earned you featured snippets. In the Performance report, check for any significant increase in clicks or impressions. Specifically, look out for URLs that include “text=”. More often than not, this indicates your content has been showcased in a featured snippet. You can also set up alerts to get notified when your featured snippets change.

Search Manually

You can manually check whether you rank for featured snippets by entering your target keywords on Google and seeing if your content appears in the answer boxes. If it doesn’t, find out why and tweak your approach. Analyse your competitor’s content in the featured snippets and use the insights to tweak yours.

Boosting your online visibility with featured snippets

You don’t need to be an SEO expert before your content appears in featured snippets.

That’s why we’ve outlined this step-by-step approach on how to get a featured snippet. You might not see the results overnight; remember, you aren’t the only one aiming for featured snippets. But if you are consistent over time, you will get them.

However, if you want to fast-track your progress and ease the process, you can apply for an SEO consult to see what you can do better to get those featured snippets in record time.