How to Get Featured Snippets: Google Optimization Guidelines

A featured snippet is a way of giving easy explanations to the users while searching for something. The two to three lines of text appearing at the top of Google search results is a featured snippet that we have seen. Getting featured snippets assist the website to reach the top position. 

People expect to receive instant and straightforward answers to their questions. So, the results displayed in this way will be useful and easy for them.

The below-given are the steps to optimize the featured snippet: 

• “What is” - This is sentence structure and this is a way of giving a direct answer to the user's queries

• Avoid adding your company or service name

• Don’t write in first-person slang

• Define the topic in detail

• Ensure the format of the featured snippet is followed

• Meet the quality of search engine

The designed algorithm of featured snippets is comparatively simpler than the primary one. It is highly recommended to give easy-understanding definitions that make users comfortable to read.

You have the bulk of featured snippets to read but a few of them must be known which could be listed in the following lines for your reference: 

Meanwhile, these are important to follow to optimize your content in accordance with the search engine guidelines 

Paragraph - A paragraph is a form of two-to-three lines of text that we used to mention as in an HTML element. 

Table - This is the least common type of featured snippet that helps display a particular set of information in a tabular format. In HTML, the syntax of is used.

List - Both the bulletins and numbers come under the list as you can either use

• ol - ordered list
• ul - unordered list

Voice search is common nowadays. But the featured snippet adds sense to the results delivered to the users. This is a notified significance of featured snippets that allow the search engine to show the best results.

There are some set of rules for optimizing the featured snippets that pave the way for higher SERPs. To show your website in the top results and receive the featured snippet, follow these steps without fail.

 

Include the keyword “What is” in your heading tag while beginning to optimize for featured snippets. It is the most basic and essential format to be implemented by countless pages for giving a direct form of an answer to the user query. 

Most importantly, this heading is very close to Google search results and helps increase the chances of getting higher rank. For instance: Take this blog post as your example! Scroll up and see the first heading of this content, which starts with “What is”. 

“Is” - An important rule or keyword to be followed strictly in my opinion while describing something to visitors. 

Most of the optimized featured snippets are followed with “is”.

Some Must-Included Guidelines: 

• The first sentence of the text should tell about the topic directly

• The second or third should describe the facts

• Max of 3 to 4 sentences are enough to derive and avoid adding extra unwanted content

This is the most common and major mistake that happens when doing optimization for featured snippets. 

The companies or firms will get some rights in case of missing those that make the results eligible for featured snippets. As we mentioned previously, it supports voice search and Google home will read the featured snippets thoroughly for knowing what it includes. 

For Example: Lets we take a topic like “how to choose the best skin care products” 

“The products or brands from “ABC company” will give you the best and most effective results within a short span of time.”

Here, the ABC company is trying to get the featured snippet but using the brand name directly harms the process. 

While the user is reading this sentence, they may raise a question like “What about other popular and reputed brands in the market”, or “whether we can go with any other brands or not”. 

"When giving tips or guidelines, ensure it is always simple and generic without allowing users to get confused"

The optimized sentence is like: 

“For choosing the right product, analyze your skin type. Also, getting a few suggestions from a dermatologist is advisable if your skin is sensitive”

Similar to the aforementioned rule, using first-person language in your text is not eligible for the featured snippets. 

Let’s take a sample example: Buying a good product works efficiently on your skin. We have a huge range of products that typically suit your skin type. 

It indirectly symbolizes some particular brand. So, while writing content avoid using the first person perspective (I, We, Us, and Our).

The most important and must-follow rule. 

The ultimate goal of featured snippets is to give sufficient information to the users as quickly as possible. 

It simply means that we have to write well-researched and optimized content that typically helps the users within three to four lines of context. 

• The first sentence should speak about the definition of the topic
• Second and third covers interesting facts or news
• No more over-explanation is required

There are different types of featured snippets available and the given are mandatory to be included: 

• Paragraph

• List (Ordered and Unordered list)

• Table

This is so simple to follow. What type of featured snippet you have seen in the search engine, apply it as well in your content.

The list of competitors is very high as we could update ourselves for claiming a featured snippet. Here what I am coming to say is: Search engine values the site that holds the best-ranking position, like the first position has a 30% chance and second position has 23%, the third has 19%, and likewise going. 

So, do effective marketing and search engine tactics to improve your site position and recognition in Google. Implement as possible strategies to make your brand be noticed by the search engine.

If the above steps are followed brilliantly, then your content is good to go. 

Wait for some time and let Google re-index your content. If it is done by the search engine and not yet getting featured snippets then this is not the right time to optimize your site for featured snippets. 

Don’t let your operations down, find the small gap lies between your site and Google rule for featured snippets. Fix it well and obtain your expected results.