Featured Snippet
A featured snippet is a text that shows the results of a Google search query without having to select the corresponding website. The text snippet is created directly and automatically by Google.
The search results are highlighted by the featured snippet. The search results are in position zero, so to speak, above all other search results. If ads are listed for a specific search result, they are the only ones above the featured snippet. This allows the user to see the relevant content of a website more quickly and saves them having to click on the website.
Creation of a featured snippet
Google itself decides for which search queries a featured snippet is used. The same applies to the choice of domain use. In the Search Evaluator Guidelines, Google provides information on which search queries are suitable for a featured snippet. Google describes the “Know Simple” subgroup as the answer to the “Know” search intent section. These answers must fit correctly into 1-2 sentences or a short list, on the size of a cell phone screen. The content should be optimized individually for each featured snippet format.
What are the advantages of a featured snippet?
This primarily offers users the advantage of saving time and data volume. A featured snippet is not necessarily advantageous for the website operator due to the drop in traffic. This risk is particularly high for search queries that can be answered in just a few sentences. For more extensive questions, the featured snippet serves as an introduction to the relevant topic, which results in a click to the website.
Another advantage of optimizing with featured snippets is the ranking at position zero, which attracts a lot of attention. This increases the click rate and leads to more organic traffic. In addition, the branding has a positive influence due to the strengthened perception of the website.
The website for which Google creates a featured snippet does not necessarily have to rank in position one. This gives the website operator the opportunity to rank ahead of other competitors in the search results.
Examples
The featured snippets can be divided into the following 3 categories:
- Text snippets
- Video Snippets
- Lists and table snippets
Text snippets are the format that is used most frequently. The user receives a direct, concise answer to the question in the search results in plain text format. This text normally contains 40-50 words. There are also text snippets with images, but these do not necessarily come from the same website. The text snippets of German search queries most often consist of Wikipedia entries.
For certain queries, Google also displays video results instead of text snippets. The linked page is opened by clicking on the preview image. In most cases, these are YouTube videos.
In some cases, Google decides to answer certain search queries using lists or tables. Even if no structured data information is available, Google creates the lists independently. An image can also be included in the lists and table snippets.