Getting a featured snippet on Google may have a significant impact on your digital marketing efforts. This article explains the various types of highlighted snippets, each offering unique benefits and challenges. It provides an easy-to-use guide for optimizing content for search engine visibility, as featured snippets receive over 35% of total clicks from Google users. Whether looking at paragraphs, lists, tables, or other content types, these snippets significantly impact digital marketing efforts.
1. Paragraph Featured Snippets
Paragraph featured snippets are longer blurbs that provide a high-level overview or summary of a topic. Rather than only providing a word or sentence, they try to provide a whole explanation in response to the search query.
These highlighted passages usually consist of two or three phrases or between fifty and one hundred words. While still optimising for featured snippet real estate on the search engine results page (SERP), they provide searchers with a brief overview of a subject.
When someone searches for "What is content marketing?" for instance, the following description could appear in a paragraph highlighted snippet:
"Content marketing is a form of advertising which includes the making and publishing of digital content (such as photographs, blog entries, and social media posts) that doesn't explicitly endorse a company but aims to create interest in its goods or services."
Paragraph snippets are selected algorithmically, just like other featured snippets, and are intended to offer the most appropriate, accurate information on the query being searched for. To comprehend the context and intent of search queries, they combine semantic analysis with natural language. No wonder more than 70% of featured snippets are paragraphs.
2. List Featured Snippets
There are several types of featured snippets search engines may display to provide quick answers to search queries. Two of the most common are list snippets and how-to snippets.
List Snippets
List snippets display a bulleted or numbered list of items related to the search query. For example, a search for "types of apples" may return a list snippet with:
Granny Smith - Tart, green, popular for baking and salads
Red Delicious - Sweet, crimson red, most popular apple
Fuji - Crisp, sweet, ideal for eating fresh
To rank for a list snippet, create a well-structured list post on your topic with concise, scannable content using numbered or bulleted lists. Include related keywords in your list items.
How-to Snippets
How-to snippets are in-depth guides that walk you through an activity, like changing a tyre. They give detailed directions on how to do things like park on a level spot, remove the lug nuts, place the jack, raise the jack, take the lug nuts off, and mount the spare tyre on the lug bolts. If feasible, a how-to snippet should have images, be written in an easy-to-read, numbered list, and be optimised with relevant keywords. These snippets are meant to give consumers comprehensive, secure, and useful advice.
3. Table Featured Snippets
When optimizing content for featured snippets, one type you may want to target is the table featured snippet. This featured snippet displays information in a basic data table format, with columns and rows. To earn a table featured snippet, you need to have an actual data table on your page with relevant information.
What Makes a Good Table for Featured Snippets
The table should contain useful information that answers a common question or query. It should be easy to read, with clear column headings, and not too wide. Only include the most important and relevant data - do not overload the table.
Ensure the table has adequate whitespace and is formatted neatly. The information should be up to date and factually accurate. Including extra details about the topic around the table will also help provide more context for search engines.
Some examples of good table featured snippets include:
A table comparing product features and specifications
A table of nutritional information for foods
A table listing movie ratings by year of release
A table outlining tax rates by income bracket
Final Thoughts
It's critical to comprehend highlighted snippets and optimise content for them. Publish in-depth, insightful information on your subject that provides the best possible structure for Google's search results. By putting best practices into effect, you may improve your site's visibility in featured snippet results and attract more targeted organic visitors. In the rapidly evolving field of digital marketing, excellent content with a user-centered approach continues to be the cornerstone of success.