By Jayne Schultheis — Wondering what's happening in the world of SEO and featured snippets? Innovation moves pretty fast when it comes to search engines, especially with the latest incorporation of AI. We'll give you an overview of how featured snippets have been working and how they are changing. Let's jump in!

What are featured snippets?

Featured snippets on Google are concise answers to a query that appear at the top of some search results pages. Featured snippets usually are placed in what's called Position 0, above the first organic result but below paid listings. Google might take them directly from high-quality content within a web page or rewrite content from that page.

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If you're in the business of content marketing, you know just how crucial it is to get your website's url in that featured snippet. It boosts your organic traffic, so it's a highly treasured prize for sites seeking high Google rankings.

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Please note that featured snippets differ from the snippets used in Google Analytics. The latter snippets are bits of reusable code or text tags that can be placed on web pages to help Google assess and track them.

What is the difference between featured and rich snippets?

Featured snippets and rich snippets are both elements of Google's SERPs. They're designed to enhance the user experience by providing more detailed and useful information directly within the search results. But they differ in their presentation and purpose:

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• Placement. Featured snippets are placed at the top of the search results, while rich snippets are embedded within a search result.
• Content source. Featured snippets extract information directly from webpage content, whereas rich snippets rely on structured data provided by the website.
• Purpose. Featured snippets aim to provide direct answers to queries, while rich snippets enhance individual search listings with additional context and details, such as reviews, a carousel of photos, or information on buying a product.

Google's featured snippet requirements

There's no exact science to becoming a featured snippet — it's an algorithmic secret that Google holds. But there are a few tried-and-true things you can do, let’s call it snippet optimization, to improve your chances. You'll signal to search engines that your content deserves that featured spot as the answer to users' queries.

Content quality and relevance

Provide a direct, clear, and concise answer to the query with language that's simple and free from unnecessary or complicated jargon. Google wants snippets to have high readability. Remember — the specific language and keywords you use should be a direct reflection of what your target users are likely to search for, both in linguistics and search intent.

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High-value content also has optimized meta tags, including the title and description, which reflect the content's focus. Use relevant keywords naturally within the content. Keyword density is important, but remember — no keyword stuffing!

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Quality external links and a solid backlink profile (or inbound links) also help signal to Google that you're a well-respected authority within your niche. Make sure to select strong, keyword-rich anchor text for your links, too. To put it in simple terms, content optimization boosts your odds of getting a featured snippet.

Content structure

If you study featured snippets, you'll notice a common feature: They're often streamlined and well-structured. Appropriate headings are a big part of this. Use headings (H1, H2, H3) to structure the SEO content logically and make it easier to read. To clearly present information, you can also use:

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• Short paragraphs and concise, direct sentences
• Lists
• Tables
• Bullet points
• FAQ sections

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This helps Google easily extract the relevant information for a snippet.

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Small businesses should claim and update their Google Business Profiles, formerly called Google My Business. The information on the business can improve search results, especially for local searches and voice search. (Think, for example, of a voice search like "Where is the nearest pizza shop?") The profile also can supply information for rich snippets and featured snippets.

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And don't forget image optimization. Use your focus keyword in the caption and other "image alt data," including the alt text. The alt text not only gives sight-impaired individuals information about the images on your pages, but also helps Google to assess your pages for top rankings.

Technical SEO and performance

Make sure your webpage loads quickly. Slow-loading pages can negatively impact the chance of being selected as the featured snippet. Over 50% of web traffic comes from mobile devices, so it's crucial to also make sure you prioritize mobile optimization.

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To track your site's performance, which affects your ability to land featured snippets, use Google Search Console. The "performance report" can help to monitor which queries bring traffic to your site and whether your content is appearing in featured snippets. Look for high-ranking keywords and analyze their click-through rates. Filter queries to identify which ones might be triggering featured snippets. This can give you insights into which of your pages might be appearing as featured snippets.

Doesn't Google use generative AI to make snippets now?

Well, yes. If you're staying on top of trends in AI, you've noticed that Google Search regularly upgrades AI technologies into its search capabilities. This includes generating and enhancing featured snippets.

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Here’s how Google uses generative AI to enhance snippets:

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• Context understanding. Generative AI models, like BERT and GPT, help Google understand the context of a web page more deeply. This allows for more accurate and relevant snippets that better summarize the page content. AI can identify the most critical parts of a page, and rephrase complex sentences into simpler, more digestible ones. This makes snippets more user-friendly and easier to understand at a glance.
• Direct answers. For certain queries, generative AI can form direct answers like definitions or factual information, taking them directly from the content on the page.
• Complex queries. AI can handle complex, multi-part queries by generating snippets that address each part of the query, providing a more comprehensive response.
• Multimodal integration. Generative AI can combine textual summaries with relevant images or video content from the page to create richer, more informative snippets. For queries where visual information is crucial (e.g., product searches, tutorials), AI can integrate media content seamlessly into snippets.

The future of featured snippets

As a marketer, you might be wondering how your goals and processes should change as a result of the new integration of AI into snippets. With the implementation of Google's new feature, you should be stepping up your SEO efforts. AI does not replace the value of organic snippets. It creates a more critical need for high-value, original, well-optimized content. That's what Rellify does best.

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With a custom Relliverse™, you can find the most relevant topics and keywords for content that will naturally rank well on search engines. Within the Rellify platform itself, you can receive expert AI guidance in optimizing your content for search engines. If you're looking for an all-in-one content solution that lets you incorporate AI at will, Rellify is the way to go. Want to find out more? Schedule a Relliverse™ demo with a Rellify expert to learn how we can revolutionize your content process and supercharge your returns.