By Akash Verma

Google’s ten blue links are seeing fierce competition, and all this is because of the ever-changing rules of the great Search Engine Result Pages (SERPs).

On the whole, this has made SEO a tough job to excel in.

You definitely feel your business should be present at #1 position. But, as a matter of fact, it’s the power of #0 that is emulating the organic search results abundantly these days.

So, how to untangle this complex situation?

Here is a bit of information on how you could optimize your content for Google’s Featured Snippets.

So, what exactly is a Google Featured Snippet?

Google Featured Snippets are those search results that appear in a box and are positioned above Google’s organic search results and below the advertisements.

This new feature by Google has been introduced solely to help the searcher find an answer without browsing onto a website.

Generally, Google provides a featured snippet for direct queries that begin with “who”, “where”, “what”, “when” and so on. The snippets that are displayed pulls the information from an organic search result, mostly the first one. The main purpose of this feature is to make the navigation easier for viewers.

To sum it up, you need quality content that Google will love and make it compatible with the requirements of a featured snippet.

Here are some of the ways to make that happen.

1. Analyze Your Competitors’ Snippets

It is always better to start any research with a competitor study. Analyze the keywords your competitors are working with. Studies have shown that long-tail keywords have a higher probability of giving a featured snippet.  This could also be done with the help of tools like SEMrush.

Check the snippet closely, use the similar type of keywords and optimize your content accordingly.

2. Explore More Snippet Opportunities

What better way to find snippets than optimizing the content for your audience?

There are lots of terms, abbreviations and explanations for a single concept but keep in mind the view of a normal audience. Dig deeper into a variety of topics and evaluate the section “People also ask”. Taking these insights into account, you can get a clear idea on what is favored more by Google.

There is another way to find new data by reaching people through surveys and quick feedback. Ask the pertinent questions from your readers, subscribers or followers. Their opinions would give some fresh acumen on your old subject.

3. Identify Your Rank

To begin your optimization, you should definitely consider the phrases or keywords that you are ranking in. These phrases have a better chance of getting featured if rightly optimized.

4. Research Unexplored Territory

With billions of people all over the world, thoughts and ideas are in abundance. Also, what could be better than keeping up with the latest trends through social media or finding new content ideas on platforms like Answer the Public.

Type in your idea and you will receive tons of suggestions related to the topic. Pick a question that seems suitable and prepare the content around it.

5. Perform On-Page SEO

When you have undergone a thorough keyword research and zeroed on the content idea, then it’s time to prepare for your on-page SEO technique. Create a content with the most-advantageous placements of keywords in them. If you are doing a local search, then use the local keywords as they rank higher in SERPs.

6. Create Clear and Concise Content

Featured snippets are mostly seen in paragraph, list and table style and Google loves such style of writing. So, while writing your paragraph, make sure to compartmentalize it with statistics, comparison charts, and structured content. Be very direct and easy with your title and conjure up an article that contains rich and insightful material for your readers.

Conclusion

The trend of featured snippets seems to have taken up a permanent position in the search results. But, they have a very likable audience and thus their dominance will be on the rise until a better feature comes into play. Follow the above steps and you can prepare a featured snippet in no time for your business.

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