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Introduction

 

Google has been doing many things over the years to aid users in their everyday search for information and knowledge. Besides algorithms updates and artificial intelligence that control everything you see on search results, ‘Featured Snippets’ have been taking the spotlight.

 

Featured Snippets are sections on search results that show when a user searches for information on search engines like Google, Bing or Yahoo. Having one of your pages or contents chosen and appearing for this section is a big deal. One of the reasons is because the featured snippet is also known as being the ‘Position Zero’ because it appears above the first position of the standard search result. Another reason is also because it puts a particular piece of content front and centre which directly answers to the searcher’s queries. This means search engine bots regard your page as content as highly relevant to the search term.

 

Example Of Featured Snippets

 

Hence, implementing Search engine optimisation (SEO) strategies to your website plays a huge role here.

 

Imagine optimising material that can remain timeless while producing information or sites that Google may choose to include in their featured snippets.Instant front page, instant traffic. Featured snippets would not come out as search results all the time, but the crucial part of all of this is you being able to create content that will qualify for featured snippets.

 

ALSO READ: Double Featured Snippets

 

Winning a featured snippet can drive more traffic to your website, increase brand awareness, and establish your authority in your niche. However, winning this position is challenging because there is fierce rivalry in practically every field. Let us explore how you can increase your chances of winning featured snippets and drive more traffic to your website.

 


 

 

8 Tips For Winning Featured Snippets

01

Your Topics Should Answer 5W 1H Framework

02

Conduct Keyword Research

03

Optimise Your Content

04

Focus On Long-Tail Keywords

05

Analyse Competitors' Content

06

Use Images And Videos

07

Update Your Content (If You Need To)

08

Track Your Progress

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1. Your Topics Should Answer 5W 1H Framework

 

Your topics should be about things that are everyday types of issues. When choosing evergreen topics, you should guarantee they answer the 5W (who, when, where, what, why) and 1H (how) because that is how the featured snippet works. That means you need to create content that answers the questions or the users’ search intent.

 

A few examples include things like “how to ride a bike”. Riding a bike is the same and has been the same ever since bicycles were invented. However, some people still ask this question online. The same goes for any topic or niche and business. If your content can answer the 5W 1H, then it has a higher chance of appearing on featured snippets.

 

DISCOVER: Clickbait vs Catchy Headlines: Where To Draw The Line?

 

Try to create content that’s related to your business or brand. Evergreen content, if used and created properly, will also help you grow awareness for your brand and make it more visible to Internet users. More visible once it gets picked by featured snippets.

 

2. Conduct Keyword Research

 

The first step in winning a featured snippet is to conduct thorough keyword research. You need to identify the questions that your target audience is asking and create content that answers those questions.

 

LEARN MORE: Keyword Research Guide: Identify The Right Keywords To Optimise Your Digital Marketing Campaigns

 

Every SEO agency uses tools like Google Keyword Planner, SEMrush, and Ahrefs to find the most relevant keywords and topics in a particular niche. In this process it is important to identify keywords with high search volume. Once they have identified the keywords, they will create content that is engaging, informative, and well-structured.

 

3. Optimise Your Content

 

Once you’ve created high-quality content, it’s time to optimise it for featured snippets. To increase your chances of winning a featured snippet, you need to structure your content in a way that’s easy for Google to understand.

 

Use headings and subheadings to break your content into sections and include lists, tables, and graphs where applicable. Make sure that your content is concise and answers the user’s query in the first few paragraphs.

 

To increase your local visibility, implement local SEO when you optimise your content. Doing so should help increase your chance of winning featured snippets in local search results.

 

4. Focus On Long-Tail Keywords

 

Long-tail keywords are phrases that are more specific and less common than generic keywords. By targeting long-tail keywords, you can increase your chances of winning featured snippets, as there’s less competition for these keywords. Long-tail keywords are also more likely to be used in voice search, which is becoming increasingly popular.

 

LEARN MORE: The Key to Selecting the Most Effective Long-Tail Keywords

 

5. Analyse Competitors’ Content

 

It’s crucial to analyse your competitors’ content to understand what’s working and what’s not. Look for the keywords they’re ranking for, the content format they’re using, and the type of featured snippets they’ve won. Analysing your competitors’ content can give you insights into what you can do to improve your content and win featured snippets.

 

Many SEO vendors offer free competitor analysis report that allows you to analyse your competitors’ existing SEO campaigns and strategies.

 

6. Use Images And Videos

 

Images and videos can help increase engagement with your content and make it more likely to win featured snippets. Include relevant images and videos in your content, and optimise them for search engines by using descriptive file names, alt tags, and captions.

 

ALSO READ: Visual Content Marketing Trends to Practise

 

7. Update Your Content (If You Need To)

 

There will be times that evergreen content will contain statistics and all these numbers and data. If ever these kinds of crucial information change over time, you will benefit more if you update them.

 

Updating your content can help increase its relevance, which helps drive more traffic, leads, and conversions. That also signals to Google your site is active and is currently producing content that can be continuously useful.

 

8. Track Your Progress

 

It is essential to track your progress and measure the success of your featured snippet strategy. Use tools like Google Analytics and Search Console to monitor your traffic and rankings and adjust your strategy as needed.

 

Track Your Progress

 

This image is from Google Marketing Platform

 

By tracking your progress, you can identify what is working and what is not and make data-driven decisions to improve your chances of winning featured snippets.

 

ALSO READ: How To Set Up Conversion Tracking Goals In Google Analytics?

 

Once you get all of these, you will be able to have greater chances of landing a place among the featured snippets. The goal here, (although it sounds counterintuitive for normal folk) is to concentrate on creating and sharing content to the people, rather than trying to target a spot on one of the featured snippets.

 


 

In Summary

 

Winning featured snippets requires a combination of SEO strategies. By implementing effective SEO strategies and continuously refining your content, you can increase your chances of winning featured snippets and driving more traffic to your website.

 

Contact OOm, an award-winning digital marketing agency in Singapore, at +65 6391 0930 or leave a message on our website if you want to outsource your SEO needs and improve your SEO campaigns to appear on featured snippets!

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