Using Feature Snippets to Improve Your SEO

Here are some tips to optimize your content for earning featured snippet real estate:

• Focus on questions and high-demand informational queries in your industry. Answer common questions directly.

One of the best ways to earn featured snippets is to create content tailored to answering common questions and informational searches in your industry. For example, if you run a SaaS company for project management, target informational queries like “what is project management software?” or “how to choose the best PM software”.

Start by using keyword research tools to identify the top questions and phrases people search for around your niche. Look for searches with high volumes that indicate people are seeking helpful information. Tools like Google’s Keyword Planner, SEMrush and Ahrefs can reveal the most common “how to”, “what is”, and question-style searches.

Analyze the types of featured snippets that currently rank for those keywords. This will give you an idea of what content format works best – lists, stats, FAQs, etc.

Then create detailed, thoroughly researched content crafted specifically to answer each popular query. Answer the question directly in the intro paragraph using the exact keyword phrase. Follow up with headers, ordered lists, tables, etc. that provide additional details.

Optimizing to directly and succinctly answer high-demand informational queries signals to Google your content deserves to be featured. Crafting content around question-based keywords is one of the most effective ways to earn valuable featured snippet real estate.

• Structure content clearly with well-formatted headings and subheadings. Break information down into easy-to-scan steps and bullet points.

How you structure and format your content plays a key role in getting featured snippets. Google wants to showcase content that provides easy-to-consume answers for searchers.

Use descriptive headers and subheaders to break up long blocks of text. This makes your content more scannable for both search engines and readers. Include your target keyword in some headers to signal relevance.

Break information down into numbered steps, bullet point lists, and paragraphs with only one main idea each. Featured snippets favor content formatted in scannable ways. Avoid dense paragraphs and walls of text.

Use tables, charts or data comparisons to showcase key data, stats, or product feature differences. Visual elements help search engines pull out insightful facts or highlights.

Bold or italicize key names, phrases, or conclusions you want featured. Use text formatting to emphasize important bits. But don’t go overboard.

Write short, succinct paragraphs that get straight to the point. Long paragraphs over 160 characters risk getting truncated in featured snippet text.

Check how your content appears in Google’s mobile search results. Optimizing for easy scanning on small screens can improve featured snippet potential.

Proper formatting and text structure signals your content can easily answer a query in a digestible snippet. Develop content specifically optimized for pull quotes, lists, tables, and other scannable elements Google can showcase.

• Include structured data like FAQs, tables, and videos where possible. Google ranks pages with schema markup higher.

Adding structured data markup to your pages is a great way to improve featured snippet potential. Structured data uses schema.org syntax to label content like FAQs, tables, videos, etc. This helps Google understand your content and display it prominently.

Consider adding FAQ markup for question-style content. The FAQ schema labels questions and answers clearly. It tells Google you are providing direct answers to common queries.

Use table schema for data comparisons and tables. The markup identifies column names, data types, and other attributes that help Google correctly parse and display tabular data.

Video schema can help feature relevant videos in video carousels and snippets. Marking up video name, description, duration etc improves visibility.

Review other types of schema appropriate for your content like how-to guides, recipes, products, and more. Adding complementary markup boosts featured snippet appeal.

There are plugins that can auto-generate schema markup. But carefully hand-coding markup usually performs better. The highest quality schema directly correlates with your content. Just don’t go overboard. Only use schema where truly relevant. Irrelevant markup can dilute your optimization signals. Focus on markup that strongly reinforces your content’s goals.

• Write concise paragraphs that create an informative preview text. Featured snippets only display 70-160 characters.

Google’s featured snippets algorithm looks for content that can be summarized into a tight preview text. Snippets are typically 70-160 characters long. This means your paragraphs need to be tight and succinct.

Aim to express ideas and answers in as few words as possible. Adhere to the inverted pyramid style – start paragraphs with the most important info. Avoid elaborate introductions and flowery language. Get right to the point using clear, direct language.

Limit each paragraph to one central idea or point. You want bite-sized chunks of text that can stand alone. Read paragraphs aloud to identify unnecessary words or convoluted phrasing. Simplify sentences for clarity and brevity.

Run paragraphs through a character counter tool to see if they fit within 160 characters. For example, the Hemingway App highlights lengthy, complex sentences.

Review the current snippet for your target keyword. Craft paragraphs modeled after the concise length and style. Adding headers and subheads also creates shorter paragraph blocks that provide focused answers.

Writing tight, scannable paragraphs signals your content can be easily condensed into informative snippet text. Master brevity and simplicity for better featured snippet opportunities.

• Update old content by adding new facts, data, examples, and infographics so it stays fresh

Google values fresh, up-to-date content when selecting pages to feature. It’s important to periodically refresh your previously published content with new facts, stats, and examples. Look for outdated information that needs to be updated with current data. For example, update stats, facts, trends with the latest figures.

Add new case studies, expert quotes, or current examples that make the content timely. Feature recent events or new products. Insert fresh infographics, charts, or images that visualize new data. Visual elements make content more snackable. Expand short posts with more in-depth information, research, and analysis. Turn brief snippets into comprehensive guides.

Repurpose and expand upon old blog posts by creating updated standalone pages with new advice. Produce new versions like “Updated for 2023” to signal the content is revised. Refreshing dates and titles indicates freshness.

Update any broken links, outdated author bios, and old references. Review overall quality. Freshening up existing assets helps Google recognize your dedication to providing current, reliable information worthy of featuring. Prioritize updating evergreen, informational content first.