Featured Snippets were an experimental feature that would show up on your search results from time to time till Google made an official announcement in 2016. Website links aren’t at the top of the search results anymore and you need to optimize for featured snippets to secure position “0”.
Types of featured snippets
- Video Snippets – a video at the top of the search result
- Tables – Information in rows and columns at the top of the search page
- Paragraphs – A short and crisp paragraph that answers the user’s query quickly
- Lists – Answers that come in the form of lists
When crafting content for your website, prioritize the last three choices. Scoring a position on the search page as a featured snippet makes your website adds credibility to your website and makes your site more visible to the audience. SEO article writing services that are always in high demand know everything about writing optimized content for featured snippets.
Snippet optimizing tips from premier article writing services
Find snippet opportunities on Google
Featured snippets are often created for topics or queries that are searched frequently by users. When you’re trying to write on trending topics to attract a lot of traffic to your website, allow Google to help with your research. For instance, if you have a comic book store and plan to write content on Ironman, type in “Did Ironman”, “Does Ironman”, “When Ironman” and other such queries on Google. The search engine will automatically provide you with topics that are most searched by users.
You can also put yourself in your audience’s shoes to hunt for featured snippets. Search for a query and go down to the “More to ask” section. For instance when you search for “How did Ironman die in Endgame?”, The “more to ask” section may contain queries like:
- Will Iron Man come back after Endgame?
- Who took over after Tony Stark died?
- How did Tony Stark almost die?
These queries would have snippets from other websites. You can try to replicate their success by writing for those topics.
In these types of queries, you need to optimize your content for paragraph snippets. The best way to do that is by answering the query directly in a crisp manner. Stick to the point and answer the question in the first paragraph in a concise manner. Those who offer article writing services have the skills to consistently win you a featured snippet.
Optimize for Lists and Tables
Want to optimize your content to rank as a list snippet? Just make your content easily navigable and skimmable by classifying it into steps or numbered headers. This kind of formatting helps Google understand your content and increase the odds of becoming a featured snippet. Wrap each step or subheading into an H2 or H3 tag and be consistent throughout.
For instance, in this blog, every optimization tip is classified into a subheading and numbered as “1.”, “2.” and so on. You can also use the format “#1”, “#2” …. However, it’s important to be consistent. You’re going to confuse Google and your readers when you number the subheadings as “1.” “#2” and so on.
SEO content writing services go the extra mile to create a step-wise format whenever possible. For instance, if you’re writing a guide on repairing a smartphone, it’s best to write it in a step-by-step format and name the subheadings “Step 1.”, “Step 2” etc.
The same holds when optimizing for table snippets. You need to format your content as a table with useful information that can be understood at a glance. These are especially useful when writing blogs that compare items. For instance, if you are writing about the “Top 5 mid-range headphones” include a table with important specifications and features like battery life, cost, nose cancellation capability, etc.
Include an FAQ section
Most snippets are answering questions. Consider adding an FAQ section to your content to boost the odds in your favor. FAQs can help to boost your SEO efforts to the next level and help you score multiple featured snippets.
Your online business demands a lot of attention. From sourcing products and promoting them to improving your services and checking your finances, adding to your busy multitasking routine may seem like a headache. Instead, you’re better off availing the services of an article writer for hire. They have expertise in writing optimized content for numerous clients in different niches and can help create content that becomes featured snippets.