Google has all the answers. Well, at least it knows where to find them. The actual answers come from all the content writers and various contributors to the World Wide Web. So when it comes to displaying the answers to questions, Google puts the experts at the top. And what better way to show off this expertise than with a featured snippet?
Today, Search Engine Journal is showing us some data-backed ways to optimize for Google featured snippets.
- Answer Question-based Queries. Snippets are a common source of answers for questions people have. This is why 29% of question-based searches show snippets in the results. Queries beginning with “why” showed a 77.6% chance of returning a snippet, while queries beginning with “can” showed snippets 72.4% of the time.
- Date Your Content. We don’t mean dinner and a movie. Google uses a lot of content with dates in its snippet results. It also helps indicate the relevance of your content. 70% of the articles used in snippets were no older than 3 years.
- Use Subfolders Sparingly. Snippets don’t tend to favor long URLs. A URL with 1-3 subfolders is the right amount. 0 subfolders would mean a snippet drawing from your homepage, which is an unlikely place to source snippets. After the 3rd subfolder, your likelihood of scoring a snippet drops off.
- Combine Multiple Questions in One Article. Snippets allow for great opportunities for concisely answering a question on a given topic. However, if you’re able to answer multiple questions on the same topic, then answer those questions in the same article.
Other key findings to keep in mind:
- 19% of SERPs have featured snippets.
- 50% of a mobile screen is covered with a featured snippet.
- 70% of snippets are paragraphs with an average of 42 words or 249 characters.
Keep reading for more data and insights around snippets.
