A Google search result includes a snippet. These two or three sentences include a brief summary of what the website offers. Typically, they are generated by Google itself, though you can include meta data on your website that overwrites this automatic generation and includes the snippet you want. Featured Snippets are a fairly new addition to Google that do more than just give a user an idea of what the website offers—they try to answer the user’s question on the search results page.
This is both good and bad for a website trying to improve their traffic. It’s good in that it provides the user with what they need to know immediately. The downside is that they do not have to click on your website to see that answer. However, while that is a pretty large downside, there are several reasons why you want to have the featured snippet.
There isn’t a direct way to be the Featured Snippet on a results page. The Google algorithm determines which snippet, if any, should be featured at the top of the search results. For some searches, there is no Featured Snippet.
Featured Snippets Build Trust
If your featured snippet immediately answers someone’s question, it shows several things. First, it shows that Google selected your website and its snippet as an authoritative, correct source that provides the user with what they need. Second, it shows the user that you offer useful information that they can trust. Some may still click on your website to see what other information you offer.
You Can Actually Rank Higher than You Normally Would
Featured Snippets don’t always come from the top result in a search. In fact, about two-thirds of Featured Snippets come from results two through five. This means you may actually be able to jump over a few higher-ranking sites to get in front of the user first. It could be argued that having the Featured Snippet is actually better than being ranked first in the results.
If you have a Featured Snippet for a search, you may be accomplishing more than if you simply ranked first in the results. You’re building trust, getting users to recognize that your website contains highly useful information, and may even be appearing higher in the results than normal. These are just a few reasons why Featured Snippets are very useful. If you’d like to know more or want to work on getting the Featured Snippet for a query, BlendIM can help. Contact us today to learn more.
