What Are Featured Snippets?

Featured Snippets are a more visual format of providing users with a brief, to-the-point answer for their questions and search queries. Google displays the answers at the top of the search results page, just below the paid Google Ads.

What is a featured snippet? | Kanuka Digital

Over the years Google has been introducing new ways in which it can improve the overall experience for their users. Not only does this mean constant algorithm updates to return the best results but also from a visual perspective too.

Recently Google emphasised the importance of featured snippets and voice-enabled technology such as voice-activated digital assistants. In reference to this new technology Google said in a recent blog post:

…in these cases, the traditional “10 blue links” format doesn’t work as well, making featured snippets an especially useful format.

Google

Featured Snippets come in different formats depending on the type of content on the webpage the answer is taken from and also on the type of search query the user is performing.

Paragraph Snippet

You can display a paragraph snippet with or without an image. Snippets of this type are taken from all types of websites including authoritative sites, such as Wikipedia. However, this doesn’t mean you don’t stand a chance at claiming it that position.

Paragraph snippets usually appear for questions like “Who is…?”, “Why is…?”, “What is…?” and “How to do/get…”

Search Term Trigger: ‘who is roald dahl?’

Featured Snippet Result:

Paragraph Featured Snippet Example | SEO | Kanuka Digital
Example of paragraph featured snippet search result.

List Snippet

The list featured snippets are usually displayed when your webpage content is structured in a list format. Sometimes Google will create it’s own list from content on a page even if there wasn’t a list structure originally present.

Numbered list snippets are usually triggered by “How to…?” questions.

Search Term Trigger: ‘how do you write a novel?’

List Example | SEO | Kanuka Digital
Example of a numbered list featured snippet search result.

Bulleted list snippets are usually displayed when a webpage contains ranked items or a list. These types of snippet are great for listicle type blog posts and articles.

Search Term Trigger: ‘top 5 harry potter spells’

Bulleted List Snippet Example | SEO | Kanuka Digital
Example of a bulleted list featured snippet search result.

The following types of content tend to show bulleted lists; best of lists, featured lists, ranked items and unranked items.

Table Snippet

The table featured snippets usually derive from a table that is already present on the destination webpage. However, sometimes Google may gather the required information from a webpage that isn’t contained within a table and display it in its own table in a featured snippet.

Search Term Trigger: ‘how many pages are there in the harry potter series?’

Featured Snippet Result:

Table Featured Snippet Example | SEO | Kanuka Digital
Example of a table featured snippet search result.

Source content used to create the table featured snippet above:

Source Content for Table Featured Snippet Example | SEO | Kanuka Digital
Example of source content used to create a table featured snippet.

Video Snippet

YouTube Video Snippets display a large video that the top of the search results page. The video is readied to start playing at the point in the video that answers the users’ question.

Search Term Trigger: ‘how to download a book onto nook?’

Video snippet search for ' how to download a book onto nook'

With the video being pulled through from YouTube, it means that you’ll need to optimise your videos and channel on YouTube rather than on your website.


Learn how to gain a feature snippet with your blog posts

It’s easy to see the benefits of targeting featured snippet opportunities with your content whether it is a blog post or a YouTube video.

Some of the benefits of featured snippets include the following:

Get in touch

If you need support with your content marketing and SEO including targeting featured snippets within your content strategy Kanuka Digital can help.

Drop us a line on 01785 279985

Send us an email hello@kanukadigital.com

Quick Enquiry

Your information will be handled in line with our Privacy Policy.