What are Google's most popular snippets? | Blog
If you're who are old enough to remember the days before Google and the search engines in general, it's funny to think about just how far this crazy Internet thing has come.
The gimmicks of the Internet rapidly gave way to what is now the end-all the-all, all-be-all-be-all for online culture, search engines like Google still reign supreme as the single most important website in the Internet.
This is why -- anyone from small business owners and digital marketers to professionals in video production, being aware of how Google functions and how to place your videos and websites on the front page of Google's crucial algorithm remains a huge challenge.
Let's take a look at Google special snippets that are featured and discuss how you can make sure your business gets the best click-through rates by being the top quotation (or video) featured for all the relevant search results you'd like to be ranked for.
In this article
- What are Google's featured snippets?
- What are the various types of highlighted snippets?
- Why should I care about featured snippets, anyway?
- Do you have any videos?
- How do you make it more efficient for featured snippets of text
- Additional reading material
What are Google's featured snippets?
So, let's back up for a sec. What are the Google's most-viewed snippets? And, more importantly what is their purpose? Google's featured snippets feature highlighted sections (either of text, a list or video) that can be found at the top of the Google search result page.
You've probably been exposed to these snippets of content a number or even hundreds, or even thousands of times to answer your queries regarding the steps to rebooting your iPhone to list out which food items could be toxic to your dog.
These short snippets will provide answers to the numerous questions that you will encounter in your Google searches as they appear over the other descriptions or links. These are sometimes referred to "Rank 0" or "Position 0" in terms of Google's search results. They are a very valuable space to use to serve SEO (search engine optimization) goals.
What are the different kinds of snippets that are featured?
Once we've defined what Google's featured snippets are, let's give some examples of what these snippets actually look like. Truthfully, while the term snippet implies that they are usually just short sections composed of words, they can actually be video clips or much more substantive in terms of data.
Below are different kinds of featured snippets you'll find in the Google search results.
1. Short paragraphs
The paragraph snippet is a excellent place to begin as it's the most basic form of featured snippet can be found on Google. The paragraph snippets scan the content of your blog or website and locate the pertinent information which correlates to the phrase that you have searched for.
The paragraph structure can differ from one, brief sentence to several sentences long. However, from perspective from an SEO viewpoint, it's always a good idea to keep information in your pages and articles simple and concise so Google clearly knows which sections should be highlighted.
2. Bullet lists
Together with the number list (which we'll get into in the next section) Bullet lists is probably the most well-known type of Google featured snippet which most surfers will find online. The bullet list does what its name implies as it's simple and concisely outlines specific information about the related Google search.
From the SEO perspective, it can be helpful to try to keep your bulleted lists brief and concise -- plus clearly on the topic of answering any specific queries or concerns.
3. Numeroted lists
As with bullet lists number lists are another well-known Google feature snippets type that are displayed for everything from recipes for cooking to tips to solve all sorts of difficulties or issues. Numbered lists can range from just a few steps up to several dozen. However, Google may cut the list down if you're too long with a "more items" icon that encourages the user to click.
From perspective of an SEO perspective it certainly behooves you to list out the numbered elements early on in the article or on your page in order to let Google know where your steps are as well as which to include in any short snippets.
4. Tables
Another useful snippet of information that Google loves to pull is the table type that works with any sorts of charts (or tables, as it is clear) and could appear on your site. They are the types you will see on short snippets while searching for data that is more complex than simple bulleted points or lists. They are typically complicated Microsoft Excel-style tables that have multiple columns and rows.
Similar to any types of lists From an SEO standpoint, the key to making your chart appear as Google snippets are much identical. Be sure to keep your data short, clear and simple so that even if you're dealing with lots of data, Google can scan and identify the most relevant part for your search.
5. Knowledge panels
While not quite the identical snippet of information like the other, Google also likes to make knowledge panels that appear on the right side of queries. The knowledge panels will usually only pull information from trusted sources, such as Wikipedia or the official page for the search.
There's little you can do in regards to these knowledge panels from perspective of SEO perspective besides make sure your web pages are well-organized and relevant.
6. Knowledge cards
As with the knowledge panels they also need to include the knowledge card type of snippet of information as well. The knowledge card works exactly like the knowledge panel, except that it appears at the very top of the search results page and it is less detailed to be able to respond to questions that are more direct.
The card's information also contains links to other relevant searches however it is not something that web designers or creators of content can control.
7. Carousels of products
Sometimes referred to as an entity carousel, this specialized form of snippet is exactly what it sounds as a way users of a website to scroll through multiple items either as links or entities. They are the kinds of snippets the most frequently when you search for specific items like a microwave, camera, or even a car perhaps as Google can automatically load a variety of options for a visitor to view from high-up on the screen.
8. Video features
Finally we have our favorite kinds of featured snippets: the video feature! It is likely that the featured snippets that appear found on Google contain a video that you are able to browse and see to answer your search request. The videos you see will be the full version, or a suggested section of the video that advises you to view.
In this way, from an SEO perspective, it's important to include sections and chapters within your videos in order to let Google determine which sections to pull.
What's the point of these snippets?
Now that we've looked over the different types of featured snippets we can explore how they function, and how they can be helpful to understand for content creators and web designers alike. Like anyone who is in the realm of SEO will inform you, creating pages, blog articles, or videos that are related to specific keywords are a great way to earn money.
If your website or video appears to be the most popular choice for a phrase like "video making in NYC" as well as "where can I buy old camera lenses on the internet?" you can get lots of traffic to your site. However, depending on the amount of popular a searches, the contest to rank the top results may be intensely competitive.
Since Google launched the featured snippet though it has been a lot more intense as having the webpage that Google offers for its featured snippet to be placed over other result, which is why it has earned the "position zero" designation.
If the content of your website, article or video is able to be featured in this spot 0 of featured snippets, will likely bring an increase in users to visit your site or video.
What about videos?
That brings us back to our favorite highlighted snippets which is video. Google has made no secret of their enthusiasm for video as a growing part of their search engine strategy. The amount of videos which appear for many searches has grown in steady increments for a long time.
These decisions don't come with a motive that is hidden to force video onto unwilling viewers, but instead, those using Google to search for results will more often than not choosing to view a video rather than visit a webpage or read an article on a blog.
If video isn't a part of your overall SEO strategy you're lagging behind. And, more so for video creators who don't keep the Google algorithm and SEO best methods in mind when creating your video content, you're also missing out on a great deal of traffic from search engines.
How can you optimize your site for the featured short snippets
Okay, so we've reviewed everything you need to know about what Google's featured excerpts are, how they look like, and the way they function. How do you utilize this information for your benefit and help your blog, websites, video posts, and other content?
Here are some suggestions to test and bear in mind when creating your content online:
- Use clear page titles and URLs short and simple.
- Write sentences that are brief and concise.
- Use numbered or bulleted lists when you can.
- Use headers with specific phrases or questions.
- Respond to searchable queries clearly within your writing.
Similarly there are tips and techniques to optimize your video content for social media:
- Use specific keyword phrases for your titles of videos.
- Divide your content into chapters with particular titles.
- Give useful information about your video's content in your description.
- Include captions in your videos.
- Be sure to limit the amount of noise or interfering with your video to ensure that your videos are simple and clear.
These are only a few basics of best practices. My personal experience is that I'm cautious about giving any SEO tips that could appear to be a sign that you're trying to "trick" Google's algorithm or defy Google's rules.
At the end of the day, Google will find and feature the content that will be most beneficial to its users. If you are able to maintain that attitude and concentrate on providing helpful and relevant info and articles then you'll be giving Google exactly what it wants to find and feature.
Additional reading materials
Below are some additional sources to help you understand Google's ever-changing algorithms.