Discover the 5 Types of Google Featured Snippets and How to Optimize Your Content for Each

Featured Snippets are brief excerpts that contain the answer to the user query. It shows up right above the first organic results. Hence, it is called position Zero. 

Let’s say we search “Digitization in Media and Entertainment”, and below is a screenshot of the featured snippet based on this query.

To get your content as a featured snippet, Use the target keyword or phrase in the title and throughout the content, as this will help Google understand the relevance of your content to the user's query. Other tips specific to each type are mentioned below.

Types of Featured Snippets with Examples

There are five common types of featured snippets: paragraphs, lists, tables, videos, and images.

Paragraph

This summarises the answer to a user's query, usually displayed in a single paragraph. The answers to questions like how, who, why, when, and what are shown in this snippet. This is the most popular type.

Example: If you search for "How to edit Javascript in browser", You will see the following result, where the article is listed as featured.

To write content likely to be featured in a paragraph snippet, you should focus on providing clear, concise answers to specific questions or queries that users might have.

1. Structure your content in a logical and easy-to-follow way, using headings and subheadings to break up the text and make it easier to scan.
2. Use short, simple sentences and paragraphs, as this will help make your content more readable and easily digestible.
3. Provide a clear and concise answer to the user's question near the beginning of the content, as this will make it more likely to be featured in a paragraph snippet.
4. Include supporting information and examples to help explain and illustrate your answer, but keep the content focused and avoid including unnecessary or unrelated information.

Lists

This type of featured snippet displays a list of items, such as a numbered list or a bulleted list.

Example: If you search for "Frequently asked questions on Drupal 10", You will see the featured list with a link to the FAQ on Drupal 10

To write content likely to be featured in a list snippet, you should focus on creating a structured list of items or points related to the user's query.

1. Organize your content into a structured list, using bullet points or numbered items to highlight each point. Using schema also helps you get into the list-type featured snippet.
2. Use short, simple sentences and phrases for each item in the list, making it easier for users to scan and understand the content.
3. Make sure that the items in the list are clearly and accurately labelled, as this will help Google understand the context and relevance of each point.
4. Include supporting information and examples for each item in the list, but keep the content focused and avoid including unnecessary or unrelated information.

Table

This type of featured snippet displays data in a table format, making it easy for users to compare and contrast different pieces of information.

Example: If you search for UN websites using Drupal, you will get the first result that partially shows the data in table format from this article.

To write content likely to be featured in a table snippet, you should focus on presenting data or information in a structured table format that is easy for users to understand and compare.

1. Organize your data or information into a structured table, using rows and columns to present the data and make it easy to compare clearly.
2. Use clear and descriptive headings for each column and row in the table, as this will help users understand the context and meaning of the data.
3. Make sure that the data in the table is accurate and up-to-date, as this will help increase the credibility of your content and make it more likely to be featured in a table snippet.
4. Include supporting information and examples to help explain and illustrate the data in the table, but keep the content focused and avoid including unnecessary or unrelated information.

Video

This type of featured snippet displays a video in the search results, allowing users to watch the video directly from the search results page.

Example: You can search for a session in an event or any content with a video to get the result, like the one given below. I've searched for Driesnote portland, a DrupalCon Portland session.

To write content likely to be featured in a video snippet, you should focus on creating a high-quality video that provides a clear and concise answer to the user's query. The relevent schema can also be used to increase the chance of the search engine to pick your content as featured snippet.

1. Create a high-quality video that is clear, concise, and informative. Make sure to cover all the key points related to the user's query, and use visual aids and examples to help illustrate your points.
2. Use a clear and descriptive title for the video, as this will help users understand the content of the video and make it more likely to be featured in a video snippet.
3. Include a transcript of the video in the text of the webpage where the video is embedded, as this will help Google understand the content of the video and make it more likely to be featured in a video snippet.
4. Optimize the video for search by including relevant keywords in the video title, description, and tags.

Image

This type of featured snippet displays an image in the search results, often accompanied by a brief caption or description.

If the featured snippet include an image, the chance that the user click and read the content is much higher than the featured snippet with out an image.

Example: I use "What is LCP in SEO" as a search keyword here and get the following result. The content from the Google developer blog with the image is displyed as the featured content.

To write content that is likely to be featured in an image snippet, you should focus on creating high-quality images that provide a clear and concise answer to the user's query.

1. Create high-quality images that are clear, concise, and informative. Make sure to cover all the key points related to the user's query, and use visual aids and examples to help illustrate your points.
2. Use a clear and descriptive title for the image, as this will help users understand the content of the image and make it more likely to be featured in an image snippet.
3. Include a caption or description for the image in the text of the webpage where the image is embedded, as this will help Google understand the content of the image and make it more likely to be featured in an image snippet.
4. Optimize the image for search by including relevant keywords in the image title, caption, and alt text.

Benefits of Featured Snippets

There are several benefits of featured snippets for website owners and content creators:

1. Increased visibility: Featured snippets are prominently displayed at the top of the search results page, which can increase the visibility of your website and drive more traffic to your content.
2. Increased credibility and website authority: Being featured in a snippet can increase the credibility of your website and content, as it shows that Google considers your content to be a reliable and authoritative source of information.
3. Increased brand awareness: Being featured in a snippet can increase the visibility and awareness of your brand, as it shows that a large audience is seeing your content.
4. Increased engagement: Featured snippets can increase the engagement with your content, as users are more likely to click on a snippet than a regular search result.

Final Thought

In conclusion, featured snippets are a powerful tool that can help increase the visibility and credibility of your website and content. By understanding the different types of featured snippets and how to optimize your content for each, you can increase your chances of being featured in a snippet and drive more traffic and engagement to your website.

With the right strategies and techniques, you can use featured snippets to stand out in the search results and provide users with the information they need in a clear and concise format. Whether you're looking to generate paragraph snippets, list snippets, table snippets, video snippets, or image snippets, there are plenty of opportunities to showcase your content and expertise through featured snippets.

By using the tips and examples outlined in this article, you can start optimizing your content for featured snippets and take advantage of the many benefits they offer.

 If you are looking to optimize the markup of your content or update your CMS templates to optimize the structure of content for SEO, please reach out to us. We can help you there.