Dr. Pete, also known as Pete Meyers, sparked my interest in Google’s Featured Snippet, which he called “Position Zero,” at Mozcon this past summer. This concept highlights how Google occasionally features content in the Featured Snippet, even if you’re not in position 1. It’s like getting bumped up a grade, but on the search results page!

For instance, the results below show our post ranking #2 in the organic results, after the #1 Google support result, yet it’s featured in the Featured Snippet box:

While some argue that the Featured Snippet steals traffic by providing answers directly on the search results page, our article, published in May, has actually seen increasing organic traffic over time:

I believe there’s a compelling reason why people click through, which I’ll discuss later, along with tips for getting your content featured in “position zero.” Important: I won’t delve into the technical details of the answer box. For information about the patent(s), Bill Slawski is your guy. Data on answer boxes, including the percentage of queries that trigger them, can be found via CognitiveSEO and, naturally, Pete at Moz. For those interested in using Schema and structured data to increase your chances of appearing in the featured snippet, check out AJ Kohn’s advice on Knowledge Graph optimization. (Find more about schema elsewhere.) This post will concentrate on tips related to:

• Content strategy
• Keyword research and selection
• Optimizing keywords within your content Let’s get started.

Featured Snippet Tip #1: Aim for Content that Answers COMPLEX Question Queries

The Featured Snippet is designed to be a time-saver for users. They shouldn’t have to browse and wait for pages to load for straightforward questions like “How tall was Abraham Lincoln?”. Just give them the answer right away!

Let’s overlook that odd first result… Websites that rely on answering simple, basic questions are in trouble in this post-Google era. More and more of this information is integrated directly into the search page. I even saw a weather report, the answer to a query, displayed IN THE AUTO-FILL SUGGESTIONS of the browser bar recently. I didn’t even need to visit Google. THE FUTURE IS HERE!

It’s clear that in such instances, click-through rates will be low—why would users bother clicking? This change is undoubtedly affecting weather websites’ traffic, forcing them to create Buzzfeed-style content to survive instead of simply providing weather reports:

Top stories on Weather.com However, there’s still a wealth of opportunity. The key is to create content that addresses complex questions. “How much does AdWords cost” exemplifies a complex question keyword. Google might try to answer it directly on the search results page, but there’s no universal, straightforward solution. As a result, our post addressing this search query tackles it from various perspectives. (More on this in the upcoming tip.) When conducting keyword research, seek out question keywords, but focus on those you can answer with comprehensive, detailed content that surpasses anything else available. If you target simple factual questions with readily available answers online, there’s no compelling reason for Google to rank you above anyone else.

Featured Snippet Tip #2: Clearly State Answers in Your Content

As mentioned earlier, our example uses a complex question, so our post addresses all potential user intent levels. However, we went beyond merely answering those questions in detail; we included a concise TL;DR version of the answers at the top, like so:

This benefits both readers and Google by providing scannable information. If Google deems it the best answer, it gets featured in the Featured Snippet. Searchers get a sneak peek of the content and can decide if they want to delve deeper. (The full article exceeds 2000 words.) Key takeaways for copywriting and optimization:

• Include the target question directly in the content. Ideally, use it as the title and incorporate those terms (in the correct order) in the URL, like we did in the AdWords post above.
• Phrase the answer as a complete sentence within the content. For instance, if the question is “When was Aristotle born,” the content should have a sentence like “Aristotle was born in 384 BC.” Don’t just title the piece “Aristotle’s birth year” and then have “384 BC” as the entire content. That would require too much effort from the Google bots to piece together. (This is a simplified example; don’t waste time targeting such simple questions. That’s what Wikipedia is for.)
• Look for keyword/question variations and incorporate (and answer) them in your content! Speaking of variations….

Featured Snippet Tip #3: Pay Attention to the “People Also Ask” Box

When researching potential keyword targets on Google, which you should be doing as competitive research before creating your content, take these additional steps to enhance your content’s SEO:

Check the suggestions that appear as you type the query

Review the “related searches” at the bottom of the SERP

We’ve discovered that incorporating these related keywords (from both the search box suggestions and the related searches at the bottom) within your content effectively signals to Google that your site is relevant to the query. This practice, known as latent semantic indexing, can significantly improve rankings. It can also spark ideas for future content.

Look out for the “People also ask” box

If you encounter this feature, take note! This indicates that your target audience seeks this information, and Google aims to provide it. Answering these questions is a great way to get featured in the Answer Box and satisfy your readers.

To Conclude…

Here are the key takeaways:

• The Featured Snippet focuses on answering specific informational queries, often phrased as questions.
• Ranking in Position Zero requires anticipating these queries and providing direct answers within your content (hint: keyword research is crucial).
• Don’t leave Google or the user guessing – explicitly demonstrate your ability to answer their exact question.