Website Content That Gets Chosen for Featured Snippets

You may have noticed that Google often provides a small amount of information that answers your question at or near the top of the first results page. This is known as a featured snippet, and it may be presented in the form of a definition box, table, or list.

If you discover that a webpage or blog from your site is being used for a Google snippet, Congratulations! That means your content provides useful information that answers a question people frequently ask in Google queries.

Getting your content placed inside a featured snippet also means that your site is structured in a manner preferred by Google. However, because they provide immediate answers to questions, the number of clicks a page receives will decrease if used for a featured snippet.

What Is a Featured Snippet?

A featured snippet provides a brief answer to a user’s query. It appears directly beneath the paid ads at the top of a search engine results page (SERP) or at the top of a page that doesn’t contain any paid advertising. Google uses an automated system to determine if content taken from your page would make an effective featured snippet.

Because a featured snippet appears before the number one position among organic listings, it is often referred to as Position #0.

There are four types of featured snippets- definition boxes, tables, ordered lists, and unordered lists:

• A definition box is a brief 40 to 60-word snippet of text that provides a concise answer to user queries. Google chooses objective content for a definition box and will not use opinionated content.
• Tables. Google scrapes pre-existing tables instead of making their own, so

including tables in your content is a good way to get chosen for a featured snippet. If you use the HTML <tr> tag, Google will be able to read your table.

• Ordered lists are numbered. Google commonly chooses lists that have H2 or H3 subheaders. Using a consistent format and adding phrases like “Step #1” and “Step #2” will increase the chances of your list being chosen for a featured snippet.
• Unordered lists lack numbers. Google will also remove text, often presenting the content from consecutive H2s or H3s as a simple list.

How to Get Your Content Included in a Featured Snippet

The best way to learn about the attributes that will get your pages selected for featured snippets is to study featured snippets, particularly those related to the type of law you practice.

Website design tools, such as Ahrefs and Semrush, can help locate featured snippets for law firms in your area that offer services similar to your own. These tools also note which keywords rank in the top ten of searches for your competitors’ pages.

Strategies that will help you get your website content used in featured snippets include:

• Use numbered or bulleted lists.
• Employ a consistent structure for lists and headlines.
• Copy the structure of pages found in featured snippets.
• Update engaging and authoritative content about the services you provide.
• Use Google knowledge graph and people also ask to generate topics.
• Answer questions about the services you provide that use longtail keyword
• Use words that frequently show up in featured snippets, such as best, versus, new, name, size, and review.

The Downside of Featured Snippets

Google implemented featured snippets to improve user experience by allowing searchers to have their queries answered without needing to open another page. This has a negative impact when relying on organic searches to direct traffic to your legal website. Search traffic decreases results in SERPS that contain a featured snippet.

If your page was already ranking in one of the top four positions, its click-through rate will actually decrease if chosen for a Google snippet. Still, if Google is going to make a snippet, it’s better they choose your page instead of a competitor’s.

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