How to Get a Featured Snippet on Google in 2025

What's better than ranking #1 on Google? Ranking in a featured snippet (also called “position 0” or an “answer box”). 

Featured snippets and answer box rankings (like the one shown in the section below) get the largest percentage of clicks just like any other first-position ranking. In fact, featured snippets see a 20.36% average click-through rate, compared to 13.74% for “People also ask” results, and 8.46% for the first standard result below “People also ask,” according to AWR data). In addition, it also builds trust for your brand by providing knowledgeable answers to potential customers' questions. 

What is a featured snippet on Google

A Google featured snippet is a text and/or image snippet that appears directly on Google’s search page without the user having to click on the linked website to read the answer.  This is commonly seen for many queries (although not all)Google compiles these answers by designating a snippet of text from a top-ranking website for this featured position.

This is how a Google featured snippet/answer box display appears:

Benefits of winning featured snippets

Winning a featured snippet on Google can be a game-changer for your SEO strategy, bringing numerous benefits to your website and overall digital marketing efforts. But what exactly makes featured snippets so valuable? Here are the key advantages of securing that top spot in the search results.

1. Increased Visibility and Click-Through Rates (CTR)

One of the most obvious benefits of winning a featured snippet is the immediate increase in visibility. Featured snippets appear at the very top of Google’s search results, above the regular organic listings. This prime real estate means that your content is more likely to be seen by users, especially since the snippet is often accompanied by a direct answer to the query.

In fact, studies have shown that featured snippets can dramatically increase your click-through rate (CTR). Despite the answer being shown directly in the snippet, users often still click through to your website to get more detailed information. This increase in visibility and CTR can result in a significant organic traffic boost for your website.

2. Enhanced Authority and Trust

Appearing in a featured snippet can significantly boost your brand’s authority and perceived trustworthiness. Users often view content that appears in snippets as highly authoritative and relevant to their search query. As a result, when your website is selected for a featured snippet, it sends a strong signal to users that your content is credible and valuable.

This boost in authority can also have a long-term impact. As your website earns more featured snippets, it reinforces your position as an industry leader or thought leader, increasing the likelihood that users will trust and engage with your content in the future.

3. Higher Quality Traffic

When your content is selected for a featured snippet, the visitors who click through are more likely to be highly targeted and interested in what you have to offer. This is because featured snippets typically appear in response to highly specific, intent-driven queries. Users who search for something that triggers a featured snippet are often in the consideration or decision-making stage of their buying journey, making them more valuable as potential leads or customers.

By attracting high-quality organic traffic, you increase the chances of conversions—whether that’s signing up for a newsletter, making a purchase, or engaging with your content further.

4. Competitive Advantage

Securing a featured snippet often means that you’re outranking competitors who are vying for the same position. Since only one featured snippet is typically shown for each query, having that spot gives you a competitive edge over others who might be ranking in the regular organic results. This can be especially powerful in competitive industries or for high-value keywords.

Once you earn a featured snippet, it can also help you maintain a competitive position. Users are more likely to remember your brand and trust your content if your site consistently ranks for relevant featured snippets, keeping your brand top of mind.

5. More Voice Search Traffic

As voice search continues to grow in popularity, featured snippets are becoming even more important. Voice assistants like Google Assistant, Siri, and Alexa frequently pull answers from featured snippets to provide direct responses to user queries. This means that securing a featured snippet can also help you capture a larger share of voice search traffic.

When your content is selected as a featured snippet, it positions you to answer not only typed queries but also spoken ones, which are often more conversational and intent-based. This can lead to new traffic channels and a broader audience.

6. Improved SEO Ranking

Featured snippets are often pulled from pages that already rank well for the target keyword. While earning a featured snippet doesn’t directly affect your organic ranking, the increased CTR and traffic can positively impact your overall SEO. More traffic, engagement, and user interaction with your content can signal to Google that your page is relevant and authoritative, which may help improve its ranking in the regular search results over time.

Additionally, having a featured snippet can improve your overall domain authority and lead to higher rankings across multiple pages on your site, not just the one that holds the snippet.

7. Increased Brand Exposure in Search Results

Featured snippets not only give you visibility at the top of search results but also provide you with enhanced brand exposure. Snippets are often accompanied by additional details like your website name, logo, and a portion of your URL, all of which help build brand awareness. Over time, this exposure can increase your recognition in your industry or niche, which can translate into greater brand loyalty, engagement, and trust.

8. Opportunities for More Featured Snippets

Once you win one featured snippet, it becomes easier to target others. Google tends to display more than one featured snippet for different variations of a search query or long-tail keywords related to the same topic. Winning one snippet signals that your content is authoritative and well-optimized, making it easier to optimize additional pages or content sections to target more featured snippets.

By winning multiple featured snippets, you can dominate a larger share of the SERP, pushing competitors further down the page and increasing your overall visibility in search results.

Types of featured snippets

Featured snippets come in various formats, each tailored to display different types of information based on the search query. Understanding the different types of snippets can help you optimize your content accordingly and increase your chances of securing one. Here’s a breakdown of the most common types of featured snippets:

• Paragraph Snippets: These snippets provide a brief, direct answer to a question. They are usually a short paragraph of text pulled from the content that directly addresses the user’s query.
• List Snippets (Bulleted or Numbered): These are used when the query involves steps, processes, or rankings. They display content in a list format, either as bulleted or numbered points, and are ideal for "how-to" guides, top 10 lists, and similar content.
• Table Featured Snippets: Table snippets are used to display structured data in a clean, easy-to-read format. These are common when users are looking for comparisons, statistics, or other data that benefits from a tabular representation (e.g., “best smartphone models of 2024”).
• Video Snippets: Occasionally, Google will pull a featured snippet from a video, often a YouTube video, when the search query involves instructions or how-to content. These snippets typically display a video thumbnail, offering a direct visual answer to the search query.
• Knowledge Graph Snippets: These snippets often show structured data about entities like people, places, organizations, or things, pulled from Google's Knowledge Graph. This type is frequently seen when a user searches for specific facts (e.g., “Albert Einstein biography” or “capital of France”).

Each type of snippet serves a specific purpose, and the type you aim for will depend on the nature of your content and the type of query you’re targeting. By optimizing your content to fit these formats, you can increase the likelihood that Google will select your page for a featured snippet.

How to get a featured snippet on Google

Featured snippets are one of the most coveted spots in the Google search results. These special results appear at the top of the search engine results page (SERP), often displaying your content in a box above the organic listings. To get a featured snippet, you’ll need to optimize your content to meet the criteria that Google looks for. While there’s no guaranteed way to secure a featured snippet, following these steps can improve your chances.

1. Identify Featured Snippets Opportunities

The first step to getting a featured snippet is identifying which queries your content could answer in a way that would trigger a snippet. Featured snippets often appear in response to specific types of searches:

• Questions: "How to…", "What is…", "Why does…"
• Definitions: "What is [keyword]?"
• Lists and Steps: "How to [process or steps]"; "Top 5 reasons…"
• Comparisons: "Best vs worst…" or "X vs Y."

Start by researching the topics and keywords related to your business or niche. You can use tools like Google Search Console, Ahrefs, or SEMrush to find questions people are asking in your industry. Once you know which queries trigger featured snippets, optimize your content to match their intent.

2. Format Your Content for Snippet Success

Once you've identified a relevant search query, format your content in a way that makes it easy for Google to extract as a featured snippet. Google typically pulls content that directly answers the user's query in a concise manner. Here’s how to optimize your content for this:

• Use a clear, direct answer: Provide a straightforward, concise answer to the query right at the beginning of your content.
• Use headings and subheadings: Google often pulls featured snippets from content with well-structured headings. Use clear, relevant headings like “How to [Do X]” or “What is [Y]?”
• Include lists or bullet points: If the query involves steps, instructions, or rankings, format your answer using numbered lists or bullet points. Lists are often ideal for featured snippets because they’re easy for users to read and for Google to extract.
• Answer questions in 40–50 words: Featured snippets are usually between 40 and 50 words long, so aim to condense your answer into a concise paragraph or list that addresses the query directly.

3. Create High-Quality, Relevant Content

High-quality content is essential for ranking in a featured snippet. Google’s algorithms are designed to prioritize content that is both useful and authoritative. Here’s how to ensure your content is top-notch:

• Be informative and clear: Your content should answer the query comprehensively but in a clear and simple manner. Avoid jargon or overly complex language.
• Cite authoritative sources: If you’re providing factual information, back up your claims with data, studies, or authoritative sources. Linking to credible sources can boost your chances of ranking in featured snippets.
• Update your content regularly: Content that is fresh and relevant has a better chance of getting picked up as a featured snippet. Make sure you regularly update your content to reflect the latest information in your field.

4. Optimize Your Content for SEO

To be eligible for a featured snippet, your content must already be ranking on Google. To improve your chances, you should optimize your content for SEO, including:

• Keyword Optimization: Make sure the target keyword is included naturally in your title, headings, meta descriptions, and body content.
• On-Page SEO: Use structured data (schema markup), optimize images with alt text, and ensure your site’s loading speed is fast to improve your overall SEO score.
• Internal and External Linking: Use relevant internal links to other high-quality content on your site, and include external links to authoritative sources when appropriate.

5. Target “People Also Ask” Questions

One of the best ways to find opportunities for featured snippets is by targeting the “People Also Ask” (PAA) box that appears in Google search results. These questions are often related to the primary query and can help you discover additional snippets you can target.

To do this:

• Analyze the PAA box: Look for questions that are similar to your target query and that you can answer in a clear and concise manner.
• Answer related questions: Incorporate these related questions and answers into your content, either as separate sections or as part of your main body.
• Use variations of the query: Google often pulls answers from content that offers multiple ways of answering a query. Use synonyms, long-tail variations, and related terms to increase your chances of getting a snippet.

6. Monitor and Optimize for Changes

Once you’ve secured a featured snippet, don’t assume your work is done. Featured snippets can fluctuate based on algorithm updates, new competitors, or changes in user behavior. To maintain your snippet position:

• Track featured snippets: Use SEO tools like Google Search Console or Rank Tracker to monitor where your content ranks for featured snippets.
• Stay updated: Follow SEO news and Google algorithm updates so you can adjust your strategy as needed.
• Refresh your content: Periodically update your featured snippet content to keep it current and relevant.

Challenges in getting Google featured snippets

Securing a featured snippet on Google can be a game-changer for your content visibility, but it's not without its challenges. First and foremost, SEO is constantly evolving. What worked to snag a featured snippet today might not be as effective tomorrow due to frequent algorithm updates from Google. The competition for these top positions is fierce, and getting that coveted snippet once doesn’t guarantee you'll hold on to it.

The landscape of search results is dynamic, with changes in user behavior, emerging trends, and shifts in search engine algorithms impacting what qualifies for a featured snippet. For example, Google may modify how it interprets content relevance, or the way snippets are displayed may change, affecting the visibility of your content.

In addition, featured snippets are highly competitive. Even if you manage to earn one, other high-authority websites are constantly vying for the same position. As your ranking fluctuates, you might lose the snippet to competitors—requiring ongoing SEO efforts to maintain your edge. If you're not closely monitoring your rankings and optimizing your content, you risk losing the snippet or seeing a drop in overall visibility.

Maintaining that snippet position requires a deep understanding of search intent, technical SEO, and featured snippet optimization, which is why many businesses turn to experts. Rather than managing these shifts on your own, it might be a good idea to hire an SEO professional who can focus on keeping your content in the featured snippet spot long-term.

Win featured snippets with MarketerHire

Navigating the challenges of featured snippets can feel overwhelming, but with the right support, it doesn’t have to be. That’s where MarketerHire comes in. By working with an experienced SEO expert from MarketerHire, you gain access to top-tier talent who understands the nuances of SEO and how to consistently win—and keep—featured snippets.

At MarketerHire, we match businesses with skilled professionals who specialize in SEO strategies tailored to your specific needs. Whether you’re looking to optimize content for rich snippets, answer boxes, or other types of search results, our experts can help. They’re equipped to manage your SEO efforts in an ever-evolving landscape, making adjustments as needed to ensure your content stays ahead of the competition.

Featured snippets require a blend of technical expertise, strategic content planning, and ongoing optimization—tasks that an SEO expert can handle while you focus on your core business. With MarketerHire’s expert guidance, you can rest assured that your content will not only rank but also stand the best chance of claiming those prime positions in search results.

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1. Describing your needs: Schedule a 30-minute call with your marketing manager to discuss your company and hiring needs
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