Google featured snippets are the featured text that shows at the top of the search results page when searching for a question in Google. This featured text answers the question quickly, and concisely, and links to the webpage that the text was pulled from and exists on originally.
With that in mind, having your content as a featured snippet can dramatically boost your traffic due to it being the first, and often the only, thing that users will click on.
Although the importance of featured snippets is not a secret, very few jewelry businesses actually implement them.
So, to learn more about increasing traffic and getting your content in front of potential purchasers, we’ll go over the top 8 ways to optimize your website for google featured snippets, covering everything from the fundamentals to sophisticated techniques!
1. Collect the Relevant Keywords for Each Snippet
First, you must select a relevant topic for your content and then select the most promising keywords.
Identifying these keywords will not be hard if you utilize Semrush, an SEO platform that helps marketers to get appropriate keywords, track keyword strategy, and so on.
You will find comprehensive information on relevant keywords, along with their related featured snippets on there.
Categorize the keywords by high volume and low ranking difficulty. Then, copy down the keywords and add them to your content calendar, which is where you will be keeping a schedule of where and when you are planning to publish your upcoming content.
If you need help creating a personalized content calendar for your business, keep an eye out for an upcoming blog on everything you need to know about content calendars!
2. Observe the Snippets Your Competitors Use
Secondly, you should analyze your competitor's featured snippets on Semrush; copy their website’s URL in Semrush and sort out the keyword groups that contain featured snippets.
After this, you will need to copy down the keywords list, categorizing the keywords under their respective snippets, sorting them by volume, and copying them accordingly to start with your planning. Using these keywords in your content accordingly will help you target your potential customers and will give you leverage against your competitors.
Analyzing your competitor's snippets, and using that data tactfully, will definitely give you a competitive edge.
By analyzing the featured snippets of your different competitors, you will get the idea of what a blog, article, or webpage needs to be made a featured snippet in Google.
3. Learn About Search Intent
Next, you should understand that search intent is one of the most vital considerations when optimizing for featured snippets. Search intent usually describes the purpose of an online search.
You have to figure out why a user is carrying out a specific search and the intention behind it so that you can provide him with the relevant information to address his query.
And while developing the snippets, ideally, you should focus on your potential customers. Your potential customers are the ones who will give you an edge in the market; thus, targeting them is a must.
Also, the content should be informational and written in an authoritative tone because it will not only help you gain trust, but will also help you to drive organic search traffic.
4. Focus on Producing Quality Content
Generally, snippets containing shorter yet concise sentences are easy to understand for readers and search engines alike.
To write content that can be used as a snippet, include attractive graphics and statistical data in your content. Besides that, also ensure that you stay informational, using information based on research, rather than including a lot of information that is based on opinion only.
You can include the keywords that you collected earlier in your content to make it easier for the search engine to identify and rank your content as a snippet.
To accomplish your marketing goals, your aim should be to create the finest content, backed by extensive research, that can address the query of your potential customers.
Besides all of that, you will need to update your online content regularly. By doing so, your customer’s trust will grow automatically. Updated content also helps in building domain authority.
For more information on what exactly quality content means and on how to update your content, check out our SEO For Jewelers: SEO Trends to Know For 2023 blog where we talk about both of these topics!
5. How to Structure Your Content for SEO & Snippets
Intentionally designed and well-organized content attracts users and decreases bounce rates. Furthermore, they are easy to scan, read and understand by both readers and search engines.
To organize your content tactfully, use headings, subheadings, bullet points, and smaller paragraphs.
Most people will not want to look at nor read long walls of text. Some people may even want to just skim the content to find the areas that interest them, and only then will they read it more indepth. So, you want to cater towards this type of audience, and make your content easy to digest.
6. Make Use of Long-Tailed Question Keywords in Headings
If you don't include long-tailed question keywords, direct questions that are searched by users, in the heading tags, your content optimization efforts to obtain featured snippets may fall short. Heading tags, also known as header tags are used to separate headings and subheadings on the webpage.
Fun Fact: Most of Google's highlighted snippets begin immediately following a heading tag!
Therefore, you need to select high search volume relevant question keywords with the help and include them in your heading tags.
One way to find which questions don’t have a featured snippet is to try searching different questions people might have about your company or your field. If there is already a featured snippet from a high authority site, try searching for another question or rephrasing your question.
Long tail keywords are also helpful for when you are doing voice search optimization, which you can learn more about in our previous blog, 8 SEO Steps to Optimize a Jewelry E-Commerce Site for Mobile Voice Search!
7. Fill Your Content With Proper Graphics
Graphics are essential for enhancing engagement and user understanding. They are even more important when dealing with featured snippets that take the form of paragraphs and lists.
So, instead of using stock content, try to use original graphics and photographs created specifically for the content that you are making.
Graphics and photographs made to be catered specifically for your content will help enhance both its quality and its ability to be understood by others. Some people are visual learners, and can process information better with a visual representation. You can utilize tools like Photoshop, Illustrator, Affinity Designer, Procreate, or Canva to create original graphics and visual content. And with phone cameras getting exponentially better every year, you can take photographs on your phone yourself to use with your content.
8. Double-Check Your Content
Once you finish making your content, it's time to get it double-checked. In this process, make sure that the content you wrote:
- Satisfies the requirements of your targeted audience
- Contains all the relevant keywords
- Supports user search intent
Double-checking and proofreading is always essential for providing your content with a professional look. You can use tools like Grammarly and Wordrake to eliminate any spelling mistakes, grammatical, and punctuation errors.
Key Takeaways
Starting a few days after implementing this featured snippet optimization procedure on your website, make sure to evaluate the results every week or so. This way, you can keep an eye out for any changes, and make adjustments as necessary.
Getting snippets is not easy, but it can be achieved with certain strategies. So, utilize the tips in this guide to take control of featured snippets, establish yourself as a formidable competitor in your field, and increase your jewelry business's organic traffic and brand recognition.
If your website has been properly optimized, conversions will surely come.
For a free SEO audit of your website, schedule a meeting with us today!