Featured Snippet Update 2020 – An Ease or Trouble for Digital Marketers?

Update in Google Algorithm always leaves us in a state of confusion as it either creates ease or mystery in the SEO industry. The new update in the Featured Snippet is also a big question for all, let us take you on a journey which defines it.

The answers you will cover in this journey:

• What is Featured Snippet?
• What is the update in Featured Snippet?
• Impact of Featured Snippet on SEO Specialist
• Benefits of Featured Snippet
• How to earn Featured Snippet?

Let's begin the tour!

What is Featured Snippet?

The story of Featured Snippet started in the year 2014. A Featured Snippet is often referred to as “Rank 0” and is highly coveted by marketers due to its prominent location. 

A featured snippet is said to be the prominent answer to a search query, usually found above the organic result on a Search-Engine-Result-Page (SERP).

There are 3 common types of SERP Featured Snippet:

1. Paragraph Answers (usually 40-60 words)

2. Numbered or Bulleted Lists (up to eight points)

3. Tables (with multiple columns)

[Takeaway 01: The term Featured snippet is when google shows a search result in a special featured snippet block at the top of the search results page.]

What is the update in Featured Snippet?

This story begins on January 23, 2020, when Google announces its Featured Snippets Updated Algorithm.

Google officials announced that it has rolled out an algorithm update that will restrict URLs that are shown in the featured snippet to appear again within the first ten organic search results.

According to Danny (Google’s Public Searchliaison), the new tweak in the algorithm will ensure the Search Results page is not cluttered, and only relevant information gets displayed.

He also confirmed that the featured snippet will be counted as one of the ten listings on the SERP.

The updated Featured Snippet answers these queries of Digital Marketers:

• Information that is regularly updated - A new algorithm improves the search by understanding what information remains useful over time and what becomes out-dated more quickly.

• Information that changes as time passes - the information that needs to get freshness as its nature might change with time. The information needs change on a time-based event that’s in the future as compared to the information needed for an event that has already occurred.

• Current Events - The information is useful only when it’s up-to-date and matches the requirement of the current event. The marketer, as well as the SEO Freelancers, believes to be updated with the trend as per the on-going events.

[Takeaway 02: The Featured snippet update is important because it forces the content creators and publishers to review which content is evergreen and what kind of content requires updates.]

Impact of Featured Snippet Updation on the SEO Specialist

The update in the Google algorithm leaves a major impact on the work of the SEO Specialists, Digital Marketers and Search specialist as the results are always associated with the algorithms and the updates.

Tension! Tension! Tension!

Don’t worry, SEOs and Site Owners can take a deep breath as there’s no significant change in organic search traffic following Google’s featured snippet update.

A deep sigh! As it is worth noting that there were minor fluctuations detected in specific industries but these were very similar to day-to-day fluctuations.

• Auto industry (searches with informational intent): A 10% increase in traffic was observed between January 22 – January 23.
• Auto industry (searches with transactional intent): A 15% decrease in traffic was observed from January 22 – January 23.
• Finance industry (searches with informational intent): A 4% increase in traffic was observed from January 22 to January 23.

[Takeaway 03: The Featured snippet reminds the publisher that the content needs to be reviewed from time to time and it is the content that makes a powerful impact on their working.]

Benefits of Featured Snippets

The updates in Google’s Algorithm in regard to the Featured Snippet was a natural progression for the search engine to improve the results for the user, but why bloggers, publishers, digital marketers, and other SEO Specialist work so hard to get, here are the reasons:

1. Increase In Website Traffic - The most prominent benefit of getting a featured snippet is more traffic to the website.Users like featured snippet as it provide quick answers to their questions and this benefits the chosen site with increased traffic, which could be 20-30%

2. Increase In Conversions - Featured Snippet helps in the hefty increase in the organic conversions. It is also referred to as “Rank 0” which is above all the conversions. It means that you can attract more potential customers to your website by which your chances of increasing online conversions are significantly heightened.

3. Increase In Brand Awareness - Featured snippet not only helps to increase organic conversions or traffic on the website, but it also creates awareness about your brand. It displays your content, a website on the search result as it finds your content relevant and authentic for the users. It also helps to generate credibility about your website in the mind of the users.

4. Increases Website Authority - Link building, the total number of visits, average time spent on the website and many other factors are also considered when Google determines the authenticity of the website. By obtaining the featured snippet, it means that Google chooses your website over others as the most relevant answers to the queries of the users.

5. Increases Keyword Ranking - The increase in website authority from the featured snippet triggers an improvement in keyword rankings and the online visibility and credibility of the website. The right keyword opportunity that could be ideal for your site helps to qualify your site for the featured snippet.

[Takeaway 04: The Featured snippet benefits the working of an SEO, Marketer and Site owners in various ways as it is directly or indirectly the mode of generating traffic, brand awareness, conversions, authority, and keyword opportunity.]

How to earn Featured Snippet?

• Analyze keyword opportunities.
• Create new strategic content.
• Create a Question & Answer format.
• Create ease for Google by adding Subheadings, Lists, Tables, etc.
• Review and Polish existing snippets on a timely basis for increased CTR.

[Takeaway 05: The Featured snippet can be earned by implementing the desired changes required by the users, but to understand the desired changes all you need is “WE”]

Get a featured snippet for your website 

We the Freelance Digital Marketers are here just a call away to help you implement the changes required to be featured by Google on the Rank #0

To understand the requirements of our client in one-take is what makes us special and different from others.