In case you didn’t realize, having your webpage or blog posts rank number 1 on Google is old-hat. If your website is ranked number 1 currently, it means nothing. That is unless you secure the “zero” position. If the number one spot on Google is gold, the number “zero” place is platinum. But what is the number 0 spot? How does it even make sense to aim for the “zero” position?
In this article, we’re going to go through how Google has updated its search results ranking system and what you can do to secure the “zero” position.
What is the “Zero” Position?
The “zero” position is what is known as a “Featured Snippet”. If you’ve noticed when using Google’s search engine, most results now display a highlighted box. That box includes information or answers relevant to your search term. Featured snippets always appear before the number 1 position. Meaning they’re technically higher than the supposed “number 1” website for that search term.
As you’d expect, featured snippets are now the most clicked item in search results. HubSpot shows that posts with featured snippets get two times the number of clicks compared to posts that don’t appear as a featured snippet. This is because they quickly give the exact information that the individual needs. And without them having to scroll through all of the different search results to get the answer they’re looking for.
It’s now so important that your web pages and content are optimized for featured snippets. It will is the only way to ensure you maintain and increase traffic to your website.
How Do I Optimize My Website for Google?
Luckily, your website doesn’t necessarily need to be already ranking high on Google to claim a position as a featured snippet.
Here are 3 things you can do to increase your chance of ranking as a featured snippet.
- Answer the question clearly.
- Stick to the 40-50 word count limit.
- Use Answer The Public to find questions.
- Include high-quality images.
#1 Answer the question clearly
This may seem simple. But fully answer the question. Give the exact information that the user is looking for. Then Google will likely rank your answer as a featured snippet. You need to be really intentional. Ensure that users do not have to go elsewhere to gather all of the information they need.
#2 Stick to the ideal word count
The ideal word count for featured snippets is around 40-50 words. This is plenty to answer most questions clearly. Anything 100 words and over will likely be missed from being ranked as a featured snippet due to their length.
#3 Use Answer The Public to find FAQs
Answer The Public makes it easy to find related search terms to your keyword. Type in the keyword you’re trying to rank for and Answer The Public will give a massive list of related search terms that people are actually looking for.
Leverage this information to look for featured snippet ranking opportunities. Find similar questions that people are searching for and include answers in your content — with the question as a heading.
#4 Use High-Quality Images
Featured snippets tend to include relevant images. Sometimes, even if your text content is added as a featured snippet, Google will use another website’s image if your content doesn’t include an image — or if the image is low-quality.
Always include relevant, high-quality images in your content to ensure that the featured snippet only uses content that links to your website.
Zero To Hero
Google is continually changing its features and algorithms, which can be sup9+-er hard to keep up with. But ensuring that your content is optimized for the latest updates to make sure you always stay ahead of the pack — and eventually rank higher than before.
You need to be optimizing your content for featured snippets — it’s the new number 1 spot on Google. Hopefully, this article has given you a complete insight into the world of featured snippets. It helps you to claim your position at the top of Google’s search results.
If you’re looking for more information on optimizing your business to increase traffic, brand awareness, and sales, check out some of the latest posts on the Intentionally Inspirational blog.
Written by Lewis James