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Caste a spell on your SERPs & rank for more featured snippets.

Featured snippets boost clicks, & are immune to algorithm shifts.

By the end of this issue, you will be able to:

• How to capture more organic clicks from search engines
• Understand what works to rank for featured snippets
• How to optimize for featured snippets

Featured snippets get an average of 35.1% clicks. That is, if a keyword has 10,000 searches a month, 3000 clicks go to featured snippets.

This is not even the best part, the best part is you don’t have to rank #1 to be eligible for featured snippets.

But there are two problems,

1. You don’t have any control over featured snippets &
2. The increasing competition to rank for featured snippets.

But, it’s worth trying to rank for featured snippets despite the competition & lack of control.

Here are three stats to convince you:

1. 19% of SERPs have featured snippets (feature snippets are volatile)
2. Google alone manages 8.5 billion searches every day
3. Featured snippets get 35.1% of all clicks

Do the math & I’m sure it will be convincing

This is what a featured snippet looks like:

To put it in context, this keyword has a search volume of at least 27000 times each month. And at least 35.1% of all people who search click on this link.

Google has publically stated that the pages that rank for featured snippets won’t appear anywhere else on SERPs. So you won’t be ranking for more than one position.

With that said, here are three simple things you can do increase to capture more clicks on SERPs.

Step 1: Aim for page #1

Ahrefs study found that 99.58% of all pages that rank for featured snippets rank on page #1.

I asked John Mueller if this is true, & here’s what he said.

The first step is to create awesome content and then worry about featured snippets. You can begin by analyzing the SERPs. Figure out what type of pages are ranking in the top 10, is it list posts, how-to guides, videos, or tables?

It’s important to know this since it will decide what you need to create.

Featured snippets are quick answers Google wants to show to its users. So aim to answer the most important question in the easiest way possible.

Have a key highlights section where you deliver the answer right away. Lure the readers into reading further.

Step 2: Analyze the featured snippets queue

I discovered this trick while researching for this issue & it’s mind-blowing. Full credit to Jaume Ros for this trick.

The purpose of this drill is to locate all domains that rank for featured snippets. Once you know where you stand in the queue, you’ll know how to beat your competitors.

Here’s how to identify the queue for featured snippets:

#1 Go to Google & search for the keyword you want to rank for, let’s understand with an example of this keyword.

#2 In the search box, append “-exampledomain.com” to the keyword as shown below. This will reveal the next domain the featured snippets queue. Make sure that there’s no space between the “-” & the domain name, it’s “-exampledomain.com” without any spaces.

#3 Next, add the domain currently ranking for the featured snippets. In this case, it’s esafety.gov.au. The next domain in the queue will show up as shown below.

#4 Repeat the process to omit all domains that are showing up for featured snippets. Unfortunately, at the time of writing this issue, this keyword has way too many domains ranking for featured snippets. I even exceeded the character limit (32 words) for Google search.

#5 If the keyword you want to rank for has way too many domains, your best bet is to rely on internal links for unlimited traffic. Or publish it anyway, if not featured snippets aim for the top 3. Optimize the title for better CTR than featured snippets. You can even lure the readers by offering something nobody in the top 10 is offering. Make the post about them, the readers.

Identifying the queue will tell you what you need to rank for the featured snippets & who you’re up against.

Step 3: Notice the patterns

When analyzing search results, focus on page ranking for featured snippets. The text in the featured snippet will be highlighted, if it doesn’t simply find the text that shows up on the SERP.

Look for the following to find what triggers the featured snippets:

1. Is the text near H2 or H3?
2. Is the text bold?
3. Is there an image nearby that has relevant alt text?
4. What type of featured snippets are showing up? [List, table, video or paragraph]

Once you have the data, try to replicate it, but do it better. You may need to keep track & update many times. Don’t forget to reindex every time you update.

Video Guide

Featured snippets paired with topical authority will make you unstoppable. What this video to learn how.

Today’s action step → Create a list of domains in the queue for the ‘featured snippet’ keyword that you want to rank for. Identify what triggers the featured snippet (as shown in step 3)

Creator Spotlight

I got in touch with Samantha North to pick her mind on what she thinks about featured snippets. She recently wrote a post on featured snippets and what she shared is liquid gold. Actionable tips that you can apply right now.

I asked her what’s more important, the element that triggers the featured snippet or the portion that ranks for a featured snippet. “Both of these are important as they work together to maximize your chances of securing a featured snippet position.” – Samantha replied

On top of this, here’s what Samantha recommends to unlock the enhanced visibility on search.

Tips for Founders

If you’re a founder & SEO is your priority, here are some snippet success secrets Samantha recommends:

• Start with thorough keyword research. Aim for high-volume, relevant keywords with a high chance of triggering FS
• Use bullet points, tables, and lists when needed. There are Google’s preferred formats for featured snippets
• Make sure your content directly addresses user queries. The content should be structured logically, with clear headings and subheadings
• Ensure the content team grasps the featured snippet’s importance & creates snippet-friendly content
• Use proper HTML, meta descriptions, and schema for search engines and featured snippets. This increases the likelihood of ranking for featured snippets.

SEO This Week

1. Google released the August 2023 core update
2. Google Search is getting friendlier. You can learn while you search using SGE. Read more here
3. Links from SGE have disappeared. Lily Ray, Barry Schwartz confirms
4. John Mueller hints at what happens when you use AI content
5. How seriously you should take the SEO scores? John Mueller answers

Masters of SEO

1. There isn’t just one keyword to rank for featured snippets. There’s unlimited PAA to rank for. Steven Schneider explains how
2. Never ranked for featured snippet before? Here’s a featured snippets checklist Saurav Agarwal has graciously shared
3. How to build a 6-figure brand in less than a year? Taylin John explains with an unorthodox approach
4. LinkedIn is an amazing way to build a brand & hence the audience. Here are 3 simple & easy Hook templates from Luke Shalmon.
5. How to find low-competition keywords in less than 7 minutes?
6. How to use ChatGPT to interpret which competitor provides more relevance?

How can I help you?

I put a lot of effort into coming up with a single edition of this newsletter. I want to help you in every possible way. But I can do only so much by myself. I want you to tell me what you need help with. You can get in touch with me on LinkedIn, Twitter, or email to share your thoughts & questions that you want to be addressed. I’d be more than happy to help.

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