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Google’s Featured Snippets: Quick Start Guide

Wed, 07 Feb 2024 13:11:48 GMT

Article written by Susan Waterer in conjunction with Shelley Morris of Rogue Web Design

Snippets. Do you use them? Do you know what they are?

In this quick guide, we provide an overview of the featured snippet, and how these brief extracts could bring big benefits to your business…

What are featured snippets?

When you type a question into Google, as well as the paid sponsored listings, you will likely come across some organic featured snippets that seem to perfectly answer your question.

Snippets themselves are special boxes where the format of a regular online search result is reversed, showing the descriptive snippet first.

They can also appear within a related questions group (e.g., “People Also Ask”).

Why do featured snippets matter?

There are several reasons why you should consider featured snippets:

✅Page 1 shortcut

Featured snippets help you get to the top of Search Engine Results Pages (SERPs) without having to pay for ads. It’s a shortcut to your website from page 1 search results!

✅Ultimate brand awareness

If your snippet is selected by Google, your brand will be up there in lights for all to see – and all for free!

This will help strengthen your brand identity by demonstrating that “you know your stuff” – hence being selected as the brand best positioned to answer the user’s question.

✅More eyeballs on your site

Featured snippets contain a link to the website from which they came.

With your snippet considered engaging enough to appear on Google, this is also usually enough for the user to click through to your site for more information.

And if your website is working the right way, you’ll engage that user for even longer. It’s a great way to be awarded new clients, and a better Google ranking.

Types of featured snippet

There are several different types of featured snippet to suit different content types:

Paragraph snippet

A paragraph snippet is a short piece of text – approximately 40-60 words – that provides a brief answer to questions like “How“, “Who“, “Why“, “When“, and “What“.

For the best chance of featuring, pose the question in a heading (e.g., H2 or H3) and then answer the question immediately following.

Bulleted/Numbered snippet

Lists can be used to rank things, show the steps of a process, or identify different products. Here we see a process list for starting a new business in Australia. Think of how you can create lists for the services or products you provide…

Table snippet

A large percentage of Google’s featured snippets are tables. Table snippets are great for easy-to-view data comparisons.

What information can you tabulate on your site?

Video snippet

Video snippets are very popular, with YouTube being one of the largest search engines in the world. Video featured snippets can be useful for “how-to” queries, especially those relating to practical processes where visuals are key.

The example here shows the top results for how to make an origami swan (you know you want to try).

Other sear ch features/rich results

Your website content can also be developed for other prominent search features/rich results (sidenote: rich results are search listings that contain additional information beyond the standard URL, page title and description – such as visual enhancements and/or interactive features).

You could try creating content for a range of features, such as:

People Also Ask
How-To (see image below)
FAQ
Knowledge Graph
Knowledge Panel
Entity Panel
Image Pack (see image below)
Map/Local Pack
Sitelinks (see image below)
Popular Products
Reviews
Related Products
Shops
App Install
Tweets
Top Stories
Related Searches

How to earn Google’s featured snippets

So, you now know what a featured snippet is, but how do you now make it happen? Here are seven steps to help you earn a Google featured snippet.

1. Keyword research – choose questions or topics on which you are an authority

Using words or phrases related to your products or services will help your snipp et appear where and when you want it to.

Check out Mailchimp’s list of 12 free keyword research tools as a place to start.

2. Take note of the format of featured snippets and the selected keywords

Type your question into Google and see what appears.

What formats seem to be most popular? What keywords are people using?

How can you apply this information to your own website content (without copying, of course)?

3. Identify competitors’ featured snippets

Competitor analysis is important in any content creation, to ensure you stay ahead of the rest.

Featured snippets are no different. Search for answers in your industry and see what your competitors are doing.

And then do better.

4. Use this information to structure and produce content

When you have your keywords and target snippet type/s, get onto the content.

This is what will ultimately work for you. But, importantly, don’t just form sentences from your keywords and think that’ll be enough.

These days, Google looks for good, authentic, original content over keyword use.

Is your content personalised and proper?

Remember, you can always engage a people-centric copywriter to assist…

5. Mark up and structure pages

Have a look at your existing website pages.

And look for ways you can tailor them for Featured Snippets.

Again, you can engage a copywriter to assist with this task, along with an SEO specialist, such as Rogue Web Design , who offer an in-depth SEO service to help boost your rankings and get you prominent on the SERPs.

For the best outcome, engage both specialists to work in collaboration.

6. Add quality graphics and images

Graphics and images provide contrast to the copy, generating greater interest and helping reinforce key points to those who are more visual.

From an SEO perspective, images can help with ‘rich results’, providing a greater chance to appear in image packs or image search results (don’t forget to name and caption your images using your keywords!).

In addition, other sites may find your graphics useful, and so may choose to link to or share your resources – creating backlinks that are great for optimising your rank.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQS) for Google Featured Snippets

When to call in the experts

The above steps can be very time-consuming – and, not to mention, boring – for the average business owner.

It may be more cost-effective to appoint experts to assist. Copywriters (like myself), SEO experts and web builders are a great place to start.

Even better if you can collate a team of these experts to help make it all happen!

Such a team can also address other elements of Google success, such as increasing a website’s topical authority through bulking up your content, and off-page activities like social media and backlinks, frequency of content, and so on.

There’s so much to think about.

Why not leave the thinking to us?

Why Choose Us?

Unlike many large agencies with their templated approach, I have a people-first mentality. I take the time to understand every client, every person – who you are and what is important to you – so that we can find and implement the most effective communications solutions and deliver your messages the right way.

This is also true of my SEO copywriting. Naturally, I consider the keywords and take into consideration competitor activity. But, I couple this with the genuine, trustworthy, authentic content that today’s search engines seek to ensure you get results.

Furthermore, for those searching for optimum SEO impact, I partner with SEO experts such as Rogue Web Design to deliver SEO reports and, from those, website content that will really make a difference.

If you want to stand out, choose Waterer Communications.

It’s never about the message. It’s about the way it’s delivered.

Contact me for a friendly chat and to find out more about how we can collaborate.

Tips for Positive Writing

Thu, 20 Oct 2022 14:00:30 GMT

Have you ever mis-read a text, or had someone wrongly interpret what you’re trying to say?

It can be annoying, upsetting, even embarrassing, and can lead to feelings of being judged.

Written communication is a magnet for misinterpretation. Whether that be texts, emails, letters, or socials – one small error can result in a large amount of grief.

Yet, in the same way that written communication can have a negative impact, carefully written communication can help build trust and relationships, simply through choosing your words wisely.

Here, I provide some tips for writing positive emails , many of which can be applied to other forms of communication. Peruse the obvious, and not so obvious, ways by which you can help dodge disasters and remain aware of your approach. You’ll also find a link to a useful resource at the end, which can act as a valuable checklist when constructing your future comms.

1. Tone

A new manager emails her employee with a task, saying, “You are required to…”, and following up with, “Your response is due by…”.

The manager believes she is simply outlining the task and setting a deadline. But the employee regards the tone as inappropriate, perhaps even a tad rude.

Will the employee now judge their manager’s character based on the one email? The likelihood is yes.

In the 1950s, Albert Mehrabian, a pioneer researcher of body language, formulated the 7-38-55% rule , whereby 7% of meaning is communicated through spoken word, 38% through tone of voice, and 55% through body language.

So, when all you have is written words, it is critical to get the tone of them right.

Tip: Before you send anything, stop for a second, and remember that the recipient of your email can’t see or hear you; they can’t read facial expressions or body language, or hear your tone. Write your email as if you are the recipient , to help ensure it’ll be received favourably. If you exude respect through choosing your words wisely, then your email is much more likely to be received and actioned with reciprocated respect.

2. Emotion

Emotions can affect the way we write. Feelings of happiness may result in friendlier emails –starting off with some positive news, perhaps, or a funny story.

But, on the contrary, feelings of negativity may influence our writing style and lead to misconstrued or even damaging messages and cracks in relationships.

Emotions are driven by both internal and external forces.

Struggles such as the Covid-19 pandemic, for example, have impacted us in so many ways.

Now more than ever we need to be extra mindful of how we write, and fully aware of our mood, before we press send.

Tip: If your emotions are running high, and your email isn’t urgent, save the draft and return to it when you feel more optimistic. Better still, don’t start writing it until you feel a bit more level-headed. For urgent emails, it may be wise to ask a friend or close colleague to review it before sending! Likewise, it is wise to put off reading emails until you’re in a good head space, to avoid potential misconception.

3. Subconscious negativity

The subconscious projection and perception of negativity is a tricky one, given you may not even realise it’s happening.

Just one or two words can unintentionally change a person’s interpretation.

For example, take the common phrase at the end of emails, “Do not hesitate to contact me”.

The words ‘do not’, especially when combined with ‘hesitate’, could be subconsciously perceived as negative, and perhaps even as an order, thus such a phrase could have an adverse effect.

If skim reading, the recipient may even see it as “Please do not contact me”.

It’s much ‘safer’ to say something like, “Please reach out if…” and keep the tone light and upbeat.

Tip: Before hitting send, check your emails thoroughly for any words or phrases that could be portrayed as negative. If you find any, try to turn these words and phrases around so they sound more positive. You could also ask a friend or close colleague to assist – two pairs of eyes are often better than one!

4. Questioning

Questioning is another way by which we can subconsciously project negativity and miscommunicate with colleagues or peers.

For example, ‘the boss’ wants an employee to undertake a task.

He says to his employee, “Can you do this?”.

This simple question could be interpreted as an ‘are you able to do it’ question – a question of abilities, as opposed to just allocating the task.

What the boss should ask is something like, “May you please action this?”.

It’s polite, it’s respectful, and it conveys belief in his employee to get the task done.

Tip: Check that what you’ve written is polite, and that you are indisputably asking the right question. Then, before sending to your recipient, send the email to yourself, take a break, and then read it again as the recipient. Do you like the way the email is asking you to do something? If not, what would you change to make it more appropriate? Make these changes, double-check, and if all good, you’re ready to hit send! Writing more positively will soon come naturally to you, at which time, you’ll be able to drop the checks!

A few minutes to check can save a time of regret!

Useful resource

Remove the negativity, instil the positivity!

Download the following checklist for some suggested alternative phrases.

Need more help?

If you require any copywriting assistance (websites, socials, emails, letters, articles, eulogies, speeches, award applications and more), please contact me at susan@waterercommunications.com.au .

View all services at: https://www.waterercommunications.com.au/services .

Please note that this article, and all information contained within, is based on Susan Waterer’s own opinion only, unless otherwise noted.

* Source: ‘The Definitive Book of Body Language’, first chapter, by Allan and Barbara Pease, 24 Sept 2006, https://www.nytimes.com/2006/09/24/books/chapters/0924-1st-peas.html

Eulogy Writing: the story behind the service

Mon, 07 Jun 2021 13:15:01 GMT

Offering a little support, making a huge difference

On recently helping a friend write the eulogy for her father’s funeral, it made me realise just how much my help meant to her, and how little support there is in this area.

My friend was struggling.

She had lost someone to whom she was very close, someone who helped shape her own life – her rock.

And here she was, tasked with summing up this man’s whole life in just a short, three-page eulogy.

Choosing the best bits from her father’s 80+ years in this world was challenging enough, without the grief and deep sadness she was feeling.

She’s a good writer, but words were failing her at this time.

It was hard for her to put everything down on paper, and make it make sense.

This was the moment I realised, I could help.

I looked online for eulogy writing services to see what help already exists.

I was surprised to see barely anything.

Much of what I did see seemed quite ‘templated’, which for me doesn’t suit any type of communications, especially individual eulogies for independent lives.

So, I offered to assist my friend, taking the more personal approach that I prefer – no completing of templates or populating forms… Just simply telling her dad’s story, her way.

I had no idea at that time of the huge impact my small offering would have…

“Susan did me the greatest favour. Not just in writing the eulogy, but in giving me the confidence to read it all on my own at my dad’s funeral. I’m really proud and pleased to have done that, and to have had so many friends and relatives say how much justice I did to Dad’s life story. I thank Susan so much for taking the pressure off, and for her part in helping me achieve what I did.”

People are at the centre of all I do, and transforming my friend’s many stories and memories into a celebration of her father’s life resulted in an impact so profound.

Making a real difference has motivated me to help others in a similar way.

I’ve been told on more than one occasion, “I seem able to open up to you so easily”.

I’m glad I have now found a way to put this listening skill to valuable use.

Whether it be a person or a pet who has passed away, I am here for you – to help capture the moments, re-live the best parts, and bring these experiences to life once again, creating an accurate, appropriate eulogy that delivers confidence and enables the treasured memories to live on.

If you know of someone who may need the support of a eulogy/spee ch writer, please direct them to my services page , or you, or they, can contact me directly to have an informal, non-obligatory chat.

Who's in the shoes?

Tue, 23 Mar 2021 02:10:30 GMT

The first step in writing any good copy is to better understand your client.

Know your audience. That is generally the first rule of all communications. However, how much impact are you actually having? How deep are you delving to really understand, who’s in the shoes?

Standard audience analysis includes criteria such as age, gender, nationality, and cultural heritage. Identifying this basic information will certainly help with shaping your messages.

What is often overlooked, however, is that your client is also your audience. A key audience. Indeed, the first step in writing any good copy is to better understand your client.

You will need to explore their business objectives, of course, but also spend some time getting to know them – who they are and, importantly, what are their passions? What makes them tick? What gets them excited? What really matters to them? Hold an in-person conversation, where possible, and step as far as you can into their shoes. This will enable you to determine how your client would, or should, address their audience.

In summary, the key take-outs I am offering here are simply:

Know your client before you get to know your audience.
Delve deep into the client’s shoes to understand not just their objectives, but also their passions.
Don’t just focus on standard audience criteria – look more closely at them too, and understand what is really important to them as people.
Match the client’s passions with those of the audience to identify your key messages, and how to best present them.

Taking these steps may add a little extra time to your process, but it will also introduce a real human element to your writing, giving it a real purpose. It is how I work at Waterer Communications ; placing people at the centre of everything I do.

Welcome to Waterer Communications

Thu, 18 Mar 2021 01:39:49 GMT

A website, and a business, is launched

Launching my website on Friday 19 March 2021 was so exciting, and so motivational.

I have been working on my new business for almost a year, setting up strong foundations to ensure I give it the best chance of success.

During this time, I have also been trying to perfect my website content. But, little did I know that as soon as I registered the business name, I would immediately engage six clients! A good problem to have… It just meant this slight delay with revealing my site. (But they do say, “a good Communications professional will not be able to launch their own site immediately, as they will be too busy attending to their clients’ needs…”)

I am also a perfectionist – even if it costs me (not you) a few extra hours. I always aim to deliver the best, and keep my clients smiling. This is ultimately what makes me feel proud of what I do.

I am excited by what the future brings, and look forward, in hope, to working with you soon.

If you would like to further investigate how I may be able to help you, please feel free to reach out and we will set up a non-obligatory chat.