Google is testing two new types of Featured Snippets. Both these snippets will show the users short answers to their search query from one or more sources not just a single source, unlike most snippets. Featured snippets are highlighted pieces of text that come up at the top of a Google search results page at Position 0.
As one of the best digital marketing and SEO company in Kerala, here is an article explaining more about featured snippets and the Google tests on two new featured snippets ‘From The Web’ and ‘Other Sites Say’.
Featured snippets provide users with quick answers to their search queries. They are more likely to appear when users enter informational search queries. They are displayed above organic search results, only showing the relevant section of a website as a list, table, or text, accompanied by an image or video. The featured snippet box is more predominately placed than the search results thus allowing showcased websites to expect higher click rates and increased traffic. Snippets contain relevant information from a website that matches the user’s search query.
A featured snippet consists of a number of content elements from the landing page, ranked as follows:
- Text snippet
- List snippet
- Table snippet
- Video snippet
Featured snippets usually contain an image, though the image may not come from the same source as the content selection. Sometimes, they may display video content. Google also displays the title and URL of the website in the snippet, thus providing users with more knowledge about the source domain. With the snippet being placed in Position 0, the corresponding URL of the website experiences an increase in organic traffic.
‘From The Web’ and ‘Other Sites Say’ are the two new additions to Google’s featured snippets.
- From The Web- Usually in normal cases, snippets contain content and link only to a certain website. But, in this case, the featured snippet features to text and a link from one website. Google also shows brief excerpts from two or three websites linking each source separately as well as including the site’s favicon.
- Other Sites Say- In this second variation, Google groups at least three different sites similar to the From The Web snippet under the heading ‘Other Sites Say’.
Optimizing for featured snippets will help in increasing website visibility in the corresponding search results. Though users may receive answers to simple search queries through the featured snippets, for more complex information, the snippet provides only an excerpt, list, or table pertaining to the information so the users have to click on the website to see all the information.
In conclusion, owning a featured snippet can be beneficial, as it helps increase CTR, adds credibility to your website, and improves brand awareness. If a website is already ranked in featured snippets, it can face a drop in traffic. On the other hand, if you do not have a space on the featured snippet, it provides an opportunity for you to optimize your site and drive traffic towards your site.
