a guide to getting a landing snippet for your business
If you haven’t heard by now, AI is changing the game in SEO. More than optimizing your site and ensuring your meta data is where it needs to be, your on-page content now needs to provide relevant information that will get pulled into the feature “snippets” at the top of Google Search results.
I feel like I beat this dead horse, but optimization algorithms change weekly, monthly, daily… and staying aware of how search is operating will help you remain visible when people come looking for the services or products you offer.
AI is changing the game for the *entire* internet. Here’s what you need to know about optimizing for snippets.
What is a snippet? In most basic terms, a snippet is a small, interesting piece of news, information, or conversation that related to a user’s search query.
What is a Google snippet? According to Google themselves… A snippet is the description or summary part of search result on Google Search and other properties (for example, Google News). Google primarily uses the content on the page to automatically determine the appropriate snippet. Google says that may also use descriptive information in the meta description element when it describes the page better than other parts of the content.
Notice how the AI overview presents select links as snippets for answering my original question? Many people may not choose to dig into the source links now that AI has presented a selection of snippets at the top of the Google search inquiry. But those that do wish to know more, will click the link icon. That’s where you want your business to be featured (as referenced in the bow to the right of the snippet results).
Getting your business featured as a snippet on search results can give you prime visibility at the very top of the page, increasing traffic and credibility. Let’s get started!
Identify Snippet-Friendly Questions Start by finding keywords and questions related to your business that commonly appear in featured snippets. There are several ways to discover commonly asked questions in your field. If you run a design agency, look for questions like “What is brand design?” or “How can brand design improve business success?”
Write Clear, Direct Answers Craft easy-to-read and direct answers to the questions you target. Google is favoring short responses for snippets at the moment so keep these answers between 40 and 60 words. For the question, “What is brand design?” start with a quick, accurate definition in a short paragraph: “Brand design is the process of creating a unique and cohesive visual identity for a company, including logo, colors, and typography, to build recognition and trust.”
Use a Clean, Structured Format Structure content for easy reading, using headings, bullet points, and numbered lists. Google likes well-organized content that answers questions quickly. When explaining “Steps to create a brand identity,” use numbered steps, like “1. Define your brand’s mission, 2. Choose colors and fonts…”
Create a “FAQ” Section on Key Pages This is literally my number one piece of advice in web building. FAQ pages are SEO gold and they continue to deliver. Now it’s time to beef up the FAQs. Place a “Frequently Asked Questions” section on pages that cover your core topics. You don’t have to keep it just to one separate page. This setup allows you to answer common questions in snippet-friendly formats, giving Google a clear structure to pull answers from.
Add High-Quality, Authoritative Content Build credibility by crafting informative, authoritative content on each topic. Snippets often come from websites Google sees as trustworthy and well-researched. This starts to become report writing but thank goodness we all learned that back in school. By backing up your answers with brief data points, case studies, or expert quotes, you can add authority. Everybody loves that.
Answer Related Follow-Up Questions Address potential follow-up questions to provide complete information and improve engagement. This tactic can lead to a higher likelihood of appearing in “People Also Ask” sections, which often appear near the top of search results. So after answering “What is brand design?” you’ll want to follow up with “Why is brand design important?” or “How can brand design impact a business?” Adding these follow up questions about your topic will keep the Google crawlers happy and keep you at the top.
Optimize for Mobile and Speed Make sure your website loads quickly and is mobile-friendly, as Google prioritizes fast, user-friendly websites for snippets. A faster, mobile-optimized site enhances the user experience, improving your overall search ranking and snippet potential.
Regularly Update Content to Stay Relevant Periodically update your answers and content with new data, insights, or examples to keep it fresh and accurate. Search engines prefer up-to-date content for featured snippets. Bonus move… Add recent industry insights or case studies if your content covers trends or business growth strategies.
Whew, that’s a lot, right? For some, maybe. This is one of those instances that can be managed easily enough with quarterly SEO audits and maintenance. There’s never a bad time to get started on your optimization. Let me know if I can help.
More on this topic soon!
