Position Zero, also known as featured snippet or featured snippets, is a feature that Google has implemented for several years that provides information to users on top of regular Google organic results .
Featured snippets are succinct answers to user queries displayed at the top of Google's search results. They occupy the coveted “zero position” in the SERPs.
Studies have shown that nearly 30% of Google results contain this snippet . This information is provided in the form of an extract which gives a summary of the "best" result for the Internet user. It is a useful feature for SEO and visitors. Visitors receive a summary of the information they are looking for, while the website displayed benefits from increased visibility via positioning at the top of the page.
How do featured snippets work and appear? How to optimize its referencing to stimulate the appearance of your site there?
What is the zero position?
For a long time, the main objective of SEOs was to reach the first position. For the past few years, Google has placed results above historical positions.
This new position of result placed at the top is called the zero position.
Google has been perfecting featured snippets since 2013. These info blocks are meant to answer people's questions right away. They're all in line with Google's vision of finding useful information quickly, without having to click and waste time scrolling through multiple websites.
Position zero already takes many forms, and Google is experimenting with new types of results presentations every day.
It is known by several other names. Here are some of the more common names for this feature:
- featured snippet
- Rank 0
- Rank 0
- Positioning 0
- Featured Snippets
Where does the zero position content come from?
We often wonder how the content presented in position 0 is generated? Google creates featured snippets at its own discretion and therefore it is not possible to force the creation of the featured snippet.
The results are generated organically, based on the relevance of the information. Google searches for the answer to the question formulated by the Internet user on the content present in its index and determines the best answer to display it to searchers.
A few criteria greatly influence the possibility for a site to be found there:
- A site positioned on the first page: it is necessary to be on the first page for your target request. Preferably in the first five results.
- Offer relevant information: the information must be relevant to the search term in general.
- Format: Google will be more likely to display content if it is formatted (bullet list, tables, etc.)
The content of an excerpt does not necessarily come from the beginning of a page, or even from a single paragraph. Google search can gather a selection from the page that answers it in a relevant way. Google is even able to reformat content into lists.
The most important thing to know about her is that the content comes from the pages listed in the traditional organic results.
If it's already featured prominently on the first page , your website is likely to be displayed there. Typically, these opportunities come from organic results placed in positions 1-5, so you don't have to be first on Google to reach it.
For some answers, the video format is well suited and often stands out. To increase the chances of appearing there, optimizing the referencing of videos is a necessary step (title, texts, tags, etc.).
What is the “people also ask” box?
Below the featured snippet , there is also sometimes a clickable list of related questions. These can also be considered 'position zero', as they appear before the 'top' result.
What is the interest of position zero in SEO?
In terms of natural referencing, it is the new number one positioning . It is the ultimate trophy for SEOs, as they include a link to the featured site's website, which is displayed above other competitors, even those in the first natural result.
The potential benefits are significant:
- More traffic
- Higher SERP Visibility
- Credibility for the featured site
SEOs initially protested that snippets were jeopardizing their traffic and preventing people from visiting their sites. However in the majority of cases, the display in top position is positive for a website.
Studies have shown that it significantly improves visit statistics and conversions. See also how to generate SEO traffic on long tail queries and keywords.
In addition to increasing traffic and sales, it's great for establishing brand expertise . When your business provides the definitive answer to a question, your statement is powerful.
An e-commerce site can improve its referencing and its visibility by highlighting its expertise on the questions of potential customers.
Its results are also used in voice search, which can be a great asset.
What are the 7 types of zero positions?
The ones offered are generally in seven common formats of all shapes and sizes:
- Paragraphs
- Numbered lists
- Bulleted lists
- Tables
- YouTube videos
- Pictures
- Graphics
Answers to questions such as: what, who, what, when, where, why
Questions of this type are often asked around the topics you are dealing with.
Just make sure your subject is both:
- Simple enough to summarize in a short paragraph or list.
- Complex enough to deserve an extensive publication.
Practical instructions and answers
Instructions, recipes and answers to practical questions occupy a large part of those present on Google.
Educational content is especially powerful because it encourages clicks and more time on the page. Depending on the question, you can use text, lists, images, and even videos to educate people.
The downside to creating content around what, who, and when is that it's often easy to answer in one or two lines.
Users looking for answers to these questions may be satisfied with the excerpt provided and not continue their search for information on the site. The how and why questions, on the other hand, lend themselves easily to more elaborate answers.
Placed snippets work as teasers and encourage users to learn more by clicking the link.
Definitions
Explicitly or implicitly requested definitions are a good opportunity to display excerpts.
Comparisons
Lists, tables, and text that compare and contrast two or more items make great content to display.
Formatting this type of content is also easier, as it easily lends itself to table format. Simply mark up your page using the
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