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SEO Library Fundamentals 1 min read

Featured Snippet

In short

A featured snippet is a highlighted excerpt from a web page that Google shows near the top of results to answer a query directly, usually as a paragraph, list or table with a link to the source.

Last reviewed · Iftikhar Qureshi

Type Triggered by Format to write
Paragraph “What is…”, “why…” A 40–60 word definition directly under the heading
List “How to…”, “steps”, “best…” Numbered or bulleted list with clear H2/H3
Table Comparisons, prices, specs An HTML <table> with clean headers
Video How-to queries YouTube video with chapters

How to win one#

  1. Target queries where you already rank on page one — Google usually picks snippets from top-10 results.
  2. Phrase the heading as the question (“What is a canonical tag?”).
  3. Answer immediately in a concise paragraph, list or table — then expand below.
  4. Match the current snippet’s format but make yours clearer and more complete.
  5. Keep content fresh and accurate; snippets change often.
Snippets and AI Overviews On many queries AI Overviews now appear above or instead of featured snippets. The same answer-first structure helps with both — see answer engine optimization.

To opt a page out, use data-nosnippet on specific text or the nosnippet meta robots value. Full guide: featured snippets guide. Related: People Also Ask, SERP features.

Share this term
SEO Library Fundamentals 1 min read

Featured Snippet

In short

A featured snippet is a highlighted excerpt from a web page that Google shows near the top of results to answer a query directly, usually as a paragraph, list or table with a link to the source.

Last reviewed · Iftikhar Qureshi

Type Triggered by Format to write
Paragraph “What is…”, “why…” A 40–60 word definition directly under the heading
List “How to…”, “steps”, “best…” Numbered or bulleted list with clear H2/H3
Table Comparisons, prices, specs An HTML <table> with clean headers
Video How-to queries YouTube video with chapters

How to win one#

  1. Target queries where you already rank on page one — Google usually picks snippets from top-10 results.
  2. Phrase the heading as the question (“What is a canonical tag?”).
  3. Answer immediately in a concise paragraph, list or table — then expand below.
  4. Match the current snippet’s format but make yours clearer and more complete.
  5. Keep content fresh and accurate; snippets change often.
Snippets and AI Overviews On many queries AI Overviews now appear above or instead of featured snippets. The same answer-first structure helps with both — see answer engine optimization.

To opt a page out, use data-nosnippet on specific text or the nosnippet meta robots value. Full guide: featured snippets guide. Related: People Also Ask, SERP features.

Share this term