How to Get A Featured Snippet in Google's Answer Box

Google has long been a place people turn to find a solution to their problem or an answer to their question. So it makes sense that the search engine giant took another step out of the equation and created a feature that helps users get their answer even faster.

Back in 2015, Google started testing what we now know as the Google Answer Box, which is a featured snippet embedded into the search results. However, it wasn’t until recently that brands have started to utilizing this feature to bring in new website traffic.

Google is known for constantly testing features and making algorithmic updates, but as far as anyone can tell at this time, the Answer Box is here to stay. This means that the time to start maximizing your chances to get your content into the Google Answer Box is now.

Why is Getting in the Google Answer Box Important?

It has been proven in the past that the higher your rank position on a search engine, the better chance you have of getting a user’s click – also known as “click-throughs.” Therefore, a higher rank means increased traffic to your website.

Google’s Answer Box sits above all other rank positions and has been coined “rank zero”. So what’s better than being ranked #1 in Google? Being in rank zero.

If that’s not convincing enough, according to Search Engine Watch, “on average Google Answer Box secures a 32.3% click-through rate.” Which means for every term you appear in the Answer Box for, you get approximately 32 percent market share of the volume for that term.

5 Steps to Getting Featured in the Google Answer Box

Now that you know how beneficial being featured in the Answer Box can be, it’s time to start working on your strategy for getting there.

1. Choose your keywords

Using online keyword research tools, you can discover what keywords your website is currently ranking for along with what keywords trigger a featured snippet in Google.

2. Prioritize the keywords

Once you know what triggers snippets you can look at the volume of searches and authority your website has to determine which terms would be the best to go after to get your site in the Answer Box.

3. Figure out the question being asked

Now that you have all of these keywords that trigger an Answer Box result, it’s time to figure out what questions trigger those answers.

Once you know what types of questions are being asked, you can be sure to create content for your website that answers them. The trick is really trying to think about user experience.

4. Expand your content

Google scores answers based on how much information is provided and if there is a direct answer. Elements such as bullets, tables, charts, graphs, etc. can all help boost the answer score and increase your chances of being placed in the Answer Box.

5. Understand authority

To be placed in the Answer Box, you don’t need to be ranked #1 in the search results for that term. However, you do need to have some ranking authority in order for your answer to be picked.

Smaller businesses still have a chance to be featured, but it might take some work to get you there.

Here’s an example of an Answer Box snippet that was pulled from a site ranking #5 on the page: